Paul Lewis writes…

Dear Listener

It’s those banks again. And what they charge us. This time the fees for ending your mortgage are under fire. Does it really cost more than £200 to close a mortgage account? And if so, why did they used to charge no more than £50? A broker says it’s a scandal. And a lawyer says, you guessed it, these charges might be illegal.

Bob Howard is back with us this week investigating if councils really will get the power to appropriate our empty homes and put homeless families in them. The fear was raised this week in some newspapers. But is it true?

Pay <your name> five thousand dollars, says the cheque which arrives unasked through the post from a genuine company and drawn on a real US bank. And for a while it seems to be true…..but of course it’s not. We here why from the government official whose job title really is ‘scambuster’.

Trying to understand the rules about who gets what financial help in a care home really does need a cold wet towel round the head and a large pot of coffee. So perhaps it is no surprise that we are told by experts that many people in care homes could get £3000 a year more towards their fees. They say some decision makers at the Department for Work and Pensions are getting their own rules wrong.

We are hoping to squeeze in another story but to find out if we manage it you’ll have to tune in to Money Box at 1204 BST on Radio 4.

PS Don't forget you can find further information about all the items and listen online both live and whenever you like at the Money Box website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/moneybox

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