Dear listener,

I’m delighted that the BBC has followed my lead and published details of the expenses incurred by its board and some of its senior staff. I am not on the board or the staff. I am in that odd category called “talent”. Or as one producer said to me “in your case, Paul, we obviously use the term loosely”. All it means is that my main job is to be heard on air.

I published my expenses four weeks ago and goodness, they now seem not so much modest as minuscule. So to prove they really are that small I’ve added images of the receipts which supported them back to 2004. It is largely a collector’s guide to the changing format of London Transport Travelcards and the price of a cappuccino around the UK. Find them by putting my name into a search engine and ignoring the pianist, rock singer etc.

As for what I am paid for Money Box, I have told the contracts department that they are under no obligation to keep that secret and should tell anyone who asks. It’s a lot less than the prime minister. Or even the pensions minister – see below.

Before getting to the agenda for this week I must give you some advice. If you want to be very well paid for doing nothing, get a job as one of the executive directors of the Financial Services Authority and then leave. I am sure that while doing the job they earn every penny of their six figure salaries. But when they leave they are given full pay for six months to do nothing.

The FSA Annual Report published this week confirms that David Kenmir left his job as chief operating officer on 31 March 2009. In 2007/08 he was paid £399,003. But in 2008/09 he was paid double that – £800,359. More than half – £404,746 – was paid to him as six months notice and another six months pay in advance for the period when FSA rules prevent him from working for anyone else, which rather delayed his announced plan to pursue other career opportunities.

Sir Callum McCarthy resigned as chairman of the FSA on 19 September 2008. He was also paid more for that half year’s work than for a whole year in 2008. Six months on full pay for no work took his year’s money to £487,238. Similar things happened last year when John Tiner – the former chief executive – got £227,500 for doing nothing for six months. And Clive Briault – who left under a cloud over Northern Rock – was paid £528,952 compensation for loss of office. All these figures exclude pension contributions.

Altogether these four executives shared £1.4m for sitting at home. Which is 22.5%of the total board pay for those two years. Nice non-work if you can get it.

*** IN THE BEST RADIO PROGRAMME THIS SATURDAY ***

The stakes in the bank overdraft charges case were dramatically raised this week by the banks themselves. Their barrister, Jonathan Sumption QC, told the House of Lords that if the banks lose their test case they could face a deluge of litigation going back years. An appalling prospect he said. The Lords are hearing an appeal against a Court of Appeal ruling that overdraft charges are covered by regulations which mean the Office of Fair Trading can decide if they are fair or not. The banks say they are not covered by the regulations and are simply a fee for a service. Though Mr Sumption admitted for the first time that overdraft charges did subsidise the cost of current accounts for those who did not go overdrawn. An eye witness tells us the mood in the court.

New figures out this week show that the number of older people who fail to claim the benefits they are entitled to has grown and there are now up to 2.3 million households who fail to claim up to £5.4bn. As Money Box revealed last year, the DWP has abandoned targets for getting them to claim. On the day the figures came out I spoke to the Minister for Pensions and the Ageing Society, Angela Eagle. Hear her response. And there will be more from her next week on pensions and ageing.

Barclaycard is telling some customers that they can repay less of their debt each month. Instead of repaying at least 2.25% of it, they will in future pay as little as 1.5%. Barclaycard says it is a “help” to selected customers. Maybe. But it will stretch the repayment time for a £3,000 debt on a Platinum card from 21 years to 43. Find out if Barclaycard decides to come on the programme to explain why.

Plus how financial products will be sold to us from the end of 2012. Will the new regime really end all commission bias?

And another story still to be confirmed. Probably from Northampton.

Find out by listening to Money Box on Saturday at noon (repeated Sunday at 9pm). Never miss a show again by subscribing to our podcast. Do that through our website bbc.co.uk/moneybox where you can also listen again, Have Your Say, watch videos, read why we are the Best Radio Programme and find out more about all the items covered this week. In May our web pages and stories hit another new high with viewings now more than 600,000 in the month.

Best wishes,

Paul

PS Don’t forget the programme taster on BBC Breakfast between quarter to nine and nine o’clock. If you miss it, you can watch it on our website.

e-mail Paul Lewis