Paul Lewis Writing Archive

Saga Magazine is the top-selling subscription magazine in the UK and by far Britain's biggest circulation magazine for people over 50. It has a circulation of more than 1 million and a readership of over 2 million. It is published monthly by Saga Publishing, part of Saga Group which also owns Saga Holidays and Saga Services. The magazine has complete editorial independence. Aimed at anyone aged 50 or more, Saga Magazine runs to around 200 pages each month and contains general features, celebrity interviews, information, personal views, as well as letters and connections where you can seek new friends. Saga Magazine costs £24.95 for twelve issues. To subscribe log on to the website, call 0800 056 1057 or write to Saga Magazine, FREEPOST CU250, Folkestone, Kent CT20 1BR.

At the Saga Magazine website you can read my weekly column
and express your views..

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I write a monthly article in Saga Magazine called 'Money Works' about financial and consumer rights for older people. I also write the monthly news pages of 'Saga Money'. I occasionally do political interviews or write on more general topics. My pieces from Saga Magazine are re-published on these pages shortly after they appear in print, around the first of each month

I also write for the Saga Magazine website. Click for my Saga website archive

Guide to the Government's plans for pension reform (you will need Adobe reader for this.)

New guide to Inheritance Tax (you will need Adobe reader for this.)

2008

July 2008 Pay your cards right Best ways to spend abroad
July 2008 Saga Money Low paid still pay more tax, married women's pensions; richest pensioners; trace old pensions; annuities on the rise.
June 2008 Receive your benefits abroad New rules help disabled and others claim abroad
June 2008 Saga Money U-turn tax losers, Council tax rises, luxury flats, Cash is back, Spanish tax refund
May 2008 Big change in state pensions There's a cliff edge on 6 April 2010
May 2008 Saga Money Separate savings, Car tax, Gift aid shops, Winter fuel payments rise, state pension is 100, low income losers
April 2008 Just the Ticket Free travel for all over 60s throughout England begins this month.
April 2008 Saga Money Pound drags down pensions, cheques fade out, investment dogs named, F1 number plate, Monday blues.
March 2008 Working for Yourself Does self-employment beckon?
March 2008 Saga Money Victory for pensioners, under the microscope, sports shirt refunds, fat cat pensions, Stamps up
February 2008 Making Your Money Work The banks need our money - and are paying well for it
February 2008 Saga Money Banks reject ageism ban, More tax for low earners, sell and rent back dangers, Coin changes, council tax benefit changes, records for sculpture and car.
January 2008 Pensions: a maze for women Married women and National Insurance contributions
January 2008 Saga Money Cash savings, Leica prices, Postcode pensions, Pound replaced by euro! Banks fail pensioners, jumbo jet set, domain records, home responsibilities protection.

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2007

December 2007 Inheritance Tax: the small print Details of the changes announced in the pre-Budget report
December 2007 Saga Money Boost your charity gifts, autographs, Northern Rock, centenarians, gas safety checks, pension rises, ten years of inflation
November 2007 New hope for unmarried partners New legal rights for are proposed for England and Wales
November 2007 Saga Money Instant clearing delays, OWL tracks electricity use, 78s, cut your council tax, pension forecast suspended, balancing credit card deals
October 2007 Easing the cost of care New national guidelines should give more people in care more money towards the fees.
October 2007 Saga Money Where to live, power switches, bank charge claims pending, Lords thwarted on pensions, corkscrew heaven, passport woes, unclaimed assets
September 2007 Caring for the carers What help and money carers can claim
September 2007 Saga Money Inheritance tax guide, valuable bears, free gas safety checks, council tax relief, joint accounts, working on, pensions time-bomb, Tax errors
August 2007 Power to your people Rules for Powers of Attorney change from 1 October
August 2007 Money News Barclays relents on SAMs, Plastic fantastic, Pensions abroad, Tax help, online shopping rights
July 2007 Banks brought to account Bank charges reclaim campaign continues
July 2007 Money News Standard Life money, Record water bills, Arts & Crafts prices, Wave & Pay, Cash in on smoking, Tax haven UK, Energy discounts
June 2007 Robin Hood in Reverse Gordon Brown's final Budget takes from the poor and gives to the rich
June 2007 Money News Hello HIPs; Pensioners' incomes; Dogs in art; Ombudsman takes on credit; Dormant accounts
May 2007 Gain without pain Pensions tax relief how it works and how to make it work for you
May 2007 Money News FAS improved, Budget losers, cigarette cards, data pledges by banks, direct debit charges, brothers grim pension tale
April 2007 Cracking the Tax Code Retirement Annuities and tax codes
April 2007 Money News Pop memorabilia, free prescriptions in Wales, bribes to leave pension schemes, Non-claimers rise, cheques vanish, online dealers taxed, home reversions regulated
March 2007 Pensions reform at work Government plans to make everyone save through our job
March 2007 Money News Pensions Barometer, your own inflation rate, appeal of the pen, banking on the family, least favourite tax.
February 2007 An income for life Choosing the best annuity can boost your retirement income
February 2007 Money News Investing in cars, Savings perk up, Bonfire nights, Brits on the move, Eurozilch, Equity release
January 2007 Putting your faith in trusts Can these ancient financial structures help us protect our assets?
January 2007 Money News Art prices, Farepak Christmas woes, Cheque changes; House prices up; DWP phone costs

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2006

December 2006 Bank Charge Rebellion Bank charges may be illegal - what to do if you are charged too much
December 2006 Money News Inflation spectre, Fantastic plastic, Student help, Payment protection insurance, Old clothes.
November 2006 How lenders give you the credit Three credit reference agencies hold data on us all
November 2006 Money News Energy prices peak, Ł39,000 Worcester jug, Will Aid, red card on overdrafts
October 2006 'If it was me I'd be campaigning too' Pensions Minister says 'No' to more money but I don't blame you for asking
October 2006 Age law brings new rights Age Discrimination at work is outlawed - mainly.
October 2006 Money News Inflation strikes, Inheritance Tax grows, City bonuses, Star Trek heaven, Jobs go south
September 2006 Trapped in their own homes Shared appreciation mortgages are all in the banks' favour.
September 2006 Money News NHS charges, what to spend the house on, HIP changes, Yacht spotters, and care homes help
August 2006 The Great Pensions Shake-Up The Government's plans to change pensions forever
August 2006 Money News Government fiddles pension compensation figures, HIPs for house sales, 20th century furniture, million pound houses
July 2006 How to make a complaint about a financial services company
July 2006 Money News More scams, postal revolution, new tax on health insurance, dolls' houses cost dear
June 2006 Battle lines drawn on care costs Court and Government change the rules for help with costs of care
June 2006 Money News Value of scrap, Welsh get free prescriptions, Link cash charges, Credit protection abroad, cheap jets.
May 2006 Finding your way through the pensions jungle State pensions unravelled
May 2006 Money News Over 60 bus passes, Ombudsman defied, Tax takes, Ł1 million pound violin, Child Trust Fund and grandparents
April 2006 Profiting from your pension More A-Day changes
April 2006 Money News Gas prices explode, Turkmenistan pensions cut, Fending off fraudsters, Watch the price, Living together law in Scotland.
March 2006 A rough guide to living abroad Pensions, tax, benefits, inflation and property if you move abroad
March 2006 Money News As safe as houses, buy now before stamps rise, beat parking fines, PIN or pen? football memorabilia
February 2006 Turner sticks to his sums The Pension Commission's plans affect us all
February 2006 Money News Working past 65, winter cuts, valuable vinyl, our stuff, tax trap for over 65s
January 2006 How to reduce the burden of inheritance tax
January 2006 Money News Good savings rates, revolving pension door, war medal prices, uninsured drivers, easier council tax benefit claims

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2005

December 2005 Winter Fuel and Age Related Payments What they are and where you can get them
December 2005 Money News Treasure in the attic, Insurance DOC'd, Rise of council tax, Bazas, Live and work longer
November 2005 Living Together New laws for same sex couples
November 2005 Money News Home from Home, SIPP carefully, IF Theft, Tin plate worth a mint
October 2005 Pension rights for part-time women Courts clarify the rules - 275,000 could claim.
October 2005 Money News Labour confuses on citizen's pension, credit card fees, hi-tech insurance, defer council tax, champagne posters
September 2005 What a difference A-Day makes Part 2 of the guide to pensions changes from April.
September 2005 Money News Age discrimination to go, Buffett lunch, record price for pot, green labels for new cars, offshore beware
August 2005 Start planning now for the big A New rules to encourage pension savings from April 2006
August 2005 Money News Lottery vs premium bonds, clocks to buy, annuity shoparound, Ferrari, what does 70% off mean?
July 2005 Carers and care homes What carers can get and how to pay for a care home.
July 2005 Money News Equity release, Bentley's grey target, grandparents' give more, older savings accounts, scissors paper stone art
June 2005 Some win, some lose under pension protection reforms.
June 2005 Money News Wedding costs soar, Romanian leu revalued, critical illness claims, warranty protection, valuable cent.
May 2005 Election manifestos Three parties set out their election stall
May 2005 Money News National Insurance pot grows, winter payments, gift aid on stately homes, holiday cash surcharge, arts & crafts.
April 2005 Inheritance tax - how to cut the bill
April 2005 Money News Annuities fall, banks text warnings, grace days cut, muddle over PINs, Careful with Clarice Cliff
March 2005 Negotiate the pensions maze Your state pension guide
March 2005 Money News Watchdog helps customers, loan scam, hard card, Ł19mn cabinet, 65+ tax-trap, VAT avoided
February 2005 In the hot seat New Secretary of State for Pensions wants major changes in the state pension
February 2005 Big boys poised to corner the market following big changes in the way we are sold financial products
February 2005 Money News Salary stakes, Ł4mn holiday, forgotten fifties, Revenue refunds, Art of saving money
January 2005 Check your tax after taxman's error Revenue admits tax deducted through PAYE may be wrong.
January 2005 Money News Phishers target bank accounts, Ł2000 rail ticket, how billionaires spend it, cut your car insurance, and tax cloud lifted from home reversions

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2004

December 2004 Pensions choice Contracting out of the State Second Pension
December 2004 Money News Stamp Duty soars, Commemorative china, Pension rise, Free loans, Free passports, Fixed price energy reprieve.
November 2004 Pensions in crisis Four experts on what we must do to reform pensions
November 2004 Money News Graduate debt, Morse's car for sale, new mortgage regulation, tips on tipping, lifeline for Post Offices
November 2004 A piece of paper to give peace of mind why you should make a will
October 2004 Money News Spreading investment, camera club, motor insurance, scam Canaria, son of son of son of ERNIE
October 2004 Save energy, make money a few simple steps can save you money and help the planet
September 2004 Money News Price rises, Identity thieves, Plastic beats cash, Investing in art, Diamond geezer
September 2004 Get your tax back from the Chancellor Millions of people pay too much tax on their savings.
August 2004 Money News Top bosses earn Ł2.1 million, Collectable photos, Lucky bookies, Cost of living abroad, New credit rules
August 2004 Children to get Government windfall - money for kids, and grandkids!
July 2004 Money News Chocolate money, Eggs worth millions, Benefit cheques, Terror premium, Titanic dives
July 2004 Retiring abroad in the new Europe Benefits, tax, health must all be considered.
June 2004 Money News - House prices soar, annuities fall, tax simplification, trillion, sparkling sparklers
June 2004 Boosting your income for life - how to choose the best annuity.
May 2004 Money News - Unclaimed cash, Politicians' investments, Collecting coins, Payment insurance, $1 million note
May 2004 Pension simplification, Inheritance tax clampdown, Ł100 for over 70s - all the Budget news.
April 2004 Money News Older people's wealth, watercolour investment, 92-year-old robber, fake euros, credit card charges.
April 2004 Pensions in a state No reform of state pension but more if you work for longer
March 2004 Money News Investment dogs, unique stamps, Link charges, switching fuel, nurses taxed, cost of pets
March 2004 Striking out on your own self-employment in retirement
February 2004 Money News Avoid scams, insuring your body, Brown's change, underinsurance, chip and pin
February 2004 The cost of a care home - there are ways to make paying easier
January 2004 Money News Grey power; insurers use lie detectors; pension rise delayed a week; submarine for deep pockets; benefit website
January 2004 Swap your bank account and make money in 2004

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2003

December 2003 Money News May to October timing affects shares, Pension rise, Armchair investors, Credit card gaffe, High cost transatlantic
December 2003 Land Registry secrets and Stamp Duty Land Tax
November 2003 Money News Council tax rises 94%, Debt spreads, Waltons richest, Kindleberger's cautious advice, Ebay's billions
November 2003 Campaign for collapsed pensions schemes what happens to your pension when your company goes bust?
October 2003 Money News Pension troubles, taxing Madonna, House prices, Big returns, Model claim
October 2003 More money all round if you're over 65 More off council tax, extra pension credit, more help with rent.
September 2003 Money News Retirement ages, football finance, self-assessment, smart bank accounts
September 2003 Cash in on your home Equity Release schemes
August 2003 Money News Fat cats, Price indices; Investing in autographs; Black credit cards; timely tips.
August 2003 Pensions from abroad Time spent working or living in other countries may mean more money.
July 2003 Mind the gap Check for holes in your national insurance pension record
June 2003 Taming the Pensions Storm Shadow Pensions Secretary David Willetts sets out his alternative
June 2003 Crack that Code Tax codes and tax back
May 2003 Badly endowed Take action now on your mortgage endowment
April 2003 How to PIN a pension New ways to get your pension paid
March 2003 The man deciding our future Interview with Pensions Secretary Andrew Smith
March 2003 More money for those who need it 5 million can claim Pension Credit
February 2003 Credit where it's due New tax credits for parents and low paid people
January 2003 Delayed at the office As we live longer retirement will come later

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2002

December 2002 Leave your troubles behind Inheritance tax and how to reduce it
November 2002 Money down the drain Married women's National Insurance contributions scandal
October 2002 Outrageous treatment of widows Suffering caused by equality changes
September 2002 Don't lose sleep over your savings Safe options for the cautious investor
August 2002 Fit for work or fit for nothing? age discrimination at work
July 2002 Home alone and trapped in the UK Frozen pensions abroad trap pensioners here.
June 2002 Win some, lose some The Budget was generally good for people over pension age
May 2002 War pensions for widowers War disablement pensions extended
May 2002 Changes and Choices The new State Second Pension helps disabled people and carers
April 2002 Pensions in Peril Final salary schemes in danger
March 2002 Annuity Reform Rejected Government consults on annuity changes
March 2002 Birth of the Euro 12 currencies disappear forever
February 2002 Gordon's Bonanza Pensions and tax allowance set to rise above inflation
February 2002 For Richer Or Poorer How to convert your pension fund into an annuity
January 2002 What's Troubling You? Council tax, car tax, lost money, winter fuel, Equitable Life

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2001

December 2001 Watchdog Bares Its Teeth New powers for the Financial Services Authority
November 2001 Nursing their Dignity Care home fees in England should fall
November 2001 Winter Fuel Payment 2001/02
October 2001 Suing for Compensation No win, no fee should mean free justice for accident victims
September 2001 Why didn't anyone warn us? The Equitable Life pensions fiasco
September 2001 Set our pensions free alternatives to annuities
August 2001 The Pension Trap Annuities are poor value
July 2001 Sitting on a Fortune is your money lost in a dormant account?
June 2001 Claim your cash - it's guaranteed
May 2001 Claim Your refund Car tax rebates for smaller vehicles
April 2001 Capability Brown The 2001 Budget
April 2001 Widowers Win Equality
April 2001 Polls Apart MORI poll of how Saga readers will vote
March 2001 A Question of Form simpler ways to claim
March 2001 Still confused about pensions? your cut out and keep guide to the state pension
February 2001 About Time! Government climbdown on SERPS for widows
February 2001 Sleight of Hand Cuts Pension Rise Chancellor gives with one hand.....
January 2001 Yes we can be moved Saga poll reveals your voting plans
January 2001 Credit Where It's Due Government plans for a pension credit
January 2001 It's a Taxing Time For Many your letters show your concerns

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2000

December 2000 What Price Your Vote More money for people over 60
November 2000 Hands Off Our Perks! Readers vote on Tory plans for pensions
October 2000 War Pensioners Fear NHS Will Axe Priority Treatment
September 2000 Champion of the Underdog Paul Lewis takes on Money Box - by Nigel Blundell
September 2000 Blair's Blueprint for Those in Care funding long-term care
August 2000 It's Your Pension - What do You Think? Tories' radical pension plans
July 2000 Pensions Victory for Part-timers European Court ruling benefits thousands of women
June 2000 Why get by when you could get more? Take-up campaign and more on Winter Fuel Payments
May 2000 Budget 2000: one for pensioners?
April 2000 Tax Rule Vexes Older Married Couples Readers' letters
March 2000 Some Home Truths hang onto your home if you go into care
February 2000 Better Pensions for All? and news on nursing homes and SERPS climbdown
February 2000 More fuel for the fire Winter fuel payments extended by Europe
January 2000 Good news - on the whole - in Budget Report

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1999

December 1999 Poverty promises made at Bournemouth
November 1999 Driving costs up - for older motorists
October 1999 Benefits fiasco leaves millions out of pocket
September 1999 You steal our pensions we'll steal your votes
August 1999 Food for Thought Your letteres answered
July 1999 Just the Job New rights at work
June 1999 Halved, drawn and quartered The attack on SERPS
May 1999 No, Gordon, Everyone's NOT a winner The Budget and you.
April 1999 Some Friends Up North Sheffield ends its discrimination against war pensioners
March 1999 Taxing the Poor - Government will not change the tax on dividends
February 1999 The pensions claw - are you losing some of your company pension?
February 1999 Age of Opportunity - Government plans to help older people
January 1999 The Euro - readers' criticisms answered
January 1999 When more is less - Goverment plans for social security

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1998

December 1998 Questions, answers - to readers' letters
November 1998 Euroland Beckons - financial opportunities of the single currency
November 1998 Reaping the Hurricane - no pensions for nuclear test veterans
November 1998 Prince Charles at 50 - royal financial advice
October 1998 The price of coal (part 2) - vibration white finger case won in Court of Appeal
September 1998 Promises, promises - government plans for pensioners have little detail
August 1998 Assault on Older People's Civil Liberties - new rules on paying for care homes
July 1998 Tax changes punish the poor - investment income hit by new rules
June 1998 50 Plus and Proud of it a book and a birthday
June 1998 You Win! Bad and Ugly Councils in Retreat
May 1998 A Budget called Prudence - how the 1998 Budget affects you
April 1998 Millions on offer - claim it back from the Chancellor
March 1998 Council tax cut, fuel payments delayed
March 1998 The price of coal - compensation for miners
February 1998 Millennium awards for all - do something worthwhile in your community
January 1998 Chancellor's Plans for Pensioners - the Pre-Budget Report

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1997

December 1997 War Veterans can be trusted says judge. War pension cases to be reviewed
November 1997 Banking on Indifference - missing money in banks and building societies
October 1997 Pension Alert - act now to get compensation
September 1997 Care Homes Inquiry Seeks Your Views
September 1997 Your home is at risk - if you go into care
August 1997 Lightly Browned - Labour's first budget
July 1997 Lords Boost for Disabled - court ruling to help them lead better lives
June 1997 Many Happy Tax Returns - self assessment of income tax begins
May 1997 Better late than Never - secret rules revealed
April 1997 Millions of pensioners lose billions of pounds
March 1997 Tax changes - some good news for older people
February 1997 Pensioners lose millions in Budget cuts
January 1997 Equal rights for men

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1996

December 1996Company pension trustees
November 1996 Welcome to Cyberspace
October 1996 Jobseeker's Allowance saves £300m
September 1996 Self assessment starts now

PRIZEWINNING STUFF
In May 1996 Saga Magazine won the Editorial Campaign prize awarded by the Periodical Publishers Association for its campaign about local councils treating war pensioners meanly. Here are the award-winning articles and their follow-up.

The campaign began in November 1995 with War Pension Robbers. By January we reported Councils Start to Crumble. In February 1996 we scored a big success as Rotherham Joins the Good Guys. In March we said Councils Are For Turning as 46 changed their policies. But some ugly ones remained stubborn, spending millions as war pensioners suffered. In April the courts took our side when the magistrate said Don't Go To Jail to campaigner Ted Maddison. Despite these successes, in July 1996, war pensioners in Liverpool were Reduced to Tears as their council became the first to turn the wrong way. But good news in 1998 as the latest figures show the Bad and Ugly Councils in Retreat and that in 1999 war pensioners have Some Friends up North.

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To see more of Saga Magazine check out its website.