Money Mondays

This coming Thursday (October 10th) is World Homeless Day so Zak & Emma are having a chat about the scale of the problem, the alarming statistics and what can be done to fix the issue. They are joined by Matt Gannon from Homelessness Impact who have been conducting extensive research in this field and investigating the potential solutions. During a wide ranging conversation, Zak & Emma also talk a...

Jazz Singh has an incredible story and he's here to share some of it on Money Mondays Having worked in finance before finding himself in prison in later life, Jazz used his experience and knowledge to help others inside and imagine a better life for himself. Now, Jazz has that better life, and has established 'EmpowerAbility' - An organisation which seeks to support humans inside and outside of th...

There really is a 'Day' for everything and today is 'International Identification Day' (16th September) so Emma & Zak are looking at ways to sort out your ID while you’re in prison. To help them, they’ve invited back Paul Retout from the Tax Academy (And frequent Inside Time contributor) to look at how it might be possible to source a birth certificate, passport or driving licence while you’re ins...

With ‘ Stop Loan Sharks ’ approaching their 20 year anniversary, we invited Cath Wohlers on to the show to tell us what a loan shark is, how they operate and what to do if you’ve entered into business with a non-legitimate lender. ‘ Stop Loan Sharks ’ investigates and prosecutes illegal money lenders and provides support for borrowers in the UK - This year alone they have helped with the confiscat...

One of the most difficult things to do when you’re having debt troubles, is getting in touch with your creditors. You might have feelings of embarrassment or be worried what the next steps might involve. The anxiety surrounding this can be made worse by being in prison, it’s no longer a case of making a phone call or going online If this sounds familiar, then Money Mondays is here to help. We’ll b...

NACRO is an organisation that believe “everyone deserves a good education, a safe and secure place to live, the right to be heard, and the chance to start again, with support from someone on their side” - They do a lot of work with people who have experience of the Criminal Justice System and “See your future, whatever the past” Producer Sam paid a visit to their personal wellbeing service in St A...

Moving from one bank to another used to be a long and arduous task. This meant that most of us would stay with our bank for many years even if we weren't happy with the service Now, it couldn't be simpler and as such, banks are having to up their games which means you could be getting a nice cash incentive!  Zak & Emma take a look at the Current Account Switch Service and how it could benefit you....

Money & Mental Health often go hand in hand. On this episode, Zak & Emma are exploring the links between the two and looking at practical ways to ease your financial anxieties  The brilliant Becca Stacey from the organisation ' Money & Mental Health Policy Institute ' also joins us to shine some light on the problem and to look at some potential solutions USEFUL LINKS: Money and Mental Health Clea...

Opening up about your money problems can be tough, it can be even harder to do in Prison. That’s why Debt Free Advice have been installing Debt Kiosks in various prisons in the London area. These allow you to be connected with a debt expert in seconds from the comfort and security of a purpose built, soundproofed booth.    This was piloted in HMP Brixton and we are delighted to be joined by Matt f...

On previous episodes Emma has referred to 'Credit Unions', a somewhat overlooked financial option. Here Emma explains what they are, how they work and how they could potentially benefit you  Plus, Wendy from Access2Advice is back on the show taking another listener question, this time from Peter in Wayland who wants to know "Do your debts get cleared when you're convicted?" USEFUL LINKS: Quids In...

On this episode of Money Mondays, Zak & Emma are joined by special guest Pat Bannigan. Pat dedicated a large part of his career to supporting people in prison with their finance, benefit and debt needs. During this time he helped prisoners open more than 2500 bank accounts and assisted them with debts of almost £10 million, in doing so he became known within prison and probation circles as the ‘Mo...

Zak & Emma are back and helping you to fix up your finances Getting credit can be confusing... How do Credit Cards work? How much will they cost me and how can I stop myself paying extortionate interest and being burdened with a debt for many years? Ever heard of a balance transfer? This could be a way for you to save money if you already have a credit/store card debt. In this episode, Emma explai...

On this episode, Zak & Emma are joined by Laudjah who is sharing his story Upon release from prison, Laudjah struggled to adapt financially to the new world he was facing. He went from working every hour possible, to some frivolous purchases before returning to a life of a crime. Laudjah used his next stint inside to prioritise getting things right in his life. He took courses to make himself more...

As the world becomes increasingly reliant on technology, more people are being left behind, creating a 'Digital Divide' The internet is an incredible tool and has become an essential for most of us in our everyday lives. But what if you can’t get access to it? What if you don’t have the device to harness it or the money to afford it? Well, there are many organisations that can help you, like the a...

Catch 22 are a fantastic organisation who have designed and delivered services that build resilience and aspiration in people & communities for over 200 years  Today on the show, Zak & Emma are joined by Jess and Lal who are here to talk about how Catch 22 are supporting prison leavers with a range of financial services, from helping you to apply for benefits to equipping you with the skills you n...

It can be very difficult to manage your financial affairs while you're in prison so Zak & Emma are looking at a couple of possible solutions. 3rd Party Mandates are a way of giving a trusted person limited access to your bank or building society so they may be able to do simple things such as check balances and pay bills for you. Power of Attorney is a legal document and usually give the attorney...

Canteen day can be one of the highlights of the week for many prisoners but how has the cost of living crisis affected this? On this episode, Zak & Emma are looking at the facts and figures around canteen prices including some of the staggering increases. They are also exploring ways in which you might be able to save yourself some money and make smarter decisions when it comes to placing your ord...

Money Mondays is back for a brand new series!! May 28th is ‘World Hunger Day’ - Over 11 million people in the UK alone have experienced food insecurity  To raise awareness, Zak & Emma have invited guests from 2 amazing organisations who may be able to provide you support if you are struggling to put food on the table  Heather from the wonderful ‘ Trussell Trust ’ tells us how food banks work and h...

To mark the end of the tax year, Zak & Emma welcome tax specialist Paul Retout to the show. Paul was once referred to as the ‘Andy Dufresne’ of Brixton due to the tax clinics he held in the cells during his short stint inside. He has since set up ‘The Tax Academy’ and is now helping those with experience of the Criminal Justice System to get their tax affairs in order Paul shares his story and giv...

With ‘Debt Awareness Week’ continuing across the prison estate, Zak & Emma welcome Sarah, the prison debt lead, on to the show. Sarah tells us what issues prisoners are facing in relation to their finances, what they can do to get support and what is going on in the background to potentially improve the situation. Sarah also tells us why raising debt awareness is so important and what effects fina...

It's 'Debt Awareness Week' (March 18th - 24th) and to mark it Zak & Emma will be exploring this year's theme of 'Barriers to debt advice'   Simon from StepChange is welcomed back on to the show to tell us all about 'Debt Awareness Week' and how each day will focus on a different barrier. From not understanding what debt is to the shame and stigma associated with money worries, we'll be looking at...

In this episode of Money Mondays Zak & Emma are talking about 2 potential debt solutions, Debt Relief Orders (DROs) and Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVAs) They explore what each of them entail, the possible benefits and things to be aware of. They are also joined by Wendy from ' Access 2 Advice ' to give more context to this in a prison setting. Both of these debt solutions can have large im...

The Proceeds of Crime Act (POCA) is up for discussion on today's episode. Emma gives a brief overview of the legislation before Zak speaks to Paula from the ' Prison Reform Trust ' who shares her experience of POCA. Paula talks about the potential added stress of having a POCA charge over your head and how best to deal with that while you're on the inside Wendy from ' Access 2 Advice' joins us onc...

Zak & Emma are looking at Regular Savers and how they can be used to promote great savings habits. Do you often suffer from temptation to dip into your savings even though you really want to build up that nest egg, save for that holiday/car/house? Then a Regular Saver MIGHT be just what you need - Emma lays out the facts and lets you know all of the benefits and considerations   In ‘Money Talks’ E...

On this episode Zak & Emma are talking about the benefits of being online. Life can be made a lot easier by getting online and taking control of your own financial situation plus it opens up a lot more doors in terms of securing employment, learning new skills and maintaining postitive relationships Zak is also joined by JP from ' We Are Group ' who provide digital services, advice and support to...