Volunteering has been shown to have a positive effect on mental health and well-being, improving self-esteem, and giving people a sense of purpose. In a study from 2021, the Royal Voluntary Service found that 18% of volunteers, compared to 9% of non-volunteers, had improved mental health for the year in
When a brown letter arrived telling Paul that he owed late filing penalties of £1,300 he had no idea what to do next. Paul was in employment and in receipt of universal credit, without any spare money to cover this tax bill. Paul was particularly anxious when it came to
You may have heard the noise in the media over the last few weeks regarding a new ‘side hustle tax’ introduced from 1 January 2024. This short article aims to identify fact from fiction and to provide some clarity over the recent changes. Despite what online articles are suggesting, there
After being diagnosed with terminal cancer, Ben tried to clear his debts. He cashed in his pension to obtain a lump sum. But when Ben received a letter from HMRC he was devastated to read that he owed them £54,000.
This is a story from Tax Help for Older People. We often hear from widowers, like Joan, who are struggling financially following the loss of their life partner. Who, amidst this struggle are then hit by a surprise tax bill or outstanding debt that they do not understand. Joan was recently
She was suffering from severe depression and numerous other health conditions. This stemmed from a series of related misfortunes: an eviction, the loss of her business, the loss of all her records and bank statements, and a broken relationship. The huge debt she had accumulated felt too much to cope
This is an article provided by Tax Help for Older People. John Sargent, born in 1930, a long-standing and valued Tax Help for Older People volunteer, sadly passed away in July. Married to Joy for 65 years, John had 3 children, Penny, Katie and Richard. John, at 93 years, continued
Steven Pinhey has been a volunteer at TaxAid since February 2020. Earlier this year we asked Steven some questions about his experience volunteering with TaxAid. What do you enjoy about working as a volunteer?Many of the cases that I deal with have terrible backstories including addiction, problems with mental and
In recent months our helplines have been busy with callers complaining about repayment agents. The business practices of some repayment agents can leave vulnerable taxpayers losing a significant proportion of their refund, or with a tax bill, and we have heard first hand from our callers the financial hardship this
In this interview, we make reference to Bridge the Gap (BTG). This is a joint fundraising platform for Tax Help for Older People and TaxAid. The donations brought in are split between both charities, to support people in poverty who cannot afford paid tax advice. 1. Could you tell us a little
