Latest news with #Cilla
Daily Mirror
24-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Martin Lewis urges parents to check if they are owed '£10,000s' by HMRC
For UK households that had children between 1978 and 2010, HMRC has issued a letter notifying them of an error Martin Lewis is encouraging parents who had children between 1978 and 2010 to check if they are owed a hefty sum of £10,000. This cash is linked to back taxes owed by UK households that took time off work during those years, with HMRC utilising National Insurance (NI) records to identify as many people as possible. On X, the money-saving expert warned: " State Pension error! Did you take time off work (1978 to 2010) to look after children or someone with long term disability? You could be owed £10,000s. "In brief: 100,000s wrongly have Nat Insurance gaps that reduce your State Pension as they should've got 'Home Responsibilities Protection'. The Govt was contacting people, but isn't any longer. Thus the onus is on YOU to proactively check. "Cilla emailed us, "I've just received 15yrs' back pay from HMRC of £31,674 for underpayment of my pension. Thank you." Brits could be due an average of £5,000 in back payments, according to the accounting experts at Robson Laidler. A spokesperson for Robson Laidler clarified: "It is estimated tens of thousands of people are due an average of £5,000 in back payments. HMRC and DWP are also conducting a wider campaign to ensure that everyone who may be eligible is aware of the corrections exercise." They further advised: "We would therefore advise checking your own NI records rather than waiting for a letter from DWP/HMRC to arrive. There is no time limit for applying for HRP if it has not been awarded. "Anyone who may have claimed Child Benefit before May 2000, when it was not mandatory to provide your National Insurance Number on your claim, may not have the correct number of years for State Pension purposes on their NI record, if you first made a claim after May 2000, you will not be affected." HMRC has stated: "HMRC will send you a letter if we think you may have missing Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP). "We want to help you make sure you receive the right amount of State Pension, so we're asking you to check if you were eligible for HRP between 1978 and 2010. "You may have been eligible if you received Child Benefit for a child under 16. The letter will tell you how you can check if you're eligible to claim missing Home Responsibilities Protection and how to make a claim." Those uncertain whether they've been underpaid have been encouraged to examine their state pension and National Insurance record - if there are missing years in your National Insurance record between 1978 to 2010, then you might be lacking HRP. You can submit a claim for missing HRP by utilising the online service on
Daily Mirror
24-07-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
State pension error - what it is and how you can check if you're owed money
Thousands are people are feared to have missed out on an old version of National Insurance credits, known as Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) A major state pension error could mean you're owed tens of thousands of pounds back from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). How much state pension you get in later life is dependent on your National Insurance record. For example, with the new state pension, most people need 35 years of National Insurance contributions to get the full amount. If you're out of work, you may be entitled to National Insurance credits and these essentially fill any gaps in your National Insurance record. But thousands are people are feared to have missed out on an old version of National Insurance credits, known as Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP). HRP reduced the number of qualifying years you need on your National Insurance record to claim the state pension. It was replaced by National Insurance credits in 2010. Who is affected by this error? HRP should have been applied automatically to those claiming Child Benefit - but Child Benefit forms submitted before 2000 did not include a National Insurance number. This led to HRP not being correctly applied to National Insurance records. It also impacted those claiming Income Support while they were caring for a person with a disability or long-term illness. If you didn't have the correct level of HRP applied to your National Insurance record, then you may have been underpaid the state pension and are owed money back. You may be affected if you took time off work to look after a child, or a family member with a long-term disability or illness, between 1978 and 2010. It is thought the main group of people who are affected are women in their 60s or 70s. Latest figures from HMRC shows 370,000 women have been contacted regarding potential underpayments, with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Of those who responded to the letters, HMRC identified 5,344 cases of underpayments between January 8 and September 30, 2024, totalling approximately £42million in arrears. How much could I get back? It all depends on how much you were underpaid by, and for how long. The latest figures from the DWP show the average payout per person is £7,859. But for some people, the money back has been in the tens of thousands of pounds. For example, one person called Cilla wrote in to to explain how to reclaimed more than £31,000 in backpay. She said: "I've just received 15yrs' back pay from HMRC of £31,674 for underpayment of my pension. Thank you." How do I know if I've been underpaid? If you are not receiving the full state pension, you should first check your state pension forecast or statement. The full new state pension is worth £230.25 per week, while the old basic state pension is £176.45 per week. If it looks like you are missing gaps, the next step is to check your National Insurance record. The Government has also created an online checker tool on You can make a claim for missing HRP by using the online service on or by filling out this form and posting it back to HMRC. It is believed 43,000 people who are due money back are now deceased, but their families can claim on their behalf.
Metro
23-07-2025
- Business
- Metro
Martin Lewis' MSE says parents with kids aged 47 to 16 could be owed thousands
Finance guru, Martin Lewis' Money Saving Expert has issued new pension advice for thousands of Brits. If you took time off work to look after your children between 1978 and 2010, you could actually be owed tens of thousands of pounds, due to National Insurance gaps that may have reduced your state pension. The loophole also applies if you took a career break to care for someone with a long-term disability or illness. Previously, the government was taking the time to contact those impacted – but now, the onus is completely on you to claim the cash back. Between 1978 and 2010, a system called the Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP) was in place to ensure that those who didn't earn enough to accrue a state pension through paid work – mainly women who were caring for their family members – weren't financially penalised. During this time period, you were eligible for the benefit from the birth of your child, to their 16th birthday. This means, those children now would be aged between 47 and 15. It was automatically handed out to those who were either claiming child benefit or income support, specifically while caring for someone with a long-term illness, effectively reducing the number of National Insurance credits needed to qualify for a full state pension. It meant that, if you needed 30 years' worth of NI credits to receive the pension, but took five years off in the late 1970s or onwards to look after your child, the system would've lowered the number you'd need to be eligible to 25. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video These back payments can end up being rather hefty, as one woman, named Cilla, revealed to MSE that she recently received 15 years' worth of missed payments amounting to £31,674. But in the latest Money Saving Expert newsletter, Martin Lewis's team says that the system was completely 'beset with errors' – and as a result, the hundreds of thousands who cared for children had gaps in their NI records that, plainly, shouldn't have been there. The finance gurus remind us that you're most likely to be impacted if you: Are currently aged between 41 and 90 (though it mainly impacts women in their 60s and 70s) Took time out from paid work either to look after a child or a person with a long-term disability or illness between 1978 and 2010 Claimed child benefit but stayed at home to look after a child or a person with a long-term disability or illness between 1978 and 2010 Didn't include your National Insurance number on your claim. Wondering whether you're being paid the correct amount in state pension? There are a few different ways you can check. It's worth noting that HMRC issued letters to those likely to be impacted by the missing HRP by the end of June 2025, though MSE notes that many still haven't acted on this. More Trending But if you're still not sure, you can take a look at your state pension forecast or statement, which you can do either by logging into the Gov UK website or by calling the Future Pension Centre. They'll be able to post a copy of your statement – but you'll need to have your National Insurance number to hand when you call. Then, if you do find you're not receiving a full state pension when you should be – or your forecast says you're not on track for one – you'll need to check your National Insurance record to identify any gaps. View More » This can also be done on the Gov UK website, or by calling the National Insurance Helpline on 0300 200 3500. And if you're successful, your pension pot could end up significantly heavier. Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@ MORE: Should I take a mortgage holiday? The pros and cons if you need a financial break MORE: I'm scared my lesbian relationship will mean I can't afford a baby MORE: 'I was scared of being judged' – The last taboo of motherhood Your free newsletter guide to the best London has on offer, from drinks deals to restaurant reviews.
Daily Mirror
23-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
'Martin Lewis tip helped me get back £31,674 from HMRC - others are owed money too'
The reader, known only as Cilla, had unknowingly been underpaid her state pension for 15 years A fan of Martin Lewis has explained how she managed to reclaim more than £31,000 from HMRC after following his advice. The reader, known only as Cilla, had unknowingly been underpaid her state pension for 15 years. The issue relates to an old version of National Insurance credits, known as Home Responsibilities Protection (HRP). HRP reduced the number of qualifying years you need on your National Insurance record to claim the state pension - however, an investigation found thousands of people, mainly women who had to take time off work to look after children or other family members, did not have the correct level of HRP applied to their National Insurance record. It was revealed that Child Benefit claim forms submitted before 2000 did not include a National Insurance number - and this led to HRP not being correctly applied to National Insurance records. You could be impacted by this error if you made a claim for Child Benefit between 1978 and 2000. Your National Insurance record is used to determine if you receive the full amount of state pension in later life. As HRP was designed to reduce the number of years you need, missing out on this protection means you may have gaps in your National Insurance record and may not be getting the full amount of state pension that you're entitled to. HRP was replaced by National Insurance credits from 2010 onwards. MSE reader Cilla wrote into the money-saving website to explain her success at claiming backpay. Her story was published in the latest MSE newsletter. She said: " I've just received 15yrs' back pay from HMRC of £31,674 for underpayment of my pension. Thank you." Latest figures from HMRC shows 370,000 women have been contacted regarding potential underpayments, with the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP) paying back £7,859 on average per person, so far. Of those who responded to the letters, HMRC identified 5,344 cases of underpayments between January 8 and September 30, 2024, totalling approximately £42million in arrears. It's believed 43,000 of those who are estimated to be affected by the historic error are now deceased, but their families can claim on their behalf. Those over pension age are being prioritised and contacted first by HMRC. If you suspect you have missed out, you should first check your state pension and your National Insurance record. If there are gaps in your National Insurance record between 1978 to 2010, and you took time off work to care for someone during this time, then you may be missing HRP. You can make a claim for missing HRP by using the online service on or by filling out this form and posting it back to HMRC.
Daily Mail
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Blind Date's biggest controversies revealed: The closeted contestant, the serial sexist and the undercover journalist - as the show gets a reboot
ITV dating show Blind Date dominated Saturday night television from the mid Eighties until the early noughties, with television viewers gripped by the colourful cast of characters who were in pursuit of love - or at least five minutes of fame. The cult classic British television show, which kicked off with a jaunty two-note theme tune, was presented by host Cilla Black and her sidekick Graham, famous for his 'quick reminders'. The format was simple; a 'picker' would choose from three potential suitors, all of whom were sat behind a screen, based entirely on the answers to their three questions. And like many TV shows born in a different era, it hasn't aged well. There was the man named Adam who 'only dated size eights' and was 'disappointed' when the woman he had picked turned out to be a brunette, not a blonde. Another contestant, Charlotte, savagely left her date David on a plane to Nepal with only the camera crew for company when she ditched him at the last minute. However, one of the most memorable moments was when an undercover Cosmopolitan journalist Nicola Gill was found out and exposed by Cilla, leading to the famous saying: 'She's a journalist ladies and gentleman, not a Blind Dater!' The show was officially cancelled in 2003 before it was taken over by Channel 5 under the realm of the late Paul O'Grady in 2017, after Cilla passed away following a stroke at home in Spain. Fans of the show were let down a second time after it was scrapped again in 2020 - but now it's set to make a sensational return to screens 22 years after it last aired. The new Disney+ version will reportedly take place on a tropical island, just like ITV's Love Island, hosted by Maya Jama - with contestants battling it out for a dream wedding on golden sands. Here, we look back at the most controversial contestants who ever graced Cilla's sofa during the show's heyday... 1998: THE UNDERCOVER JOURNALIST WHO WAS BUSTED BY CILLA When Cosmopolitan journalist Nicola Gill, then 27, was tasked with going under the radar in 1998 to report on the show's inner workings, she came undone in front of a live audience - after Cilla was tipped off. Gill pretended she was a secretary and plucked innocent Paul Mankelow out of the three men behind the screen for a date. However, when the couple regrouped with Cilla on the sofa following their rendez-vouz, the veteran entertainer revealed to viewers she knew exactly what Nicola had been up to. Cilla announced to a shocked live audience and TV viewers at home: 'Well Nicola, I have to say I've got more than a little surprise for you. 'Cause I know what you're at and I feel awfully, deeply saddened by this. You don't work as a temporary secretary. 'I know for a fact that you're actually an undercover journalist and you've robbed somebody of coming on a proper Blind Date. You work for Cosmopolitan magazine... 'It's just a shame you tried to pull the wool over our eyes... but you didn't!' When Nicola Gill, then 27, told the Blind Date team she was a secretary, she strolled through the auditions and onto the set to pick date Paul Mankelow... Gill, still a journalist, wrote a piece about her strange television encounter after the event and described the awkward moment Cilla revealed she knew her real job as 'TV hell' It turned out that Nicola was not single - in fact, she was engaged to be married months after the show aired. Many years later, journalist Nicola wrote about what it was like being found out while sat on Cilla's Blind Date sofa. She wrote in The Telegraph about the moment in 2015: 'Paul looks stunned. I feel sick. The studio is spinning. The audience is booing. [...] All I can do is keep smiling, mumble about the fantastic time I've had and wait for this TV hell to end. Now a mother, Nicola is still plying her trade as a journalist. In 1994, flamboyant Count Roberto Luigi Michieli, then 29, wowed Cilla - and viewers with his red coat-tails, mahogany tan and perfectly coiffured hair. His plummy accent was in stark contrast to the host's Liverpudlian drawl, much to the audience's delight. Roberto quipped he was worth 'millions and millions of Lira', to which a waspish Cilla replied 'Worth zilch!'. Still partial to a regal coat! Count Roberto gave a twirl of his colourful tails in 1994 - and years later was still wearing a variation of them The Venetian appears to still reside in the UK, although he enjoys frequent trips back to Italy The aristocrat, who's family hail from Venice and go back five centuries, later confirmed that he was in fact gay - and Cilla's dating prowess would never have worked on him. He also revealed that he divided his time between Italy and Jersey, where he would spend six months of the year. Now? According to the Count's Instagram page, he continues to enjoy a privileged life living in the UK, but frequently returning to his native Italy, with photographs of Venetian gondolas and glamorous soirees. THE COUPLE WHO DIDN'T END UP WALKING DOWN THE AISLE Teacher Andrea Tongue, 26, met RAF dental assistant Piers Liron, 31, on the show and sparks flew between them. They announced their engagement in 1997, after he got down on one knee and presented his bride-to-be with a diamond and ruby engagement ring. It was reported that Cilla Black was top of the guest list after the loved-up couple invited her to celebrate their big day. Andrea and Piers broke up less than two months after they first got engaged Things were looking up, with Andrea reportedly planning on giving up her job in Shropshire to move down to Piers' base in Fife. However, less than two months after they got engaged, the couple broke up, according to the Evening Standard. Before meeting Andrea, Piers was married to an RAF nurse and the pair had a daughter together. A MATCH MADE IN HELL Although things seemed to go well from behind the curtain, things soon changed when Adam saw Debs - the girl he picked - for the first time. He said: 'When the screen went back when I first saw Debs, I thought she had a nice figure which is good because I only date size eights.' He added: 'But she wasn't blonde so I was a bit disappointed.' Adam said he was disappointed because Debs wasn't blonde and said he only dates size eights Adam thought that Debs was very interested in him and was confident that she 'fancied him' despite making his shocking first impression of her. He said: 'After the show, Debs and I went for a meal and she kept stroking my leg so I knew she fancied me. But I didn't pursue it because with a face like hers, I knew I'd live to regret it.' When the pair were invited back onto the show, Cilla found out that Adam had been flirting with another woman during their date. The Liverpudlian presenter told Adam to 'shut up' multiple times, before adding: 'I've had enough of you now,' when he tried to edge a sentence in before the show finished. 1989: THE DATER WHO MADE SOOTY A THIRD WHEEL When Cheshire's Geoff Carter arrived on screen wearing patchwork trousers and accompanied by a Sooty puppet, 1989 audiences couldn't get enough of his colourful charm. When asked what he was looking for in a woman, he said: 'Same as me with long hair.' Neither could Birmingham-based contestant she was more than a little shocked by the watching crowd's reaction when she plumped for 'number three'. Nearly 34 years later, Carter clearly thinks of his time on Blind Date fondly, even reappearing, this time wearing a more sober outfit, in 2013 on a celebration of Cilla Black's career, hosted by the late Paul O'Grady, who also fronted a re-birth of the TV classic. In 2024, his Instagram account is littered with images from his travels in South East Asia and his X bio sees him describing himself as an: 'International Traveller, film maker for Artist. Dj. and all round top banana.' The former dater now travels the world, sharing his adventures with fans on social media. 2020: A LOVE ISLAND LOVE TRIANGLE Cali went on Blind Date in 2020 where she picked former Love Island star Alexi Eraclides, from Essex, to take on a date. The pair jetted off to South Africa while elsewhere on the show, 'mummy's boy' Barry matched with Cherry and they went to Cuba on their date. However, the drama kicked off when both couples returned to the studio and presenter Paul O'Grady found out Cali and Barry were secretly seeing each other. After Cali and Alexi relayed their date back to the audience, Paul said: 'A little birdie told me that this is not the end of the story is it?' He then welcomed back Barry, who sat in-between Cali and Alexi on the sofa. Cali said: 'Me and Barry started talking and we kinda just bumped into each other in the corridor' Barry then left Kelly his number in her changing room as they were staying in the same Travelodge. When Paul asked Alexi how he felt about the situation, he said: 'I knew she wasn't innocent anyway.' Barry described Cali as 'an absolute sweetheart' and Cali said he was 'lovely,' adding 'I think it's the [Irish] accent!' The pair had even tucked into a breakfast at the hotel where their mothers met for the first time. Paul said: 'This is all getting a bit much for me, I'm too old for all of this.' DITCHED ON HIS DATE TO NEPAL In 1997, David Smith, 27, was ditched before leaving the studio when his date Charlotte Harrisson refused to fly to Nepal, according to the Evening Standard. He was filmed in the aeroplane alongside a picture of Charlotte on the seat, poking fun at the fact that she didn't want to go. He said: 'She never turned up, looks like it's a blind date for one.' He decided to go on a the paid once-in-a-lifetime trip to Nepal and enjoyed sightseeing the South Asian country on his own. David visited temples, jungles and even rode on an elephant during his solo trip alongside the camera crew. While sipping on a coconut, he joked: 'This has been such a perfect date, the perfect and you've been the perfect company, here's to you Pearl,' as the camera panned to an elephant. 'It feels like she's missed out on a great experience and I'd just like to say a big thank you to everyone for going, it was just fantastic,' he said. Cilla replied: 'Aw, what a nice person you are!' THE ONLY CONTESTANT EVER TO WIN A DATE TWICE Jon Wiltshire, then just 20, impressed Cilla first time around with his unique leather hat - covering his billiard ball-smooth bonce - in 1996. However, his date didn't feel the same as the show's host, branding him a 'complete nerd'. When the celebration show aired in 2013, the 5' 5" dater was back in the won the chance of a romantic tete-a-tete again. Clearly a fan of popular television shows, he also cooked up a storm on Channel 4's Come Dine With Me. Now working as a children's author, artist and lecturer and living in Leeds, the quirky three-time television star also has his own YouTube channel. He's the founder and director of Art Camp, a successful children's art childcare company in Yorkshire that's been running since 2019. Singer Claudia Patrice from London was determined to use her 1989 appearance to show off her pipes and sang her way through much of the show. The then student donned a black PVC and orange ensemble for the appearance and told Cilla she was 'a bossy person' who liked organising her fellow students as well as discos, fashion shows and gigs. She was the show's first black contestant - and proved a huge hit with viewers, later coming back to perform 'He's a Tramp' on the show. The singer lists an illustrious set of names she's worked with on her website including Kylie Minogue, Chaka Khan and Jocelyn Brown - as well as recording her own songs. Now based in Dubai, Patrice works as a singer/songwriter and producer - while performing at concerts around the world. Perhaps not the first place a vicar might look for love, Simon Gatenby unsurprisingly didn't find it in a London television studio. What he did find was ex-kissogram Polly Anderton - who turned into a lasting friend. The trendy man of god continues to wear the dog collar and once described himself on X as a lover of; family (enthusiastically), God (doggedly), soul & funk (passionately), Bolton Wanderers (religiously), malt whiskey (experimentally) & life generally. After Blind Date was accused in 1995 of being too sexy for a Saturday night family audience, Cilla hit back - and used Simon's appearance as an example. Responding to the criticism from the Independent Television Commission, the star said: 'We had a vicar on recently and I do not think you could get members of the clergy on the show if it was as raunchy as that.' When Cilla Black died in August 2015, he tweeted that he'd been in touch with his former date, writing: 'RIP Cilla! Polly and I had a good phone chat last night reminiscing!..."another make up job after the break"' Reverend Simon has been at the same church, on the fringes of Manchester, since 1993. Alex and Sue Tatham, both now 59, tied the knot in 1991 in front of millions of viewers after meeting on the classic dating programme hosted by Cilla Black in 1988. The pair say they are still as happy as ever more than three decades later and have renewed their wedding vows at the church where they were wed in Walsall. Reminiscing about the magical day when he and Sue became 'Britain's first reality TV star couple' Alex described his wife was 'as beautiful as ever.' The couple, who now live in Streatham Hill in London and have two children said they occasionally still trot down memory lane to watch the moment they met. Sue said: 'I remember the TV show of course and we often watch it back all these years later. 'I was one of the three people hoping to be chosen and my legs were shaking. 'We had to sit on these high stools and there was this big booming voice coming from the other side of the screen, which sounded charming and when the screen was removed my initial reaction was 'box ticked' - he was quite fun and he enjoyed my answers so I knew we'd have a good time on the date. 'When Alex asked me to marry him he also asked me to move to London and I said yes to both questions. 'We have been blissfully happy and raised two wonderful children in Emily and Charlie who both got married themselves this year in beautiful ceremonies.' Lillian Morris and David Fenson tied the knot in 1994 in Tiverton, Devon OAPs Lillian and David Fensom got engaged after only 12 days - and married just four months later. And the show's host was, once again in attendance, buying another hat, this time in forest green satin, to attend the nuptials in the couple's native Devon. David went on to write a book in 1996 about the couple's experiences on the LWT programme. The pair have since both died. Paul Pratt, 43, and Anna Azonwanna, 42, from Wanstead, north-east London, met after both going on the hit ITV show 22 years ago... Paul plucked up the courage to propose to Anna on the programme five years later and the couple jetted off to Barbados 12 months after to wed - and Cilla even attended as the guest of honour. The pair were both struggling students when they answered the show's call for new contestants in early 1993. Southampton marketing student Paul decided to put himself forward alone - and Anna agreed to try out with friends. They both sailed through the auditions - with Anna pretending to be a clown and a ringmaster to impress ITV bosses - and were placed on the stand-by list. When they appeared on the show Anna, who was studying business administration at Luton University (now Bedford) was the question master while Paul was one of three potential dates. But he managed to get Anna interested when he cheekily claimed that he would be 'a tiger because I always catch what I aim for' when she asked what animal he would be.
