Latest news with #MartinLewis'
Scotsman
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Scotsman
Citroen recall: C3 and C4 models affected by airbag recall
Drivers are being urged to act fast — how to check if your car is affected and what to do next 🚗 Sign up to the weekly Cost Of Living newsletter. Saving tips, deals and money hacks. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Martin Lewis' team issues urgent warning to Citroen owners over serious airbag fault 'Do not drive' recall affects 120,000 UK vehicles, including Citroen C3 and DS3 models Faulty airbags could explode on deployment, posing risk of injury or death Driving affected cars could invalidate insurance or lead to fines and legal issues Stellantis is offering free repairs and recovery — check your VIN to see if your car is at risk Tens of thousands of UK drivers are being told to immediately stop driving their vehicles. That's after a critical safety alert was issued for certain Citroen models — and failing to comply could invalidate your insurance or land you in legal trouble, Martin Lewis' MoneySavingExpert (MSE) team has warned. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The rare 'do not drive' recall, affecting around 120,000 Citroen vehicles in Britain, was triggered by a deadly airbag fault that could lead to the device exploding during deployment, posing a serious risk of injury or death. It's part of the wider Takata airbag crisis, which has seen millions of cars recalled globally. (Photos: Getty Images) | Getty Images Although no incidents have been reported in the UK so far, at least 18 deaths in France — mainly in hotter regions — prompted Stellantis, Citroen's parent company, to escalate the issue. The stop-drive order covers the following models: Citroen C3 (2009–2019) Citroen DS3 (2009–2016) DS Automobiles DS3 (2016–2019) Unlike typical recalls where drivers are given weeks or months to book a repair, a stop-drive recall is rare and urgent. It means the car is not road-safe under any circumstances. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad With many Brits reliant on their cars for daily life — from school runs to care duties — this will cause serious disruption. What Martin Lewis says you must do The MSE team has issued strong advice to all affected Citroen owners, and has warned that 'ignoring a stop-drive order can lead to fines, penalty points or even a driving ban.' 'You could also invalidate your car insurance, leaving you without cover if something goes wrong,' they added. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad To stay on the right side of the law and your insurer, you must: Stop driving the vehicle immediately. Check if your car is affected via the Citroen recall tool using your VIN (Vehicle Identification Number). Contact your insurer to notify them of the recall. Your VIN is a 17-digit number beginning with VR7 or VF7 and can be found in your vehicle logbook (V5C), through the windscreen, bottom corner, on the driver's doorframe, or inside the engine compartment. What happens next? If you own a Citroen C3 or DS3 from the affected years, check your VIN today and do not take any risks. If your vehicle is affected, you are not legally allowed to drive it until Stellantis has confirmed the issue has been fixed. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Stellantis will carry out repairs free of charge, and has stressed that all stop-drive decisions are based on multiple safety factors — including airbag type, vehicle age, usage, and climate exposure. In a statement, Stellantis said: 'Owners of such vehicles should immediately cease using their vehicle when safe to do so. While there have been no UK incidents, this is a precautionary move that reflects our unwavering commitment to customer safety.' Call Citroën's helpline on 0800 917 9285 if you believe you vehicle is affected. They will arrange for the airbag system to be replaced and organise transport or recovery (if needed) to get your car to a garage. Once the airbag has been replaced and the fix verified, you'll be allowed to legally drive your car again, your insurance will remain valid, and you'll be safe to get back on the road. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Are you struggling to make ends meet as costs continue to rise? You can now send your stories to us online via YourWorld at It's free to use and, once checked, your story will appear on our website and, space allowing, in our newspapers.
Scotsman
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Scotsman
Citroen recall: C3 and C4 models affected by airbag recall
Drivers are being urged to act fast — how to check if your car is affected and what to do next 🚗 Sign up to the weekly Cost Of Living newsletter. Saving tips, deals and money hacks. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Martin Lewis' team issues urgent warning to Citroen owners over serious airbag fault 'Do not drive' recall affects 120,000 UK vehicles, including Citroen C3 and DS3 models Faulty airbags could explode on deployment, posing risk of injury or death Driving affected cars could invalidate insurance or lead to fines and legal issues Stellantis is offering free repairs and recovery — check your VIN to see if your car is at risk Tens of thousands of UK drivers are being told to immediately stop driving their vehicles. That's after a critical safety alert was issued for certain Citroen models — and failing to comply could invalidate your insurance or land you in legal trouble, Martin Lewis' MoneySavingExpert (MSE) team has warned. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The rare 'do not drive' recall, affecting around 120,000 Citroen vehicles in Britain, was triggered by a deadly airbag fault that could lead to the device exploding during deployment, posing a serious risk of injury or death. It's part of the wider Takata airbag crisis, which has seen millions of cars recalled globally. (Photos: Getty Images) | Getty Images Although no incidents have been reported in the UK so far, at least 18 deaths in France — mainly in hotter regions — prompted Stellantis, Citroen's parent company, to escalate the issue. The stop-drive order covers the following models: Citroen C3 (2009–2019) Citroen DS3 (2009–2016) DS Automobiles DS3 (2016–2019) Unlike typical recalls where drivers are given weeks or months to book a repair, a stop-drive recall is rare and urgent. It means the car is not road-safe under any circumstances. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad With many Brits reliant on their cars for daily life — from school runs to care duties — this will cause serious disruption. What Martin Lewis says you must do The MSE team has issued strong advice to all affected Citroen owners, and has warned that 'ignoring a stop-drive order can lead to fines, penalty points or even a driving ban.' 'You could also invalidate your car insurance, leaving you without cover if something goes wrong,' they added. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad To stay on the right side of the law and your insurer, you must: Stop driving the vehicle immediately. Check if your car is affected via the Citroen recall tool using your VIN (Vehicle Identification Number). Contact your insurer to notify them of the recall. Your VIN is a 17-digit number beginning with VR7 or VF7 and can be found in your vehicle logbook (V5C), through the windscreen, bottom corner, on the driver's doorframe, or inside the engine compartment. What happens next? If you own a Citroen C3 or DS3 from the affected years, check your VIN today and do not take any risks. If your vehicle is affected, you are not legally allowed to drive it until Stellantis has confirmed the issue has been fixed. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Stellantis will carry out repairs free of charge, and has stressed that all stop-drive decisions are based on multiple safety factors — including airbag type, vehicle age, usage, and climate exposure. In a statement, Stellantis said: 'Owners of such vehicles should immediately cease using their vehicle when safe to do so. While there have been no UK incidents, this is a precautionary move that reflects our unwavering commitment to customer safety.' Call Citroën's helpline on 0800 917 9285 if you believe you vehicle is affected. They will arrange for the airbag system to be replaced and organise transport or recovery (if needed) to get your car to a garage. Once the airbag has been replaced and the fix verified, you'll be allowed to legally drive your car again, your insurance will remain valid, and you'll be safe to get back on the road. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
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
18-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Exact date EasyJet customers can bag themselves cheap summer flights
The exact date to get "super cheap" EasyJet flights for next summer has been announced, according to Martin Lewis' Money Saving Expert, who shared the news to excited travellers on Facebook Most Brits love heading on a holiday abroad when the summer months come. However, with the ongoing cost of living crisis, many people find they don't have as much spare cash to spend on breaks away as they used to. If that's you, then listen up, as the exact date to get "super cheap" EasyJet flights for next summer has been announced, according to Martin Lewis ' Money Saving Expert. The MSE Facebook account shared the news in a post with its 412,000 followers recently, and the post quickly went viral as many travel lovers planned to bag their cheap flights. Sharing the news, MSE wrote: "Heads up! Super cheap EasyJet flights for summer 2026 are landing on Tuesday July 22. "If previous releases are anything to go by, being online bright and early is the key to bagging a bargain." According to the MSE website, Easyjet releases its flights in batches every quarter of the year – and if you discover what day they're going to be launched and you book them them quickly, you can get a far cheaper price. It adds: "EasyJet follows a dynamic demand pricing model – in other words, when there's lots of demand for seats, you pay more; when there's less demand, you pay less. Usually it can be tricky to predict, and prices are fluid. "There's one point when demand is almost always low... the very second seats are released. This happens in several tranches throughout the year. In the past, these seats have shot up in price within two or three hours of being made available, so being online bright and early is the key to bagging a bargain." just because the flights have just gone on sale, it doesn't necessarily mean you're getting the best deal. As founder Martin Lewis himself does warn that just because the flights have only just gone on sale, it doesn't necessarily mean you're always getting the best deal. He says: "This has been a very successful technique for many people, and indeed if you want certainty of a cheap price it's worth doing. Do benchmark what a good price on that route is beforehand, just so you can check if it's worth it. "Though of course, if a particular flight is very substantially under-booked later on, you could get seats even cheaper then – that's just far more difficult to predict." What time will the flights be released? Easyjet hasn't announced when the flights will go on sale. It says that customers looking to book early and get great fares for next summer should keep an eye on the Easyjet website from early in the morning." According to MSE, the tickets "tend to go on sale as early as 5am or 6am, but sometimes it hasn't released seats until 8am, and it could depend on the location."
Scottish Sun
16-07-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
UK's biggest mobile provider is shutting service TODAY leaving thousands of Brits with no internet in huge shake-up
Scroll down to find out whether your device will be affected END OF THE LINE UK's biggest mobile provider is shutting service TODAY leaving thousands of Brits with no internet in huge shake-up Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) THE UK'S largest mobile provider is continuing its shut down of a major service today, which could leave customers without internet. Britain's major mobile providers have been gradually switching off a key service over the past few years, following an agreement with the Government made in 2021. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 Virgin Media O2 is turning off its 3G network Credit: Getty EE, Vodafone and Three have all shut off their 3G services, with Virgin Media O2 the last to follow suit. The telecoms giant said that the switch off is so that it can focus on "faster, more reliable and more energy-efficient" 4G and 5G networks." The 3G switch off began in Durham on April 2, and is continuing today, July 16, in Norwich, Telford and Guildford. Torquay's 3G network will then be switched off on August 4. The mobile provider has confirmed that the rest of the UK will have its 3G networks turned off by the end of the year. The switch off will also affect Giffgaff, Sky Mobile and Tesco Mobile users as they all use Virgin Media O2's network. "We're switching off our 3G network to focus our attention and investment on upgrading faster and more reliable 4G and 5G networks that will give our customers a better overall experience", Virgin Media O2's Chief Technology Officer, Jeanie York, said. 'Following the successful pilot in Durham earlier this year, we will be switching off 3G in Norwich, Telford and Guildford in July, and Torquay in early August, with the rest of the UK to follow by the end of the year." Virgin Media O2 customers living in the affected areas have been urged to upgrade to a device which supports 4G or 5G before the switch off takes place. Anyone who's device is only capable of supporting 3G will be left without mobile data, but will still be able to text, take phone calls, and access WiFi. WhatsApp is closing down on three mobile devices in hours with users blocked from sending and receiving messages Martin Lewis' Money Saving Expert (MSE) explained: "If you have a phone or Sim that only supports 3G, you'll effectively no longer be able to use the internet once it's fully switched off by your provider – you'll still technically be able to connect to the internet, but you'll struggle to do even basic tasks. "You'll still be able to make calls and send text messages over 2G, though the quality of the call will likely be a lot worse than it was on the 3G network." Virgin Media O2 has said that the "vast majority" of its customers already have a device which supports 4G or 5G, so will be completely unaffected by the switch off. It added that any customers still using a 3G device who are known to be vulnerable have been offered a 4G device free of charge. Which mobile networks are affected by the 3G switch off? Mobile networks affected by O2's 3G switch off: -O2 - Tesco Mobile - Sky Mobile - GiffGaff Networks which have already switched off 3G: - Vodafone - Asda Mobile - Lebara - Talk Mobile - Voxi - EE - 1pMobile - Ecotalk - IQ Mobile - Lycamobile - Mozillion - RWG Mobile - Spusi - Talk Home - Utility Warehouse - Your Co-op - Three - iD Mobile, Smarty - Honest Mobile - Superdrug All other customers who do not currently have a device compatible with 4G or 5G have been offered a new device at a reduced cost. Jeanie York added: "While we know that the vast majority of our customers already have a 4G or 5G device and will not have to take any action, our priority is to provide support to those who need it. "That is why we are reaching out directly to customers who do not have a 4G or 5G handset, and calling those we know are vulnerable, to provide information about their next steps. "It is important these customers upgrade their handsets in order to continue using mobile data after 3G is switched off.' Customers wishing to dispose of their old 3G devices should recycle them through O2 recycle, which could see them get cash for the old handsets. How to check if your device is affected Smartphone users who have purchased their device in the last 10 years are unlikely to be affected by the switch off. However, if you are still unsure, you can do a simple trick to check. Click on the settings page on your phone and search for Network Mode or Preferred Network. If you spot 4G or 5G listed, then you will be unaffected by the switch off.
