Has working from home become part of ‘the new normal’ for you?
Millions of people across the country have had to revert to working from inside their four walls for the past five or so months due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The UK government is now certainly keen for people to begin returning to their places of work this month – with Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham also encouraging a “voluntary” and “safety-led” return – but with many employers not planning to send their staff back into the office until 2021, this could mean that lots face working at home for a few more months.
Working from home has also seen many have to fork out increased costs on things such as energy bills, water and internet, but if this sounds all too familiar to you, you’ll be glad to know that help is available.
HMRC says it will consider claims from employees working at home due to coronavirus (COVID-19) measures if their usual workplace is closed, and Money Saving Expert’s Martin Lewis has explained this week how you can claim £24 a month tax back on extra costs.
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In simple terms, this means you can claim back an extra £6 per week and also means that if you’ve worked from home since March, you could be in line for as much as £144.
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According to Martin Lewis, there are two ways to do this:
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Employers can pay you £6/week extra tax-free – Employers can give you an allowance up to this amount and what they give you is free from tax, so you get it all (to give you more, it will need to make special arrangements).
But with many firms struggling right now, asking this may be bad timing, so instead you can:
Claim tax relief on £6/wk (worth £1.20/wk at 20% tax, £2.40/wk at higher rate) – If your employer won’t pay expenses for your extra costs due to necessary working from home, but you have them, then you can ask for the amount to be deducted from your taxable income.
To make the process easy, HMRC says that claims in line with the employers’ payment (eg: for £6/wk) will not need to justify that figure, meaning you won’t need to keep receipts or prove information, but if you believe you have higher increased costs, then you can claim more, but you will need evidence of the cost increases.
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Retrospective claims can also be made.
Speaking further on this, Martin Lewis said: “You claim retrospectively on expenses had, so if you’re only at home due to coronavirus, it’s best to wait until you’re back at work (or a few months anyway) then make the whole claim at once.
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“Your tax code will likely be adjusted so you pay less tax over the year, as opposed to you getting a direct refund.”
Once you’ve submitted the claim, you are likely to hear back within a couple of weeks, however it should be noted that with HMRC previously stating it is under pressure amid current circumstances, it may take a little longer than anticipated.
Online tax relief claims can be made via the gov.uk website.
If you would like additional advice on claiming back and the ways in which to do so, you can visit the Money Saving Expert website here.
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The simple hack that can save healthcare workers and teachers money on their holidays
Danny Jones
With cost-of-living pressure ever-present in the background of most everyday lives, finding some spare pennies for a getaway feels more difficult than ever, and if there’s anyone who deserves discounts on a holiday, it’s healthcare workers.
That’s why, when we became aware of the simple hack that can save those working in healthcare services money on holidays, we thought we’d help spread the word.
We’re sure lots of you working within the sector already know plenty about this booking strategy, but for anyone who doesn’t, how do you fancy saving up to half a grand on your next jolly?
In fact, even those working in education can cut their costs, too.
With searches for ‘holiday voucher code’ up by 73% on Google, and even the likes of TikTok seeing ‘money saving tips’ up by 45%, travel agency TUI have decided to team up with the Health Service Discounts platform for 2026.
Providing those who work for the NHS with a ‘Holidays for Heroes’ (HfH) access code on various popular peak-season trips, this exclusive discount can be added on top of all other seasonal TUI deals, including the company’s ‘First Choice’ package holidays.
With the HfH code alone guaranteeing workers an extra £100 off their bookings, play your cards right, and you could get up to £500 in total discounts overall.
How to access the healthcare ‘Holidays for Heroes’ deal
Separate from standard Blue Light card savings, here’s how it works, and don’t worry, it’s all very simple:
As mentioned, education workers can also benefit from similar money off, with an extra £50 per person through the TUI x Discounts for Teachers partnership, as well.
Ella Foden-Lynch, Partnerships Manager for TUI, said in a statement: “Getting away is absolutely vital for wellbeing, especially for those working in high-stress healthcare and education roles.
“With the cost-of-living crisis still putting a strain on household budgets, we know how hard it is to stretch your pay to cover a much-needed family break. By unlocking these exclusive TUI deals, we hope to give our key workers the realistic recovery time they deserve without the financial worry.”
So, for those of you healthcare heroes and teachers looking for a well-deserved break, we urge you to find an affordable holiday that suits you very soon. With cheaper airport pints also inbound later this year, here’s hoping you save even more spends for when you’re away.
The new James Bond game is full of Easter eggs – including a nod to Manchester United
Danny Jones
Even if you’re not a big gamer, you may have seen that a rather popular new James Bond game recently dropped: 007 First Light – and if you’ve played it yourself, you will have no doubt come across many Easter eggs and references throughout, including one to Manchester United.
As we happen to be currently playing it for ourselves, we’ll admit that hearing any mention of our hometown or even just quintessentially UK nods that any Brit would enjoy was likely to result in putting a grin on our faces.
That being said, apart from whenever the next FIFA—sorry, EA Sports FC drops, we weren’t expecting to hear Man United brought up in one of the biggest video games of the year.
In fact, we’re going to go out on a limb and say that nobody has this on their 2026 bingo card.
Credit: @CaptPierce93 via r/Manchester (screenshots shared to Reddit)
It may just be a slightly tongue-in-cheek throwaway line in a cutscene, but it’s still been enjoyed by many around the world.
As player ‘CaptPierce93’ writes in his caption of his Reddit post sharing the snippet: “The game has a good splash of product placements that don’t get overwhelming; an earlier portion of the game even has radio chatter of a Manchester City and Liverpool match as well.”
He’s right as well: we’ve come across lots of different little interesting nuggets and cameos during our limited playtime, and it’s safe to say we’re looking forward to seeing what else we can spot.
While any Mancunian or true, dyed-in-the-wool United fan will no doubt squirm a little at the use of ‘Man U‘ (we’re thinking like when people ‘Manny’), it’s still pretty cool nonetheless.
You can see the specific scene in full down below.
Such a surreal few seconds.
There’s something very satisfying about hearing ‘Greenway’ – played by recognisable British actor Lennie James (Snatch, The Walking Dead, Blade Runner 2049) – utter the words “Stretford End”.
And before you ask, no, he isn’t a Red: the South Londoner is a Spurs fan and is also said to have a soft spot for Valencia, as it happens.
We’re pretty sure there aren’t any other Manc references to keep your eye out for, but we’ll let you know if we stumble upon more as we continue playing the game.
There’s something about videogame Easter eggs, in-jokes and refs like these that we never tire of; you just never know what little tidbits are going to inspire someone…
Emily Sergeant -
3rd September 2020 
