Is your child owed £1,000?

Millions of Child Trust Fund accounts were set up but many were lost. If the account belonging to your child was one of these, they may be owed up to £1,000 each. Read on to discover how to check if your child is owed £1,000.

• What is a Child Trust Fund?
• What is The Share Centre doing?
• How can your child be reunited with their account?

 

What is a Child Trust Fund?

CTFs are long-term tax-free savings accounts that were set up for every single child who was:

• Born between 1 September 2002 and 2 January 2011
• Born in the UK
• Not subject to immigration controls

Each account is worth up to £1,000 or sometimes even more. Around 6 million were created in total over the 9 year period, with a combined value of over £6 billion.

The problem is that over 1 million of these accounts are now classed as ‘addressee gone away’, meaning that the CTF’s owner is either unaware of their money or unable to access it. Yikes – imagine misplacing over £1 billion of young people’s money.

Even worse, a disproportionately large number of these ‘addressees gone away’ are those from the most disadvantaged of homes.

 

What is The Share Centre doing?

The problem, fortunately, has a solution. Working with The Share Foundation and the Tax-Incentivised Saving Association, The Share Centre is attempting to reunite each of these young people with their CTFs. Part of this campaign has been to send over 20,000 posters to head teachers around the country in order to raise awareness.

Gavin Oldham, Chairman of both The Share Centre and The Share Foundation, said:

“The Child Trust Fund was a significant initiative designed to improve social mobility, but unless the missing accounts are re-linked swiftly its impact will be lost. We are working urgently and closely with the Government and HM Revenue and Customs to re-link these accounts, most of which were ‘Revenue-allocated’ when first issued.

“Any young people who believe they could be affected are advised to visit this link here where they will be able to find out how to locate their Child Trust Fund account and guidance on next steps.”

 

How can your child be reunited with their account?

1. Find out where your Child Trust Fund account is held.

This can be done by filling in an online form on the HM Revenue and Customs website. You will need:

• To be the account owner or the child’s parent/legal guardian. If there is no such person registered for the child, enquiries should be directed to The Share Foundation.
• Your Government Gateway ID, which you will have if you have ever used any of the UK government’s online services. To create a new one, you will need your National Insurance number and proof of identity.

2. Contact your Child Trust Fund account provider

Once you know who to contact, do so directly by calling their customer service hotline and work with them to bring all the necessary details up to date. You can find a list of the main CTF providers here.

And that’s all! Feel free to leave comments in the section below.

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Make money selling vintage mobile phones

We all laugh at the ‘brick’-style mobiles of the 1980s and ’90s or the silly flip phones of the early 2000s, compared to today’s ultra-slim and chic handsets.

However, many people don’t realise collecting certain mobile phones from these decades past and selling them on eBay can be a good way to make extra money.

Here’s our quick guide to doing this successfully:

• The basics
• Phones worth selling
• How much can I make?

 

The basics

As with all commodities, the rarer your vintage mobile phone, the more you will be able to charge for it. Which, in this case, means that handsets dating back to the 1980s are typically worth a lot more than those manufactured between the 1990s and now.

However, age is not the only thing that matters. Here are a few factors to keep in mind:

• Is the phone in mint condition? Phones that are well-preserved can fetch a much higher price than those that have nicks, scratches or cracks.
• Do you still have the original packaging? If you can sell the phone in the very box it came in, your price can shoot up even more.
• Has the battery caused any damage? If you own an old phone, it’s wise to take the battery out and store it separately as they have a tendency to corrode with age.  Rather than risk damaging the phone, remove the battery and keep it safe.

 

Phones worth selling

Wondering if your old brick is worth a listing on eBay? Mobile Phone History has a great price and rarity guide that you can use to cross-references prices on eBay and the likes.

However, we conducted a quick search of our own and found the following are all good bets to get you more than £500 a pop:

• 1981 Mobira Senator – the ‘daddy’ of them all and the the first ever Nokia phone currently fetches around £1400 (if in a good condition)
• Orbitel Citifone – just about as rare as you can get, selling a 1985 Citifone could make you around £900 richer.
• Motorola DynaTAC 8000x – the world’s first commercially-available hand portable mobile phone first arrived in the UK in 1985 and cost £3,000 per handset. These days you can sell one of these mobile dinosaurs for between £300 and £800.
• Motorola 8100L – first manufactured in 1988, this rare find can go for up to £550.
• Nokia 9000 Communicator – fast forward a decade or so, the Nokia 9000 Communicator is considered to be the forefather of the modern smartphone and was first introduced to the market in 1996. If you have one in good condition, you could sell it for close to £1000.
• Nokia 8800 – stepping into the new millennium, the Nokia 8800 slide phone was considered super chic, luxurious and highly fashionable at the time. It’s making a huge comeback among vintage fashion lovers and – depending on the condition and the colour – you could get more than £1,500 for your old phone.

 

How much can I make?

Anything from small change to hundreds depending on what you’ve got.

If you have owned one of these phones and can’t remember what became of it, you might still have it in your attic or at the back of a cupboard, so it’s well worth having a rummage.

While the phones listed above can get you the big bucks, let’s just be honest – most of us don’t have these models lying around. And if we do, it may be too late to salvage them from the toy box or the junk drawer.

No need to despair, however, as you can even get pretty decent prices on eBay for more common stalwarts such as the Nokia 3310 and the Blackberry Pearl Flip.

Of course, there is also always the option of selling your discarded devices at electronics fairs or car boot sales. While you may not be able to market it to an audience as big as eBay’s, people who frequent these types of sales normally know exactly what they’re looking for (which might just be your old phone) and will pay good money for rare finds.

If you’ve just upgraded to a snazzy new phone and want to cash in on your old one, check out our article about recycling mobile phones.

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The Best Places for Freelancers to Find Clients

If you’re just starting out as a freelancer, you’re likely to have one question straightaway: where can I find clients? 

Not being able to find work is one of the most daunting parts of being a self-employed freelancer. Luckily, though, there is a tonne of work out there for those who are bold enough to strike out on their own. Often, freelancing can feel more stable than a traditional career path – especially if you have multiple income streams that you can rely on, rather than just one. Also luckily, this is true of most industries that hire freelancers. 

So, where do you look? In this article, we’ll introduce you to a few different routes that you can use to find clients. Let us know if you’ve found work in a way that we’ve missed… 

• Job Boards 
• Recruiters 
• Newsletters 
• Mine Your Network 
• Freelance Communities  
• Your Website and Online Portfolio 
• At Conferences 
• Social Media 

Job boards

Job boards – the Reed, Monster, Indeeds of the world – are ten a penny, and you might need to sift through a lot of irrelevant postings before you find work that’s appropriate to you. They can still be useful, though. Just make sure your email alerts are filtered so you’re only seeing the jobs you might want. Freelance journalists should keep an eye on Cision, where hundreds of roles are advertised. For the wider media, Mediargh and The Media Mentor are good options. 

There are freelance specific job boards, too. Check out The Dots and Underpinned for great roles across numerous creative freelance areas. 

Recruiters 

You might not think you’ll find clients for your freelance work through recruiters, but hear us out!  If you’re looking for longer term gigs (maternity covers, for example, or one-off projects that might take a few months to complete) this can be a great option.

Recruiters can really help you out when it comes to things like pay and contracts. Best of all, they’ll find the opportunities so you don’t always have to. Taking on contracts can be a great option if you want a reliable income stream for a few months. Look for recruiters that specialise in temporary contracts, and be clear about the kind of work you do (and don’t) want to do. 

Newsletters 

Freelance journalists across the land have been singing the praises of Freelance Writing Jobs, the weekly newsletter by writer Sian Meades-Williams, for a while. Landing in inboxes every Thursday, FWJ lists all the best (paying) opportunities of the week – from in-house poets to editors laying out pitching guidelines for their glossies. Sign up if you’re a writer of any kind. Look for similar initiatives within your own industry if you’re not. 

Journalists should also check out journalist Anna Codrea-Rado’s The Professional Freelancer, a newsletter with a wealth of invaluable advice and relevant musings. 

Mine your network

This is the time to make sure everyone you have contact with know that you’re self-employed and open for business. This includes the random connections on your LinkedIn profile, and extended family members. Spread the message widely, and don’t be afraid to reach out to old colleagues or acquaintances who might be able to help. Meeting people for coffees to update them on your work is a great way to stay in touch. You never know, that person from your old job could introduce you to a potential new client or spark the best idea you’ve had all year… 

Freelance communities  

As the freelance workforce grows, more and more groups are popping up to support both the newly self-employed and those with existing experience. Across the creative industries, the culture of community is rife. Everything from advice on finding clients to financial management (and even just the company of others in a similar position) is being freely offered.

Look for Slack communities within your industry, and check out organisations like the Society of Professional Journalists, Women in SEO Tech, and Freelance Heroes. This is, of course, the tip of the iceberg. 

Your website and online portfolio

You’ll probably have heard a million times that you need to display your best work online via your website and online portfolios. But it doesn’t make it any less true! If you display your work clearly and your story is engaging, and if you’ve got details of how you can be contacted displayed prominently, you’re on your way to having clients coming to you rather than the other way round. If you need to, invest in a graphic designer to get your website looking as professional as possible. You won’t regret it! 

When it comes to online portfolios, you know better than us about the ones that are best suited to your specific industry. Do your research, and make sure you’ve got profiles and work displayed on the general freelance portfolio sites (Behance, The Dots, Underpinned) as well as the ones that are more specific to your sector. 

Find clients at conferences

Conferences can be great places to meet people within your industry. That can include potential new clients as well as those in a similar position to yourself. Even virtual events, which have largely replaced face to face ones in 2020, can be a great springboard for conversations. It’s time to get involved…

Social media 

Finally, we couldn’t end this piece without giving a shout-out to the behemoth of freelance opportunity that is Twitter. In journalism circles, editors with a pitching budget often head straight to the timeline to shout about the opportunities they have, what they’re looking for, and how you can contact them. Is that the same in your industry? Maybe – and you won’t know unless you’re paying attention. Believe us, the time you spend scouting for new clients on Twitter is rarely wasted! 

We hope this has given you some inspiration on where to find clients for your upcoming freelance projects. If you’ve got an idea that we haven’t talked about, we’d love for you to share it. Let us know over on the forums! 

Now read:

Need more help setting up your freelance business? Read these articles next!

• Best Free Websites for a Freelance Portfolio
• How to Set Up a Website for Your Freelance Business
• 5 Common Objections Freelancers Hear (and How to Overcome Them)
• 10 Ways to Stay Motivated as a Freelancer

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How to Get Work As a Creative Professional

As the UK emerges from news of the spring statement, with promises of boosts to the film industry and money invested in creative industries, lots of people will be wondering if they can really monetise their passion. The hard truth is it is very hard. As a creative professional, you might find that your industry is affected more than most by funding cuts – if it ever had funding to begin.

The arts sector is struggling at the moment, but that’s not a reason to let go of your dreams. Whether your talents lie in writing, speaking or performing (or something else entirely), now is the time to think outside the box.

After all, people are what make the creative industries tick – and it’ll be people that are integral to rebuilding these industries in the months to come. 

Read on for a few ideas on where to find work as a creative professional, whether you’re a musician, producer, artist or creative consultant… 

• What Is a Creative Professional?
• If You’re an Actor
• As a Producer
• If You’re a Musician
• Arts Consultants
• Where to Get Funding
• More Useful Tips

What is a creative professional?

It’s a broad definition. For the purposes of this article, though, we’re thinking about work opportunities for actors, TV and film execs, musicians, and arts consultants. Creative professionals include anyone on the back end of productions, such as sound engineers, as well as actors, musicians, or singers.

You don’t have to have previous experience to call yourself a creative professional. Once you start looking for creative work, that’s what you are! Having some experience under your belt – even local amateur theatre, busking, or local radio internships – can all help you find work. Tenacity is the key to getting work as a creative, though, so keep trying even when things seem hard.

If you’re an actor 

With theatres closed and shooting for TV and film either on pause or difficult because of social distancing, there’s no doubt that times are tough for actors. This might be a good time to think about voiceover work, which you may be able to do remotely or via social distancing in a studio. Lots of actors use voiceover work to supplement their income. It could be a great option at the moment. 

This also might be a great time to work on your craft. Think about whether there are online courses you can take to improve your skills, or other parts of the industry that you can get an insight into. Need to work on your audition technique? Been meaning to get your showreel in order? Considered screenwriting but never really looked into it? Now is the time. 

Look at your online options, too. Maybe you can teach younger children some dramatic techniques, or run a workshop for budding actors who want to learn about auditioning tactics. You could also use your time to add to a video showreel: lots of productions will be casting virtually in the coming months.

Of course, you need to be able to pay the bills too. But if you can, use whatever free time you have whilst studios are closed or quiet to build your offering. You’ll only thank yourself further down the line. 

as a producer 

As a creative producer, whether that’s in TV, film or audio, now is the time to think ahead to your future projects. If you’re in TV or film, could you use this time to research? To look for stories that could potentially be turned into projects for the screen? What about putting together ideas for your own streaming production? 

If you’re an audio producer, make it clear that you’re available to work with production companies on new or upcoming podcasts. You’re lucky that, in your area, production can take place remotely. It’s not the case for many sectors of the arts industry, so take advantage.

With more businesses staying online and remote, there’ll be a boom in corporate productions, too. Take advantage of this and tout for work around local businesses – both for video and audio production. You could also consider teaching an online workshop or course to help others break into audio or video production roles.

If you’re a musician

Remember back in the noughties, when pop stars found their following on social media and ended up at the top of the charts for weeks on end? Bear with us – we’re not suggesting you upload your music to TikTok and try and hope an army of teenagers will find you. Although, if you do want to try that definitely feel free… 

The lesson that we can take from Lily Allen et al, though, is one of ingenuity. If you’re currently unable to get in the studio, and whilst live venues are still closed, why not think about refining your brand? This is a good time to think about your audience and how you target them, and come up with inventive ways that you might be able to reach new people. It’s never too early to start thinking about where you see yourself in the future. It’s not too early to start thinking about pitching yourself for next year’s festivals, either… 

You could also think about selling your existing music to advertising agencies for use in adverts. What about TV or film companies, for use in soundtracks or within their productions? You could earn some serious money here. Licensing is a big money-maker for musicians of all types, so you shouldn’t feel like you’re selling out. 

as an arts consultant 

If you work within the arts as a consultant, you’re in a good position at the moment. Live events that need your expertise might not be happening at the moment, but as Glastonbury’s Emily Eavis recently mentioned, it’s now time to start thinking about next year. After a year off, next year’s live events are likely to be bigger and better than ever. You can use your skills: extra planning and help will be needed as the arts return (hopefully with vigour) in 2021.  

Added to that is the reality that many arts venues and organisations are going to be struggling for the next few months. Whether it’s with staff, restructure, finances or creative ideas, there are going to be numerous outlets for your expertise. Whatever your niche, make it clear now you’re available to help creative professionals save their organisations and weather the coronavirus storm. 

Where to get funding as a creative professional 

As a creative professional, there are various opportunities for funding. You don’t need to do everything on your own. Organisations that you should look into include 

• The Arts Council – the big one, offering funding for numerous organisations across the sector 
• Art Fund – funding for museums and galleries
• Trust for London – funding for work in the capital, with the aim of “creating a fairer London” and alleviating poverty 
• The British Council – funding for the creative sectors 
• Nesta Arts Impact Fund – public, private and charitable funding that aims to “demonstrate the potential and impact of social investment in the arts”

Are you a creative professional who has started a new project during the coronavirus lockdown? We’d love to hear about it – let us know over on the forums.

Now read:

Need more creative ways to make money? Read these!

• 12 Unusual Creative Ways to Make Money
• The Highest Earning Virtual Jobs in 2020 (And How to Get Them)
• Self-Employed Income Support Scheme (SEISS) Explained
• Make Money As a TV and Film Extra
• How to Make Money From TV
• IR35 for Contractors Explained

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Spring Statement 2024: The Key Points

The heat is really on for Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and the Conservative party. Today’s Spring Budget is setting out the government’s plans for tax and spending over the coming year.

Rumours and pre-budget predictions have seen a call for re-election, giving the conservative party chance to guage public reaction to some of their decisions. Let’s see if they meet the British public in delivering some popular and widely understood decisions, or whether the NHS cuts are true; in spite of current spending on war.

We will address the key events in today’s Spring Budget and announcements and see what they mean for the British consumer.

…Mr Hunt addresses loss of life in Gaza and offers £1million to be given to create a memorial for Muslim life lost in World Wars.

… Promises of long- term growth plan

But it is also because “lower taxes mean higher growth”.

He says higher growth cannot come from more immigration.

Inflation

“figures show that forcasts from OBR have forecast it was 11% when he and Rishi Sunak took office.

The latest figures show it at 4%, and the OBR forecasts show it falling below the 2% target in just a few months time – a year earlier than forecast in the autumn statement.

Debt Support

Abolition of £90 charge for a debt relief order

For people taking advance loans, he will increase the repayment programme from 12 months to 24 months, he says.

For some people a debt relief order will help. But they got £90, he says. He will abolish that charge.

Duty Freeze

Alcohol Duty Freeze Extended

Fuel

Hunt claims that “if I did nothing fuel duty would raise by 13%” by not doing this and offering a freeze he is claiming action but is in fact doing nothing.

Julie Daniels, motor insurance expert at Compare the Market, comments: “Motorists will be relieved that the Chancellor has chosen to freeze fuel duty. However, the cost of driving is still increasing, and some motorists are finding it difficult to stay on the road. Compare the Market’s figures show a typical motor premium has increased by £279 in February year-on-year to reach £892. With the cost of running a car becoming more expensive, many drivers have been forced to make fewer journeys or are cutting back on seeing friends and family. Worryingly, some expect to take on further debt to keep driving. With car insurance pushing up the cost of driving significantly, it’s important for motorists to compare prices online ahead of renewal as there could be hundreds of pounds to be saved. It’s also worthwhile for people to consider if they’re able to encourage or support friends and family members to look for savings online.” 

VAT Changes

Tens of thousands of businesses will not need to pay VAT from April.

VAT registration threshold will increase from £85,000 to £95,000. Mr Hunt says that this is the first increase in seven years.

New British ISA

And the government will introduce a new “British ISA”, allowing investments of £5,000 in British firms. This ISA allowance will be on top of the existing one.

It’s focus will be only on UK assets. Michael Summergill chief executive of AJ Bell say that  The new British ISA is doomed to fail in those objectives – UK retail investors are already putting 50% of their ISA investments into UK assets so the additional allowance will not change investor behaviour” they go on to say that “The aim is laudable, but the British ISA is simply the wrong way to achieve it. If the aim is to boost investment in UK companies, the answer lies elsewhere. For example, extending the existing AIM exemption from stamp duty and/or inheritance tax to a wider pool of UK assets would actually have a meaningful impact.”

NHS Productivity

Government claim they will slash the 13m hours lost by doctors and nurses every year to outdated IT systems. “AI will be used to cut down form filling and operating theatre processes will be digitised”

He claims that antiquated systmems delay care before adding “I wanted better care for patients, better value for taxpayers and more rewarding work for its staff. Making changes on the scale we need is not cheap. The investment needed to modernise NHS IT systems so they are as good as the best in the world costs £3.4 billion.

“But it helps unlock £35 billion of savings, 10 times that amount. So in today’s Budget for long-term growth, I have decided to fund the NHS productivity plan in full.”

He added: “We will slash the 13 million hours lost by doctors and nurses every year to outdated IT systems. We will use AI to cut down and potentially cut in half form filling by doctors. We will digitise operating theatre processes allowing the same number of consultants to do an extra 200,000 operations a year.

Child Benefit

Mr Hunt announces an increase in the threshold at which parents start paying the High Income Child Benefit Charge, from £50,000 to £60,000. Making almost half a million families better off by an average of almost £1300 per household.

Taxes

New tax on vapes.

Tax relief on holiday lettings unfrozen to improve availability for long term letting.

Windfall tax extended for energy companies.

Income Tax Cut by 2p

From April 6 NI will be cut by 2p. From 10% to 8% and self-employed NICS from 8% to 6%.

Hunt claims, combined with the changes announced in the autumn statement, 27 million people will gain £900. And 2 million self-employed people will gain £650, the lowest tax since 1975 (Editor‘s note: in spite of a totally different taxation system in 1975 and VAT not even existing yet).

He says the OBR says this will put 200,000 more people in work. And it will increase GDP by 0.4%, he says.

Turn2Us comment:

“The reduction in National Insurance will not benefit those on the lowest incomes. What we need is a comprehensive overhaul of the relationship between our welfare system and its beneficiaries. Such reform should begin with adjusting benefits to adequately cover essential living costs and abolishing punitive, ineffective measures like the two-child limit and sanctions.” 

 

 

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