logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2024
28m 37s

Could the winter fuel cut cost more than...

Bbc Radio 4
About this episode

The government is encouraging pensioners to claim pension credit in order to remain eligible for winter fuel payments. Will people sign up - and might that end up costing the exchequer more than it saves?

The Office for National Statistics has downgraded the status of a new statistic aiming to measure how many people are transgender. What went wrong?

Cancer appears to be on the rise in people under 50. But are more people dying?

And try your hand at a puzzle you’re likely to get wrong.

Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news.

Presenter: Tim Harford Producers: Natasha Fernandes and Bethan Ashmead-Latham Series producer: Tom Colls Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison Sound mix: Sarah Hockley Editor: Richard Vadon

Up next
Yesterday
Do women feel the cold more than men?
Are office temperatures set too low in the summer for women to be comfortable? This idea has featured in news headlines and comedy videos which describe the summer as a “women’s winter”. But is there evidence behind the claims of a gender bias in air conditioning? To find out, we ... Show More
8m 57s
Aug 16
How weird was the Med Sea heatwave?
In early July, the Mediterranean Sea experienced a marine heatwave. The surface of the water reached temperatures of 30 degrees in some places. A social media post at the time claimed that some of these sea temperatures were so different to the normal sea temperature at this time ... Show More
8m 58s
Aug 9
Why it matters that Trump fired data chief
On Friday 1st August the US Bureau of Labor Statistics put out their job report data for August. It included revisions to their estimates for the jobs created in May and June which stated there were 258,000 fewer jobs than they had previously estimated. This news was not received ... Show More
8m 58s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2024
Time to nationalise Ticketmaster? “Cigarettes & Alcohol”, the Grenfell Inquiry concludes
Parliament is back in session and so is Pod Save the UK! Coco is joined by Zoë Grünewald, filling in for Nish, to discuss Keir Starmer’s gloomy new lines trailing what’s shaping up to be a miserable Autumn budget. Free political point scoring around the Oasis/Ticketmaster fiasco ... Show More
53m 44s
Feb 2025
Is the assisted dying bill doomed? – Politics Weekly UK
The spotlight was back on the assisted dying bill this week after it was revealed that the requirement for a high court judge to decide on cases was to be scrapped. Those in favour of assisted dying say the change will make it safer, but does it undermine trust in the bill? Gaby ... Show More
31m 50s
Dec 2024
Is Rachel Reeves a bad Chancellor?
New figures show that not only has the economy contracted, but job hiring is at a record low. Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves strode into Downing Street on July 5th talking about just one thing - growth. But since then the government has raised employers’ national insurance contri ... Show More
40m 12s
Apr 2025
Tax Tips as Deadline Looms | 2025 Masters Tournament Tee Off | Meghann Fahy on Talks "Drop" and "White Lotus"
In Los Angeles, a police chase led to a standoff, shooting and the arrest of an author who is married to a member of the rock band Weezer. Police say Jillian Shriner was not the target of the pursuit, but now faces charges. CBS News' Elise Preston has more.A new report, examining ... Show More
40m 23s
Nov 2024
Why Tim Spector wants to bring back the nanny state
The government should treat ultra-processed foods like cigarettes and alcohol - and bring in higher taxes on the companies that make them, says Professor Tim Spector. Labour has declared war on junk food as part of a drive to save the NHS by shifting from "sickness to prevention" ... Show More
26m 29s
Oct 2024
Is Australia's worst serial killer living in Byron Bay?
Headlines: Over 1000 large companies didn’t pay tax in Australia last year, 60 million Americans have already voted, and Russia has fined Google more money than there is in the entire world. Deep Dive: Is it possible that there’s a serial killer wreaking havoc along the NSW coast ... Show More
21m 29s
Jan 2025
Rachel Reeves’ plans for the UK: all growth, no green?
The chancellor is keen to strike a more business-friendly note, but will it come at a cost to the environment? Heather Stewart reports. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus 
22m 43s
Mar 2025
Labour’s controversial benefit cuts
The government is hoping to save £5bn from the welfare bill – but what will the cost be for sick and disabled people? Patrick Butler reports. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus 
29m 5s
Jul 2021
154- The economics of climate change, the coming resource wars and what we can do about it.
Economists are dangerous, so says this week's guest iconoclastic economist,Professor Steve Keen and this is particularly the case if we think about climate change. What can we do to avoid a climate catastrophe? Carbon credits could be the answer, but we have to act quickly. Plus, ... Show More
34m 12s
Jun 6
Facing down a fiscal firestorm
UK chancellor Rachel Reeves has had an action-packed week. She made a U-turn on winter fuel payments, announced plans to spend billions of pounds on new transport schemes and, following the prime minister’s latest announcement, she now has to find yet more money to fund a rise in ... Show More
28m 51s