Money Box Live: Does Being Single Cost You More?

Money Box

BBC

Business

4.2 • 804 Ratings

🗓️ 22 July 2025

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

More people are living alone, in fact 3 in 10 households are made up of single adults, according to the latest government figures.

Research from the pension specialist Royal London also suggests single people are more likely to be in their overdrafts at the end of the month and have smaller savings and pension pots than married couples.

Today, we're looking at the impact of the single supplement, from travel costs to inheritance tax thresholds as well as hearing from those very much enjoying their financial freedom.

Joining presenter Felicity Hannah is Sarah Pennells, Consumer Finance specialist at Royal London and Laura Suter, Director of Personal Finance at the investment platform AJ Bell.

Presenter: Felicity Hannah Producers: Sarah Rogers and Helen Ledwick Editor: Jess Quayle

(This episode was first broadcast on at 3pm on Wednesday the 25th of June 2025 ).

Transcript

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0:00.0	Get closer to the action with live commentary from the world's greatest sporting events on BBC Sounds.
0:06.0	It is all over!
0:08.0	Bulls are an edge, caught behind.
0:10.0	Including cricket Super League, Women's Euro's 2025, Wimbledon, Formula One and much more.
0:17.0	It's all right to the lights and foot to the floor.
0:20.0	Oh, what's's done it!
0:21.4	Drop shots, winner!
0:23.6	On five sports extra, sports extra two and sports extra three.
0:27.7	Listen, only on BBC Sounds.
0:31.4	BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts.
0:34.8	Hello, this is the Moneybox Live podcast where we take a single financial topic
0:40.2	and answer your questions. And this week, that topic is the cost of being single, as more
0:45.5	and more people are living alone. Three in ten households are single adult homes. That's
0:51.2	according to the latest government figures. And it can cost them a lot more.
0:55.6	One survey found that singles typically pay more than £3,800 extra every year. To find out more,
1:03.4	producer Helen Ledwick joined some single hikers for a walk in Trafford, Greater Manchester.
1:08.6	Good morning, everybody, on the long walk.
1:10.6	Check. Check. Not led the long walk. Check, check.
1:11.4	Not led the long walk for quite a while.
1:14.2	I'm Jeff, and I live on my own with my cat, and I love walking.
1:20.4	And Jeff, tell me, we're talking about the finances of living on your own.
1:25.5	Yeah.
	...

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