Our pets are among the first things to be neglected as the recession puts pressure on consumers’ finances, according to a new study.

Research for insurance provider More Than found that 69% of pet owners would not give up luxuries such as meals out or short breaks in order to stump up for unexpected visits to the vet. According to the study, only 31% of pet owners have taken out pet insurance, while the majority trust that their animal will continue in good health.

10% of pet owners said they would prefer to self-diagnose and administer human medicine to their cat or dog, rather than paying a qualified vet to offer a diagnosis.

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More than 1.2 million British holidaymakers risk invalidating their travel insurance by failing to inform providers of pre-existing medical conditions, new research has found.

Of these, an estimated 267,000 people with heart problems, 206,000 with respiratory problems and 474,000 with severe back pain failed to inform their insurance companies about their condition, according to a report released by Sainsbury’s Finance this week.

A further 500,000 people with medical conditions headed abroad over the last 12 months without travel insurance, the report found.

Customers with medical conditions cited fear of being refused cover, as well as potentially high premiums as reasons for neglecting to reveal the whole truth about their health to their insurance provider.

However, insurers provide cover for people with most medical conditions, and will charge only slightly higher premiums for serious conditions.

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The recession drove up cases of insurance fraud last year by around 30%, according to a report by the Association of British Insurers (ABI).

Some 107,000 claims worth a total of £730m were found to be false last year, with home and motor insurance companies receiving the largest number of fraudulent claims. As detection of fraudulent claims went up, it is also thought actual fraud increased significantly. The ABI said that fraud was “more of a temptation” during a recession.

55,000 false or exaggerated home insurance claims were detected last year, whilst car attempted insurance fraud amounted to £360 million by value.

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Travel to London with National Rail and get 2 for 1 on entry to some of the capitals most popular attractions.

You and a friend can enjoy 2 for 1 entry at dozens of London’s theatres, attractions, restaurants and exhibitions when you each buy a National Rail ticket to the city. Current 2 for 1 offers include trips to London Zoo, the Tower of London, Madame Tussauds, a tour of Chealsea FC and tickets to the musical Carousel.

Click here to see the full list of offers.

When you have made your choice, simply select ‘Claim Offer’ where you’ll be required to fill in a few details in order to print out your voucher.

This offer is valid until 30th September 2009, subject to opening dates and times. Full terms and conditions can be found here.

The police are using new technology to crack down on drivers who are late in renewing their car insurance or who neglect to take out cover in the first place.

According to police figures, a total of 170,000 uninsured vehicles were stopped last year, up from just 78,000 in 2006.

This increase is largely due to a nationwide roll-out of new technologies designed to help the police catch uninsured drivers. These include the installation of automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) systems into police cars, which scan the number plates of other videos and check the details against a central database.

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British homeowners who lose their jobs during the current recession are to be offered some breathing space when it comes to meeting home insurance premiums.

Lloyds TSB is offering a helping hand to homeowners in financial difficulty by waiving home insurance premiums for up to six months for new customers who lose their jobs. Lloyds TSB is offering the deal to anyone who signs up for a Home Solutions policy at any of the group’s UK branches between 6th April and 6th June 2009, and who is made compulsorily redundant between purchasing the policy and the end of 2009. The offer also covers self-employed people who involuntary give up trading in the period.

The decision follows talks with the Home Office, the Association of British Insurers and leading insurance providers to find ways of helping policy holders in the current economic climate.

Recent research by Lloyds found that 60% of people were worried about their financial circumstances, while 26% believed they could lose their job in the next 12 months. 15% of those surveyed admitted stopping their home insurance policies mid-term, and a further 13% said they were unlikely to renew their home insurance at the end of the year.

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Many homeowners are cancelling their home insurance policies in an attempt to save money, in spite of growing fears about burglary, new research has found.

In a survey by Lloyds TSB, 15 percent of respondents admitted cancelling their cover mid-term over the last 12 months, whilst a further ten percent said that they would do so if their financial situation became untenable.

13 precent of those surveyed said that they were unlikely to renew their home insurance at the end of the year. Yet 65 percent of respondents believe that they are more likely to be burgled during the recession. Home Office statistics back this up, citing a 4 percent increase in home theft between September 2007 and September 2008.

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Enjoy a meal at All Bar One for a fiver. Choose any burger, grilled skewer or salad meal at All Bar One between Sunday and Thursday and pay just £5. The full menu can be found here.

To benefit, simply print off this voucher and present it at your nearest All Bar One restaurant when ordering. Click here to access a full list of locations.

This offer is valid between Sundays and Thursdays until 5th May, and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.

All Bar One restaurants can now be found in over 35 great locations across the UK, in London and regional capitals such as Bristol and Oxford. The restaurants offer excellent food, drink, service and a relaxed atmosphere in a stylish location.

Short breaks in Eastern European cities work out significantly cheaper than those in European destinations traditionally popular with tourists such as Paris, Bruges and Amsterdam, according to research by the Post Office.

As the Euro continues to stay strong against the pound, many tourists are heading east to non-eurozone cities such as Budapest, Warsaw and Prague, which tend to offer better value for money. These three Eastern European capitals are the cheapest of the top ten ‘alternative cities’ frequented by tourists, according to the Post Office’s ‘City Costs Barometer’.

And whereas the Sterling has generally decreased in value compared with other currencies, in Warsaw, Budapest and Istanbul it has strengthened against local currencies. The UK pound has increased 10% in value against the Polish zloty - excellent news for tourists planning on travelling to Krakow or Warsaw.

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UK consumers have accumulated almost £1.5 trillion in personal debt, a charity has revealed.

A report released yesterday by debt charity Credit Action revealed the extent of the personal debt problem in Britain.

According to the study, the total debt held by individuals at the end of February was £1.46 trillion - an increase of £34 billion over the last year. This figure included consumer borrowing on credit cards, along with retail and motor finance deals, loans and overdrafts.

However, the report noted the rate at which debt has been rising has slowed down considerably, with the debt total having risen by £116 billion over the 12 months to January 2008. Whereas total personal debt in the UK rose by £1 million every 5.3 minutes in January, it increased by the same figure roughly every half hour in February.

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