HM Revenue and Customs is warning taxpayers to ignore emails claiming that they are able to receive money back on tax payments.

The UK’s tax authority said that the email, dated 15th June, is not an official communication, but a scam.

The message suggests that its recipients have qualified for a cash payment from HMRC, and is one of a series of scams involving the HMRC name.

Losses from scams in the UK are estimated to total £3.5bn a year.

Earlier this month, HMRC said that a large number of taxpayers had received emails offering tax rebates, but stressed that these emails were scams. The tax authority never sends out offers of a rebate by email, and nor does it ask customers to fill out an online form to receive a tax rebate.

The Council of Mortgage Lenders has cut its forecast of the number of homes likely to be repossessed in 2009.

The group predicted in December that 75,000 houses would be repossessed this year. It has now revised that figure to just 65,000. However, the new figure still represents a sharp rise from the 40,000 homes that were repossessed in 2008.

The lowered estimate comes as the government extends its scheme offering free advice in courts across England and Wales to homeowners threatened with repossession.

However, the CML said that it is still too early to know whether the figures indicate the beginning of a “robust recovery” in the UK housing market.

According to its latest figures, there was a 50% annual rise in repossessions over the first three months of this year.

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Mortgage lending decreased in May, according to figures from the Council of Mortgage Lenders.

Gross lending fell by 2% since April and 58% since May last year, totalling £10.3 billion.

The CML said that while lending to home buyers increased last month, lending to people changing their mortgage provider had dropped off.

Recent surveys from the Halifax and Nationwide building societies appeared to indicate a rise in house prices and a renewed sense of optimism among lenders and homeowners. However, the CML said that it did not expect to see a significant recovery in sales in the next few months.

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The credit card provider and online bank Capital One is to stop offering savings accounts in the UK.

The bank will transfer all savings accounts belonging to existing customers to the Skipton Building Society on 27th July.

Capital One sent letters to all its savers this week informing them of the change. It told customers that the day-to-day running of their accounts would not be affected by the move, and that the new accounts would trade under the name of Castle Money.

“The terms and conditions of your account will not change as a result of the transfer,” Capital One said.

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For a limited time only, Direct Line is cutting the cost of its contents insurance by 50%, and offering an additional discount of up to 25% off home insurance when you order online.

The 25% discount applies to new customers. However, customers who already have a policy with Direct Line can benefit too, with discounts of 10% for customers with Direct Line car insurance, 5% for pet insurance and 10% for travel insurance.

Direct Line offers a choice of three different home insurance policies with varying levels of cover - Home Insurance, Home Insurance Plus and Platinum Home Insurance. However, both the contents and online discount (available both on contents only and combined buildings/contents insurance policies) apply only to new customers in their first policy year. Direct Line home insurance has been awarded a 5-star rating by Defaqto.

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Barclays has said it has fixed a technical problem which left many of the bank’s customers unable to draw cash from ATMs.

Barclays’ online and telephone banking services across the UK were also disrupted throughout yesterday afternoon. A problem with the bank’s hardware is said to have caused the issue, but the bank has told customers its services should soon be back to normal. Barclays has 3,500 cash machines across the UK and 15 million UK customers.

A spokeswoman for the bank apologised for the inconvenience caused, adding that engineers replaced the faulty equipment yesterday afternoon. She said that services should be rectified by lunchtime.

Cash machines in the south of England were most affected by the fault, but customers in other areas of the country, including Yorkshire, Perthshire and Mid-Glamorgan, also reported problems accessing their bank accounts online or by phone. Some customers also reported problems using chip-and-pin devices in shops.

Barclays’ online banking service was down for longer than its telephone banking service, which was rectified shortly after 5pm yesterday when the technical glitch was fixed. Customers were able to withdraw cash from their local Barclays branch, but opening hours were not extended.

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The number of mortgages requiring a deposit of just 10% has nosedived by 97% since the beginning of 2007, according to new research.

According to Wales Online, there are currently only 102 mortgages available to people borrowing up to 90% of the value of their home, down from 3,148 separate deals in January 2007.

Meanwhile the average interest rate on a mortgage has increased slightly, in spite of the Bank of England base rate staying at a record low of 0.5% for the past three months.

In January 2007 when the Bank rate stood at 5%, interest on mortgages which people had secured with a 10% deposit averaged 6.2%. Today the average interest rate changed on 90% loan-to-value mortgages has risen to 6.23%, even though the bank rate stands at just 0.5%.

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Asda Insurance is now offering comprehensive breakdown cover for cars and vans within the UK and Republic of Ireland. Cover starts from £73.92 per year, with the option of paying monthly instalment of £6.16.

Asda Breakdown Cover is provided in partnership with Britannia Rescue, which has received ‘Best Buy’ status in the consumer magazine Which? for the fourth time in five years. Asda uses a network of more than 3,000 trusted breakdown professionals to ensure a fast response time - averaging under 40 minutes. If the breakdown team cannot solve the problem at the roadside, they will transport the vehicle, driver and up to seven passengers to your chosen destination. Alternatively, a hire car may be provided.

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Treat your Dad to a day out at one of the UK’s top attractions this Fathers Day with 2 for 1 tickets.

Lastminute.com is offering a huge range of discounted gift ideas this Fathers Day, 21st June. Dads can go free to some of the UK’s most popular attractions including London Zoo, the Tower of London and Brighton Pavilion when accompanied by a full paying adult.

Other discounted trips available on lastminute.com include 50% off Spy Academy (was £89, now £44.50), 30% off Hummer Off-Road Experiences (was £70, now £49), or 2 for 1 on Silverstone Tours (now £28 for 2 people). Alternatively, why not treat your Dad to an experience day, with discounts on zorbing, shark diving and flying lessons.

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Personal Accounts, the new government pension scheme to be launched in 2012, is likely to have a “relatively small” effect on those who qualify, research suggests. It will be aimed at those who cannot, or do not join a company pension scheme.

A study by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) estimates that around 5 million people did not qualify for a company pension scheme in 2005. However, the IFS research shows that those on the scheme would accrue average contributions of just £900 that year under the new system.

“This suggests that the increase in pension saving, and therefore overall saving, brought about by the reform is likely to be relatively small,” the IFS said.

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