You and Yours

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You and Yours: Sharia pensions, Darts popularity, Childcare voucher refunds

22/12/2021

Sharia pensions, Darts popularity, Childcare voucher refunds

BBC Radio 4 - You and Yours, Sharia pensions, Darts popularity, Childcare voucher refunds

Darts is gaining popularity with new audiences. We hear how the sport is evolving.

We investigate the lack of sharia pension options for Muslims in the UK, it's left many workers without any pension at all. And darts is gaining popularity with younger audiences.

You and Yours looks at the lack of pension options available to British Muslims. Islam forbids investing in alcohol or gambling and in companies that make money through charging interest. There is at least one big sharia pension fund but it's not offered by all employers. A survey of 600 working age Muslims found that a third had no pension at all. Of those that did have a pension, four in ten said they're employer didn't offer a pension fund that met their requirements. 

Darts is a sport that enjoyed huge popularity in the 70s and 80s, and appears to be regaining some of that again. The success of female British darts player Fallon Sherrock is apparently attracting more women and younger players. We hear from people giving darts a go for the first time, both in traditional local pubs and with cocktails in trendy bars. 

Many parents are now working from home and their childcare needs have changed as a result. Some parents are now struggling to get refunds of childcare vouchers that they can no longer use. The childcare voucher scheme closed to new entrants in 2018, but parents already in the scheme can continue to use it. It's a form of salary sacrifice offered by many employers, so that you don't pay tax on your childcare. The scheme can save you up to £993 a year. However the rules around refunds are very inconsistent and depend of both the employer and the voucher scheme provider, meaning some parents have been able to get the money back but others haven't.

Presented by Winifred Robinson.
Produced by Beatrice Pickup.

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Sharia pensions, Darts popularity, Childcare voucher refunds

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