NowMyNews

  Jeremy Hunt, the millionaire Culture Secretary, has risked angering the middle classes by lambasting the better-off for not giving enough money to charity. Cough up: We do not donate as much as other nations. Mr Hunt also believes they should do more to help their communities by volunteering. He said yesterday: 'The people who give the most are often the people who have the least.' Most controversially, Mr Hunt wants it to become the norm to leave 10% of an estate to good causes when a person dies. But his comments risk enraging millions who are having to tighten their belts as a result of the recession and face further pressures from the VAT rise on January 4. The minister - in the news earlier this week after two Radio 4 presenters accidentally pronounced his surname with a C - also leaves himself open to the charge that he would like to see charities filling the funding gaps created by Coalition cuts. In a speech to the European Association of Philanthropy and G

  Cressida Dimmock has started the New Year with a resolution to donate £5 each month straight from her pay packet to help support a cause close to her heart. Gift: Cressida Dimmock gives to the Breast Cancer Campaign Cressida, 28, is giving to the Breast Cancer Campaign after her mother Marianne, 61, was diagnosed with the cancer. She is fortunately now in remission after treatment. Cressida, of Hampstead, north-west London, says: 'I've previously supported the campaign with one-off donations and hope to continue in the future. But I feel it is good to make a steady, regular donation too.' The Government wants to create a revolution in charitable giving, harnessing new technology to speed the process. It is exploring ways to make it easier for everyone to support good causes. In the meantime, givers such as Cressida can make every pound they give count by ensuring that today's donations are tax-efficient. Cressida uses payroll giving, which are schemes

  A charity that has developed a way of modernising the old-fashioned donating tin is hoping the government's new drive to encourage more giving will bring in millions of pounds. Thing of the past?: Pennies Foundation is modernising the old fashioned collection box The Pennies Foundation which launched last year is pioneering an innovative scheme that allows retailers to place an electronic charity collection box on their websites. Budget hotel chain Travelodge launched a version on its website yesterday. Customers will be given the opportunity to round up the price of their room and food purchase to the nearest pound with just one click - when booking online. Each retailer can nominate a variety of chosen charities. Last month the government launched a consultation process calling for charitable giving to become a 'social norm' which could prompt people to give to charity every time they use bank cards in shops or at cash machines. The consultation runs until

  An unemployed woman whose estranged mother bequeathed her entire £486,000 fortune to animal charities has won a landmark legal case for a share of the estate. Heather Ilott: Won her appeal despite her mother's explicit wishes (see below) Heather Ilott, 50, fell out with her mother Melita Jackson after running away at 17 to live with her boyfriend. The pair barely spoke over the next quarter of a century and when Mrs Jackson died aged 70 in 2004 she left every penny to The Blue Cross, RSPCA and RSPB. Mrs Ilott challenged the will claiming 'reasonable provision' from her mother's estate and was initially awarded £50,000 before the decision was overturned at the High Court. But the Court of Appeal yesterday said it was 'unreasonable' for Mrs Jackson to disinherit her daughter, a mother of five, who can now return to the High Court to request an even larger share. The decision was made despite Mrs Jackson insisting from beyond the grave in a 'letter

  BT has launched a new free online charitable fundraising service which promises to pass on 100% of the donation - minus debit and credit card fees. It's good to give: BT has launched a new charity giving website The service, which is similar to JustGiving and Virgin Money Giving, allows people to register to give money to charity or collect fundraising donations. The website, called MyDonate, guarantees that 100% of all money donated through the site will go to the charity (excluding credit/debit charges) unlike other services which take a proportion as commission. This means that there will be no subscription, set-up or commission fee for for any donations made through the site and BT has worked with charities, including Cancer Research UK, NSPCC and Women's Aid, to develop it. BT's launch is backed by new research it commissioned showing that people were influenced to donate to a particular cause by how much of their money actually went to the charity and w

  Identity fraud is evolving into more complex, subtle forms - and it's posing a growing threat. Research by CIFAS, the UK's fraud prevention service, shows that it can take more than 15 months on average before people realise that they've become the victim of an ID fraudster. And by then it may be too late to rescue your credit rating. We've teamed up with Experian to offer you ID fraud protection. Sign-up for your free trial below: function checkForm(fId) { var Errors = "Sorry there were errors: \n\n"; if(fId.preForename.value ==''||fId.preForename.value =='your first name'){ Errors = Errors + "Please enter your first name \n"; fId.preForename.value ='your first name'; } if(fId.preSurname.value ==''||fId.preSurname.value =='your last name'){ Errors = Errors + "Please enter your last name \n"; fId.preSurname.value ='your last name'; } if(fId.preEmail.value ==''||fId.pre

  It doesn't have to cost the earth to stay in touch. There are a number of ways you can cut the cost of calls, no matter where your friends and family live. PC to PC Download Skype* and you can enjoy free calls to other Skype users. There are no hidden costs - it's free to download and free to use. All you need is a broadband connection. Plus, if you have a webcam, you can make video calls and talk face to face. Download Skype*   PC to landline Instead of using a landline such as BT or Virgin, Vonage* uses your existing broadband connection. Call plans start at just £5.99 a month and you can make unlimited calls within the UK and around the world. Another advantage to Vonage* is that it could be cheaper for friends and family to phone you. When you sign up with Vonage.co.uk you receive a phone number - you can pick any area code, regardless of where you live. Friends and family can use this number to call you cheaply. For example, if you've moved abroad