Ö÷²¥´óÐã

More people are using pawnbrokers as a quick source of emergency cash. The country's largest pawnbrokers say lending is up 40 percent on pre-pandemic levels. It's been estimated that around 350,000 people a year use pawnbrokers services. We hear from one couple who have pawned their television set in order to get food and pay their electricity meter.

Are you considering paying hundreds - if not thousands - of pounds for that perfect 'Love Island' smile? You might want to tread carefully. More than two thirds of 18-34 years are willing to pay thousands of pounds every year to have their teeth aligned, and across social media you see celebrities and influencers promoting procedures like teeth whitening, veneers or Invisalign. We hear from the clients of one company who are still not smiling after the service they received.

(Following this item Smile Direct Club asked to us clarify a couple of points after we talked to Dr Tipali Chokshi. Smile Direct Club say they utilise a teledentistry platform to enable UK registered orthodontists to prescribe patients in the UK for clear aligners. They also say orthodontists using the platform are registered with the General Dentistry Counsel and are held to exactly the same standards as any other orthodontist and all patients undergo a rigorous and detailed health check by the UK registered orthodontist to ensure that they are suitable for clear aligner treatment.

Smile Direct also say there is no evidence that an ‘in person office visit’ is required before clear aligners are prescribed.  Instead, reliable and independent evidence states that treatment via platforms such as Smile Direct Club is just as effective and safe as treatment in a traditional dentist setting.)

We also look at the effect of the war in Ukraine on UK goods supplies. As the first shipment of grain arrives in Turkey from Ukraine, we assess which companies and products are suffering in the UK as a result of grain being blockaded since February. We hear from a gin distiller who is struggling with the cost of ethanol, which is made from wheat and a key component in the making of gin.

And many customers of energy firms will no doubt have had an issue with their energy company at some time...but how would you feel if it went on for FOUR YEARS? We hear from the son of a woman in her 90s who was wrongly declared dead by her bank, causing all her payments to be frozen. Four years on, the son is still trying to get direct debits re-activated as her energy bills stack up to thousands of pounds.

PRESENTER: Peter White
PRODUCER: Craig Henderson