A man targeted by marketing companies is making money from cold calls with his own higher-rate phone number. In November 2011 Lee Beaumont paid £10 plus VAT to set up his personal 0871 line - so to call him now costs 10p, from which he receives 7p. The Leeds businessman told BBC Radio 4's You and Yours programme that the line had so far made £300. Phone Pay Plus, which regulates premium numbers, said it strongly discouraged people from adopting the idea. Mr Beaumont came up with the plan when he grew sick of calls offering to help him reclaim payment protection insurance (PPI), or install solar panels. He said: "I don't use my normal Leeds number for anyone but my friends and family." Once he had set up the 0871 line, every time a bank, gas or electricity supplier asked him for his details online, he submitted it as his contact number. He added he was "very honest" and the companies did ask why he had a such a number. He told the programme he replied: "Because I'm getting annoyed with PPI phone calls when I'm trying to watch Coronation Street so I'd rather make 10p a minute." He said almost all of the companies he dealt with were happy to use it and if they refused he asked them to email. Warning The number of calls received by Mr Beaumont has fallen from between 20 and 30 a month to just 13 last month. Because he works from home, Mr Beaumont has been able to increase his revenue by keeping cold callers talking - asking for more details about their services. He admitted the scheme had changed his attitude, saying: "I want cold calls", and that he had moved on to encouraging companies to make contact. After a recent problem with his online shopping, he declined to call an 0845 number but posted his number on Twitter in the knowledge that the number could be picked up by marketing companies. But the premium number regulator Phone Pay Plus says the public should think twice before setting up their own lines. They say phone line providers must meet consumer protection standards, which include transparency, fairness and complaint handling, which would mean clearly setting out the cost of each call to any organisation that rang. They told You and Yours: "Premium rate numbers are not designed to be used in this way and we would strongly discourage any listeners from adopting this idea, as they will be liable under our code for any breaches and subsequent fines that result." A survey for charity Citizens Advice found that two-thirds of those asked had received unwanted calls, texts, emails or letters about PPI mis-selling. More than half said that they had been contacted more than 10 times in the past year. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-23869462

Hi there, I live in Bradford, West Yorkshire. My Incapacity benefit claim was transferred to Employment and Support Allowance (WRA) in October 2012. I know 2 other people who are on ESA who have received 4 cold weather payments this year but they are on the income related side of this benefit. After speaking to the DWP, their stance is that although other people on those other claims receive exactly the same amount of money, I do not qualify for any cold weather payments. The extra money that they do pay me as part of contribution based ESA is gobbled up by Rent and Council Tax shortfalls because of the level of income I have at the moment. Now doesn't this just sound crazy, I earn the same as those that qualify, the councils force me to pay a shortfall because my level of income, and yet I don't qualify for cold weather payments. If anything I actually earn less than those other people, and with mounting fuel usage this year because of cold weather I'm in even more financial hardship than I need to be. Does anybody know of a way that I might be able to get these payments? Is there some sort of department or complaint that can be raised in relation to this? Any help would be great, thanks.

Has any one received cold weather payment this year?

Morning, I don't know if this has been answerd but just wondering has the goverment axed cold weather payments? I am on Jobseekers and just wondering if they haven't will I get 1? as I live alone in my flat and I am 26 and if I get 1 I can put more on my gas

Excellent story here > http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20068927 Andy

I was at my parents house when a young man knocked the door holding a stepladder. He said he was from EON and that through the government they had to check houses for insulation. My parents told him that they had already been sorted out and that the house hadn't long been insulated, both the roof and walls. He didn't see me, but he was insisting that he had to check the attic despite what they said and see it for himself. He was shortly sent packing complete with his ladder following him closely behind. The shocking thing is that my parents couldn't see the harm in it and they'd seen him going from door to door and that the government and companies do have such things. Well yes they do but you don't let a stranger into your home just because he has a badge and a stepladder! My Dad said he wasn't stupid and the lad wasn't trying to sell anything! Well not yet he hadn't but once in the attic he could have done anything as my parents are in no fit state to check what he would have said. He could have soaked the insulation, removed roof tiles and then comes along someone offering to put it right. They think I'm paranoid. I think I'm flamin' well cautious and that cold calling with a stepladder is a step too much. Literally. I'll be calling EON and Trading Standards tomorrow to see if there is such a campaign and complaining about tactics to gain entry to homes occupied by vulnerable people.