DrJJ

Sorry it's taken so long to respond. Thank you maxb for trying to help. I got a copy of the page you cited. Unfortunately I'm not yet any wiser. I just find it highly suspicious that it seems impossible to get a straight answer from HMRC. Anyway, thanks again.

All the examples I have seen of the Starting Savings Rate explain what will happen only when the Earned Income is less, equal or greater then the relevant allowances. I want to know what happens when someone has more savings interest after all the allowances are used up. Is only the excess of taxable savings taxed, or would one loose the £5K Starting Savings Rate altogether? For clarity, here is an example: Someone whose only Earned Income is a New State Pension and, say, £20,000 in taxable savings interest? Other examples would be someone in the same Earned Income situation but with £10k or £15K of taxable savings interest. Thanks for any enlightenment.