Anyone aged 50 or over on or before April 5 will see their Isa allowance jump £3,000 to £10,200 from October 6. Half of that can be saved into a cash Isa - up £1,500 from now. Everyone will be entitled to the higher limit from April 6.
Will I be able to top up?
The over-fifties should, in theory, be able to top up their cash Isa to the new limits but thousands who have already taken out accounts this tax year may face problems.
Barclays, Britannia, First Direct, HSBC, Lloyds, NatWest, Yorkshire and Chelsea all said they would let existing savers top up, but other providers were non-committal.
Abbey said: "All we can say at this stage is that we're currently working hard to try to ensure that all our customers who will be 50 by April 6 2010 can take advantage of the new limits." Manchester building society, which offered a best-buy rate of 3.56% at the start of the tax year, was also unable to confirm its position.
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What rate will I get?
Most providers that offered fixed rates at the start of the tax year said savers would receive the rate at which they fixed.
However, M&S Money won't allow savers to top up "closed" fixed-rate Isas. Instead, they have to open another Isa and put the additional contribution there. Its current issues pay up to 1.25% less than rates available in April. Nationwide will also not allow you to top up an existing fixed-rate Isa, but its rates are higher than they were in April.
Can I switch to a better deal?
If your cash Isa no longer pays a competitive rate you can transfer it without losing the tax-free status, though you are likely to be hit with hefty penalties if you withdraw before the end of the term.
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Leeds has the highest rate that accepts transfers, a five-year fix at 4.6%. Abbey's two-year fix, at 3.5%, will accept transfers, as will similar Nationwide and Halifax products.