Tax-free savings in Britain are to undergo their biggest overhaul in almost a decade.

In just a few weeks, individual savings account rules are to change - consigning terms such as mini and maxi to history. And the change can't come quickly enough.

According to a survey apathy and lack of understanding have hindered what should have been the perfect way to keep Chancellor Alistair Darling's mitts off your cash.

From the report's findings, more than 90% of people in the UK are not using their full tax-free ISA allowance.

This is partly explained by the fact you'd need £700 to use your allowance to the full, but nearly half of us don't have an ISA, despite a third of people saying they have at least £1000 available to them.

One in 10 has more than the annual maximum contribution of £7000 stashed in other accounts.

And when it comes to those who have an ISA, things get more complex - nine out of 10 have never switched provider, despite big differences between the best and worst performers.

More than a quarter of the 1000 savers questioned by Ciao and Lloyds TSB admitted it was confusion that led to them staying put.

The changes on April 6 to the ISA regulations are meant to simplify things.

Under the new system, savers can invest in two ISAs each tax year - a cash ISA and a stocks and shares ISA.

Cash ISAs replace the mini cash ISA and the cash section of the current maxi ISA.

A stocks and shares ISA is exactly that -your savings here would be invested in shares and bonds and it replaces the mini stocks and shares and maxi ISA.

From April 6 the allowance is also increasing from £7000 to £7200.

Up to £3600 of that allowance can be saved in cash with one provider. The rest can be invested in stocks and shares with the same or a different provider.

But you can choose to save for example £1000 in a cash ISA with one provider nd £6200 in a stocks and shares ISA with a different provider.

For anyone with investments in ISAs now, in April their mini cash ISAs, TESSA only ISAs and the cash component of a maxi ISA will automatically become cash ISAs.

Mini stocks and shares ISAs and the stocks and shares component of a new maxi ISA will automatically become stocks and shares ISAs.

All Personal Equity Plans will automatically become stocks and shares ISAs.

You won't have to sign any forms to transfer the monies or to continue paying into existing ISA policies.

And unlike the old system where monies saved in one plan couldn't be transferred to another, from April 6 savers will be able to transfer money saved in their cash ISA to their stocks and shares ISA.