A truly worrying situation and one that could be happening within the UK. The DWP situation with Benefit claims and while the appeal process is reversing many of the wrongful dismissed cases, will this always be so. Not if we implement the American system as we appear to be doing.
It is very worrying and this should be noticed by the DWP, but will it be, I fear not.
A new report released by Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) has blamed the UK government’s welfare reforms for a rise in clients seeking help for rent arrears on. The report comes the day after the government whipped their MPs to block the release of papers showing how Universal Credit will impact families.
The report starts by saying that in Scotland, the agency has seen a 40% rise in clients seeking assistance for rent arrears. Before you can even get into the report their findings are listed, and it doesn’t make comfortable reading for the government in Westminster.
The first and possibly most damning finding for the Tories says;
Source: Citizens Advice blame rent arrear rise on Universal Credit & welfare reform : Universal Credit Sufferer
Guardian columnist Aditya Chakrabortty has vividly described “pulverism” – the idea that councils should use financial crises not merely to make savings but to smash up and reshape the public sector – and claims it has gone nationwide.
No it hasn’t, at least not in my experience of working in all kinds of councils around the country over the past decade.
Most councils, far from being ideological about smashing up the public sector, have been trying their best to mitigate the impact of the ideology and policies of austerity that successive governments have put in place since the coalition introduced the first round of cuts in 2010.
Source: Don’t blame councils for the harm done by government ideology | Joanne Fry | Society | The Guardian
Today’s demo started rather hurriedly and to be honest I didn’t know if I was coming or going. This feeling was amplified because it was cold, rainy and my daughter was a bit fed up. understandable of course. But she soon settled down into our usual routine and all was well.
We are seeing a lot of new faces due to Stalybridge Jobcentre shutting. They don’t know us and what we are doing, and we don’t know them or their situations either. So we have to start from scratch, which at times isn’t easy. But it’s a whole lot harder for them.
I started a conversation with a man who had been previously attending Stalybridge Jobcentre for his appointments. The first thing that he said to me was that he couldn’t believe how rude the front desk staff are at Ashton Jobcentre, and how rude some of the advisors are also…
View original post 1,606 more words
Autumn statement 2016 Philip Hammond Theresa May Economics Economic policy EU referendum and Brexit Economic growth (GDP) Housing Office for Budget Responsibility Minimum wage Budget deficit Government borrowing
Unfortunately the UN as no teeth, so the UK can ignore this report. The UK Government do not even need to debate it unless there is a petition which gains over 100,000 signatures, can I use this post to create one.
Recently there was an extremely damning report published by the United Nations committee on economic and cultural rights. It confirmed the the Uk governments austerity measures are indeed in breach of their obligations to the human rights of citizens living in the uk. Although mentioned in the mainstream press, it hasn’t been given enough attention, however I do feel that it is time that we spoke about this, it’s am important issue that should not be swept under the carpet.
The report considers a number of areas, all of which are drastically important to our everyday life, and the life of the poorest. It covers factors such as, foodbanks, unemployment rates, the housing crisis, mental health care and discrimination against migrants and the disabled.
In its report the committee reminds the government of their obligations and actively calls upon them to make the changes required. Sadly I fear that this…
View original post 669 more words
By mentioning the National Living Wage this assumes that every employer will be able to afford to pay this to their employees.
Certainly within the care sector this may not be so, as many fees to care providers are funded through payment from local authority social services departments. With the Government austerity cuts reducing Government funding to local authorities, this as a negative impact on funds local authorities have to pay increased fees to service providers.
So what is the outcome, either reduce the hours of care to individuals requiring care so then not meeting their assessed needs or maintain existing hours and not increase fees so therefore the service providers will within time be unable to afford to retain staff and also make the business not viable.
Both will have dire consequences for those individuals requiring care as there will be insufficient resources available.
Funding to local authorities needs to be not only maintained but increased.
This next story is one we heard last week. The person we spoke to is very adamant that this is the truth, and that this is happening to him. We can only write upon his word, but we did see his paperwork regarding job searches etc.
A gentleman walked out of the supermarket in an obviously agitated way. He was upset so I stopped and asked him if he was ok.
He said that he is a carer for both his wife and his daughter. He is a registered carer and his daughter has learning problems and attends a special school. And that he also receives carers allowance.
He said that he couldn’t understand why the Jobcentre were making him do work searches. He said that they were hounding him constantly. He had already been sanctioned twice because of this.
He has to take his daughter both to and from…
View original post 530 more words
We’ve been working on this for a while now, this things aren’t quick to publicise because we have to ensure the legalities are correct.
For too long now DWP workers have been wrongfully implementing rules that aren’t set in stone, nor does the DWP care much for honesty, compassion and common sense. So we’ve outlined the rules, knowingly ignoring these could well end up with possible court action, with the DWP worker being taken to court. Before everyone starts laughing folk have had enough of being treated like rubbish, discriminated against. So take heed, read and learn.
Also for any DWP workers out there that want to do the right thing and feel unable to, this will empower you to be able to treat claimants fairly.
Please note we don’t sit around doing nothing. We work hard challenging and trying to end the barbaric sanctioning regime.
Print this out and…
View original post 1 more word
This shows just how low and bitterly anti-poor Fox News is. In this piece from Secular Talk, Kyle Kulinski discusses a segment from Fox News in which the host, Sandra Smith, invited on to talk cosily with Stefanie Williams, the author of an internet piece attacking Talia Jane. Jane was a worker on the minimum wage, who had written a piece on Yelp stating that despite working full time for her employer, she still could not afford to buy food, as 80 per cent of her income was spent on rent. She stated that she was tired of working for an employer that did not watch her back, and included her paypal address and an appeal for people to help her pay her rent. This piece got her the sack from the company’s CEO.
Smith congratulates Williams for writing her piece attacking Jane, stating that millennials have an undeserved sense…
View original post 451 more words
by Sonyo Zofia
A blog for carers of mental health
Thoughts on life... by Donald B. Wilson
By Sandra Js Photography - Make the rest of your life the best of your life.
Counselling for Individuals, Young People and Children
Affiliated to the national Equality Trust
Making Research Real
Voice, Empower, Influence.
from Joe Halewood
We Provide The Facts, You Make The Decisions
Domestic Abuse Survivor 🤍🦋
Your Independent Left Wing pro NHS Media Source
Chris Sterry expressing views and thoughts on disability issues and other interests.
Working Together through Co-production
News, politics, insights, inside information from the left
61chrissterry 