Jul/091
Disability Living Allowance Rates
Disabled people in the UK are often surprised to learn how straight-forward the disability benefits system actually is. Disability Living Allowance is in two parts - the care component and the mobility component. Just because you qualify for one doesn;t mean you qualify for both. However, you could and it is worth checking.
Care component Weekly benefit…
Highest rate - £70.35
Middle rate - £47.10
Lowest rate - £18.65
Mobility component Weekly benefit…
Higher rate - £49.10
Lower rate - £18.65
Your individual circumstances will affect how much you can get. The claim pack gives some examples of different levels of care and mobility needs.
Ways to claim
You can claim online at: http://www.dwp.gov.uk/eservice/
or get a claim pack by:
contacting your local Jobcentre or social security office
phoning the Benefit Enquiry Line
downloading the claim form from this page
Jul/090
Job Centre Plus Miners Knee
Tell us which solicitor you used dealt with previously for your miners claims and we will contact you right back with details of how you can make a claim for Osteoarthritis (Miners Knee), if your previous miners claim was wrongly undersettled, and anything else you could be entitled to. You do not even need to have made a claim previously to be entitled to receive compensation.
Coal miners in the UK who worked in atrocious conditions in the late 70’s and 80’s should receive more compensation. It was reported earlier this month that coal miners with 10 or more years service can claim Industrial Disablement Benefit if they are one or more of a range of medical conditions affecting their quality of life. Conditions such as: Miners Knee, Osteoarthritis of the knee and Vibration White Finger are all included in the criteria for claiming this new benefit.
Job Centre Plus Miners Knee claims are set to go through the roof - and rightly so. Local experts in mining hotspots from times-gone-by are predicting that news of this new beneifit will spread like wild fire through the mining communities and the criteria for claiming should be met by the vast majority given that mining was a lifetime career for most.
On top of this, compensation for the new medical conditions which are now being linked back to the work conditions should be increased or at least separated from previous claims for VWF or anything else. On top of the basic right to claim, the fact that miners were receiving less compensation for their earlier claims due to fraudulent solicitors taking part of that compensation. Now, the Job Centre Plus are emphasising that all ex miners should use them to ‘apply’ rather than ‘make’ a claim.
Jul/090
Direct Mortgages - The best on the UK market
Mortgage brokers have been dealt a major as The Times Online report that 2 thirds of the mortgages on the market are available through the lender only and the previously commonplace practice of your mortgage broker contacting the lender on your behalf to negotiate a deal could soon be dead in the water. As if this news wasn’t bad enough, many of the deals are actually at a marginally better rate - especially if the consumer visits their branch to arrange it.
The statistics behind this story reflect a gloomy forecast for mortgage brokers. Last year over 70% of mortgages were only available through a broker but clearly the credit crunch has had a huge impact on the banking system and ideas and recommendations that would otherwise have taken years to come to fruition have now become the way of life.
Another reason why banks are doing this is to get a grip on the flow of mortgages being dealt out. They also believe that they can get a better feel over whether handing a mortgage to a consumer is a good idea.
Statistics from Moneyfacts.co.uk
Story from: The Times Online
Jul/090
Save the Children: Child Poverty on the Increase
As you would expect, over a half of children living in poverty in the UK live in either single-parent households or homes were neither parent is employed.
Save the Children (a well respected organisation protecting UK kids) carried out research which shows that almost 200,000 more under 16’s across the nation live in poverty compared to this time last year.
According to the organistation, a rise in children residing in ‘unemployed homes’ has taken place in recent years on an unprecedented scale. This has no doubt been compounded by the fact that we are in the middle of a deep recession but nevertheless the figures look particularly bleak especially when compared to an earlier similar period.
Out of all the UK countries, Wales is experiencing the worst problems. Bridgend, Flintshire, Swansea, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire are the areas pinpointed by Save the Children as the main culprates.
The choices between food, heating and transport costs that these families need to make is a tough one which is putting pressure on their lifestyles to change.
Jul/094
Travel insurance claims for Swineflu
For weeks no UK consumers excited about their summer holidays have been dampened by the news that their travel insurance might not cover Swine Flu. Of course, thois is a huge worry for the consumer especially as we see swine flu cases increase by 100% week on week. Travellers trying to make a claim on a travel insurance policy for swine flu will no longer need written documentation from a GP.
However, travel agencies and organisations are strongly urging the public to keep hold of their Tamiflu medication labels as proof that they have overcome the illness. Insurers will need to validate each individual claim concerning swine flu.
Individual airlines have different procedures for dealing with passengers too unwell to fly and most employ medical teams to make assessments. This is a completely different can of worms and one which Consumer Help will leave to the discretion of the airlines.
Those being quarantined whilst on holiday will need written proof of their illness to be able to claim compensation from their travel insurers.
Jul/091
Important! Tax Credits Deadline Approaches
As the Friday 31st July approaches, claimants of all types of tax credits could soon be facing a further financial blow in the credit crunch. If consumers do not apply for their credits then they could face huge reductions in income when HMRC get around to recalling their overpayment.
UK pensioners - many of whom are struggling because of their pensions deteriorating in the credit crunch - are worrying over the prospect of facing further cuts to their weekly income through tax credits. However, pensioners do not have to renew by the end of this month so worry not. This would have otherwise affected over 3 million pensioners throughout the country.
Jul/090
Last surviving veteran of WW1 dies
Harry Patch, Britain’s last veteran of World War One died this weekend at the age of 111. He died at home in Somerset. His death came only a week after another remaining survivor. Only Claude Choules remains as the sole British-Born survivor who resides in Australia.
Patch, who was conscripted at 18 years old in 1917 fought in Ypres on the Western Front and in the in the battle of Passchendaele. Prime Minister Gordon Brown and General Sir Richard Dannatt, Chief of General staff paid tribute to Patch noting his nobility and generosity in teaching school children the atrocities of war. Patch was quoted as saying “War isn’t worth one life”- Reuters UK. He outlived both his wives and two sons in his long life.
Jul/090
House of Commons transport committee: Higher ticket fares on the way
The House of Commons transport committee has criticised privately owned rail franchises for increasing ticket prices, up to 11% in the recession. The consensus amongst the committee was that the current relationship between rail companies and commuters is unfair, with passengers being treated unfairly. The franchising system means companies bid to run trains on a particular route and those that bid the highest premium payments win the contracts. The rise in ticket costs on regulated rail fares including all season tickets rose on average 6% which is contrary to negative inflation and disproportionate to the real economy.
Lord Ardonis, Transport Secretary reiterated that the report backed a policy by the government to limit fares to no more than 1% above inflation. The consequence being lower fare rates by January 2010. In reply to the criticism the Association of Train Operating Companies stated that the existing system offers a punctual service and that passengers are satisfied.
Jul/090
Ban on IVF donors leads to shortage of eggs
A review in the sale of sperm and eggs for use in fertilisation treatment has arisen in the attempt to increase donations. Currently many childless couples are forced to seek treatment abroad due to a shortage in donations. Lisa Jardine, of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority suggests an increase in the expenses payment of £250 to donors to encourage women to donate their eggs. Furthermore the loss of anonymity of sperm donors was also highlighted as having a possible negative effect.
Concerns have been raised as to the exploitation of poorer women donating eggs to raise money if a higher rate is set. However Jardine argues that the higher rate should exist for women donating their eggs as the procedure is more invasive than sperm donation. Although it is generally agreed that the sale of eggs and sperm raises a number of ethical questions Jardine believes it would create a more transparent system. The authority is also set to discuss the guidelines surrounding donations within a family.
One such case was that of a 72-year-old man who donated his sperm to his daughter-in-law and the rules with regards to brother and sister donations.
Jul/090
Pandemic flu figures direct gov to take action
A 26 year old pregnant British woman is critically ill with swine flu has been transferred to Sweden for specialist treatment after suffering an extreme reaction to the potentially fatal Swine Flu virus.
The woman was admitted to Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock, Scotland with H1N1 last week, but after complications, the hospital recommended a procedure in which her blood would be circulated out of her body and oxygenated.
The Leicester unit that carries out this procedure was so full that she has been sent to Sweden.
The procedure is known as extra corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and involves a machine taking over the functions of the individuals heart and lungs.
The UK has a national ECMO unit in Leicester, however with only 5 beds all of which are taken.
A similar bed was found in Stockholm, where the woman has now arrived .
“Doctors are pleased with how she has coped with the journey, which is obviously good news, but the patient is critically ill, which is why she had to be transferred for this highly specialised procedure.
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