Jul/090
Local Governement: One in Five Local Authorities Report Growing Pressure on School Places
There are a few reasons for this but the recession seems to be the cause of most of them.
1) Parents are turning their backs on private education for their children, choosing instead to use the money they have saved up as a contingency for bills and general living costs.
2) The housing market slump has meant less people are moving house meaning a miscalculation in the size of the catchement area.
As a result, the government has announced that they are to throw £200m into the education kitty to combat this shortage. The government is set to announce £200m to overcome the shortage of places as well as a sharp rise in free school meal requests.
The LGA’s survey indicates that that 20% of councils are experiencing this pressure currently and another 13% are advising that they too will soon be experiencing the same situation.
Jun/090
Plan for Retirement
HSBC are advising people to start planning for their retirements by securing pensions.
Most young people these days don’t think about retirement, or even consider setting up pensions. But the HSBC warn that this is not the attitude to have, and that people of all ages must plan ahead or be left in crisis when they do eventually retire.
Also, research shows that the younger generation are hitting milestones later in life than previous generations, so it is even more important they think about their pensions to make sure they are adequately secure.
Jun/090
Opt In and Out of State pension schemes
Due to private insurance Schemes being better than what the state offers, the government are thinking of bringing in the option to opt out of state pensions and being able to look for your own. They are also considering the possibility that if a private insurance scheme fails, people should have the option to opt back into the state pension scheme.
Though this is causing controversy, ministers say this will minimise the ‘burden’ on employed people over the next few years.
Jun/090
Websites for Unemployment Benefits are a Scam
Sites who charge to set up unemployment benefits are a scam. These claims are filed for free, but some sites are charging fees to file these claims. It is warned that these are cons and can lead to identity theft because they ask for info such as national insurance number. The sites are advertised on Google, Yahoo and the like and you should AVOID THESE SITES AT ALL COSTS.
Jun/090
Claim Unemployment Benefits
Though more people are expected to lose their jobs, the amount of people claiming has fallen.
This has settled fears that unemployment was set to rise to 3.3million. It is now predicted that it will only reach 3million because even though the economy is improving and average earnings rose to 0.8%, there wont be that much of an improvement to lead to “a net creation of jobs” says IHS Global Insight economist Howard Archer.
Jun/090
Narcolepsy and Disability Allowance
Narcolepsy is a disorder of the brain that makes sufferers extremely sleepy during the daytime and anxious during the night time. It can even cause sleep walking. The condition can be mild, or it can be severe where it affects your everyday life.
The type of severity will depend on whether you are entitled to Disability Living Allowance.
If you are entitled to DLA, you could be entitled to other benefits such as income support, housing and council tax benefits. To see if you are entitled to any of the Benefits contact your local Citizens Advice Bureau and they will happily advise you of your rights and entitlements. Alternatively please see: Consumer Rights for further information on consumer rights.
Jun/090
No Attendance Allowance for Care Home Residents
Pensioners living in care homes are being denied any attendance allowance because decision makers are confusing NHS Nursing Care Contribution with fully funded NHS Continuing Care. Oder people who are thinking of self-funding care to get advice from the NHFA.
Jun/090
Disability Allowance Scam
A man who claimed £17,000 of disability living allowance between 1994 and 2005, and £43,000 of incapacity benefit between 1996 and 2005 has walked away from court with a suspended jail sentence. The man, who claimed that it taken him 10 minutes to walk 50 yards and suffered from limited movement, was not only a pall bearer at a funeral, he was a bowls club president and had just opened his own taxi firm.
He was convicted of six counts relating to false claims of disability living allowance and incapacity benefit.
Jun/090
Pregnant Women Receiving Child Benefit?
The Government have launched a £60million scheme to help ‘mothers-to-be’. The scheme called “Sure Start” is set to help mothers with health advice and support when baby is born. And now the Government are thinking about paying child benefit for pregnant women after their 12 week scan.
Research has shown that heavier born babies are usually cleverer and achieve more than those who are born with a low weight, and that low weight babies were more susceptible to illness later on in life.
By paying expectant mothers from their 12 week scan onwards the Government is hoping to promote healthy, balanced children and parents.
Jun/090
Child Benefit going abroad
Research shows that more and more East Europeans are receiving British Benefits, even when they are in their own country.
It is estimated that over £1million a month, of taxpayer’s money, in child benefits are going to mothers in countries like Poland. This has obviously riled the British and caused a lot of controversy over Britons paying for children who live in another country, and are highly unlikely to ever so much as visit Britain. Also, these benefits are handed out without even checking to see if the children being claimed for exist.
This is because if one of the parents is working in Britain it means that the family are entitled to benefits such as child benefits and family tax credits. Also, British Benefits are substantially higher than in Eastern Europe. Obviously, this is attracting more and more migrant workers into Britain. This and the fact that it is advertised in the Polish papers sold abroad and in Britain how easy it is to get British Benefits.
Many Poles get work through Employment agencies who have migrants on their books. These agencies advise them on how to claim benefits, and what they are entitled to. So is it any wonder that more and more British jobs are going to migrants? How ridiculous!
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