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
Unemployment figures in the UK top the 2.3 million mark
As the recession takes as strong a grip as ever, more and more firms are cutting costs in every way possible and the most effective way of doing that is of course to cut jobs. A “worse than expected” set of figures indicated that unemployment has rose by a new record 281,000 to 2.38 million, in the three months to May. The statistics released by the Office for National Statistics said.
The jobless rate increased to 7.6%, the highest in more than 10 years.
But the number of people claiming unemployment benefit increased by 23,800 in June to 1.56 million which was less than analysts had forecast.
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
MP’s Expenses – The story so far
Around the time when the fierce debate and inquiry into the Gurkhas’ rights was in full swing, the Prime Minister’s director of communications, already up to his neck dealing with requests from the media, received a phone call from The Daily Telegraph. In the very short phone call a request for a secure email direct to the Prime Minister was made. Within minutes Gordon Brown received a letter about expense claims to his inbox and it was at that moment that politics would change forever.
Information on these expense claims was released under the Freedom of Information Act in early June 2009 but for ’security reasons’ specific details of second home claims were deleted meaning that speculation and rumours started to grow and served only to fan the flames of suspicion. The worst possible cases of abusing the system would remain hidden from public view for the time being.
Despite Mr. Brown being confident that his own expense discrepancies could be fully explained, it was clear that, for his fellow MP’s who had been concerned over constant rumours about expense receipts for months now, the situation would be much grimmer.
The crucial question for him was just how many of his own MPs – and how many members of the Government – were about to be caught out.
One by one the Prime Minister received phone calls about ministers who were about to be embarrased – Hazel Blears, Alistair Darling, and Geoff Hoon were to become the focus of the “flipping” scandal. “Flipping” was the term given by The Telegraph to the way in which MP’s would change the details of their second home in order to avoid making payments on both of their homes.
In some light-hearted relief from the public’s anger over the expenses, The Telegraph reported that John Prescott – once labelled the ‘Pie Eater’ had claimed the maximum allowed for food each year and had claimed for 2 toilet seats to be repaired in the space of two years.
Other news stories began creeping onto our screens as the expenses scandal showed small signs of abating but it wasn’t to last. The Telegraph hit us with the Justice Minister Shahid Malik’s receipts for £66,000 on his second home while renting a consituancy home of a crook. Malik appeared on Sky News to protest his innocence claiming he was “one million per cent” within the boundaries of the rules but Gordon Brown had already made up his mind – he had to go.
YOU the consumer/tax payer are footing the bill. The story continues…
Jun/090
Unemployment reaches seven-year high
UK unemployment is continuing to rise - climbing by 27,000 to 1.71 million in the three months to September, the highest level in seven years.
The jobless rate rose to 5.6%, up from 5.5% in the previous quarter, the Office for National Statistics said.
The number of people out of work and claiming Jobseekers Allowance rose by 1,200 in October to 961,300.
Average earnings grew by 3.9% in the year to September, down from 4.2% in the previous month.
Other Office for National Statistics (ONS) data showed that that 141,000 people were made redundant in quarter, up by 3,000 from the previous three months.
Jun/090
Unemployed Made to Work for Benefits?
Unemployed people will be forced to work for their benefits, as part of welfare reforms unveiled by Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell.
He told MPs that from now on, the longer people claimed, the more the state would expect in return.
The Welfare Green Paper includes plans to scrap Incapacity Benefit and make those jobless for more than two years work full-time in the community.
The Tories back the plans, saying many of the ideas were theirs first.
This shake-up will apply to all 4.5 million people on out-of-work benefits, but is expected to impact most on those on Jobseekers Allowance.
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