Unemployment UK-Welfare Benefits & Job Search: Owen Smith New Shadow Secretery for Work and Pensi...

Unemployment UK-Welfare Benefits & Job Search: Owen Smith New Shadow Secretery for Work and Pensi...: Owen Smith MP as Welsh Secretary He is a clear speaker and appears to be a Down to Earth speaker. With an interest in Low pay even in th...

Child Tax Credit (CTC) and Working Tax Credit (WTC) U.K vote facts and opinion

Child Tax Credit (CTC) and Working Tax Credit (WTC) 

Child Tax Credit (CTC) and Working Tax Credit (WTC) replaced Working Families’ Tax Credit, Disabled Person’s Tax Credit and Children’s Tax Credit in April 2003. CTC brings together income related support for children and for qualifying young people aged 16-19 who are in full time non-advanced education or approved training into a single tax credit, payable to the main carer. Families can claim whether or not the adults are in work.

WTC 

provides in work support for people on low incomes, with or without children. A family will normally be eligible for WTC if it contains one of the following:

• a single person who is responsible for a child or young person and works at least 16 hours a week
• a couple who are responsible for a child or young person, and who jointly work 24 hours or more per week (NB one adult must be working at least 16 hours)
• a person who is receiving or has recently received a qualifying sickness or disability related benefit and has a disability that puts them at a disadvantage of getting a job, and who works at least 16 hours per week
• a person is aged 60 or over and works at least 16 hours per week

If none of the above applies, then a person will still be eligible for WTC if they are aged 25 and over and work 30 hours or more a week. Tax credits are based on household circumstances and can be claimed jointly by members of a couple, or by singles. Entitlement is based on factors such as: age, income, hours worked, number and age of children, childcare costs and disabilities. MPs have backed government plans to cut spending on tax credits in the face of opposition from Labour and the SNP. The Commons approved plans to lower the earnings level above which tax credits are withdrawn from £6,420 to £3,850 and speed up the rate at which the benefit is lost as pay rises by 35 votes. Ministers say the move, estimated to save £4.4bn, is part of wider plans to raise pay and incentivise work.     Tax Credit applies to Working familes But Labour say it is an "ideological attack" on working families. The curbs on tax credits were announced in Chancellor George Osborne's post-election Budget in June. During a 90-minute debate in the Commons, the opposition claimed three million families face losing an average of £1,000 a year from next April. But ministers said the tax credit system had, for too long, been used to subsidise low pay and the changes would bring total expenditure on tax credits back down to more sustainable levels seen in 2007-8. 'Cynical' MPs backed a motion enacting the changes by 325 votes to 290.

Treasury minister Damian Hinds said eight out of 10 households would be better off by 2018-9 as a result of measures announced in the Budget to introduce a national living wage, further increase the personal tax allowance and extend childcare subsidies. "For too long in this country, low pay has been addressed not by genuine reform and driving productivity but by subsidising the tax credit system," he said. "The changes introduced in this order will build on the last parliament's reforms and return real-terms tax credit spending to the level it was in 2007-08 - a decade into the tenure into the government of the Labour Party." But Labour's Seema Malhotra said the changes were being "sneaked through the back door". "This is a political decision made by the chancellor that is set to see over three million families lose an average of £1,000 a year," the shadow Treasury minister said. "It is ideologically driven, it is cynical and it will directly increase levels of poverty in Britain." "It is part of an ongoing attack on the incomes of some of the most hard working families in our constituencies - those very strivers the chancellor purported to support."

Eligibility The calculator

Send tax credit renewal forms to HMRC’s Netherton office.

HM Revenue and Customs - Tax Credit Office

Comben HouseFarriers WayNethertonL75 1AXUnited Kingdom

Send changes of name or address, or complaints, to HMRC’s Preston office. Make it clear why you’re writing. For example, write ‘change of circumstances’ or ‘complaint’ at the top of your letter. You do not need to include a street name or PO box.

HM Revenue and Customs - Tax Credit Office

Preston PR1 4AT 
United Kingdom

Send new tax credits claims to HMRC’s Liverpool office. You do not need to include a street name or PO box.

HM Revenue and Customs - Tax Credit Office

Liverpool L75 1AZ
United Kingdom

Reality opinion

  Source

The challenge politically is that Working Families Tax Credit's keeps many families above the basic poverty line. For many the change will take families on low incomes into a poverty
With Utility costs rising above inflation and employers saying the market will not allow them to increase pay for staff the Tax Credit system has become a key solution. As the Tax credit system has an element connected to child care this will have to be factored into the decisions on Employment. This is likely to hit many families on lower incomes particularly the Younger families that will struggle

Owen Smith New Shadow Secretery for Work and Pensions

Owen Smith MP as Welsh Secretary He is a clear speaker and appears to be a Down to Earth speaker. With an interest in Low pay even in this video
The page on his web site shows he has a background representing a poorer constituency. Ideal for defending the U.K against Welfare Reform. His new boss Jeremy made it clear that Welfare is a key issue the Labour Party will be active in so Owen knows this is an important post that the party will be measured by.  
Directly from the New Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary
"Thanks to everyone who has written to me on the Welfare Bill vote. I thought I would respond at some length with the facts of what happened and the reason why I voted as I did. Firstly, to be clear, Labour DID vote against the Welfare and Work Bill. There were two votes on Monday night. The first was a vote for or against Labour’s ‘Reasoned Amendment’ which explained some of our objections to the Bill and ‘Declined to give the Bill a Second Reading’ – that is arcane Parliamentary language for opposing the Bill. If that vote had been won then the Bill would have been defeated and the Government would have had to withdraw it.
The second vote, once we had lost ours, was a catch-all vote on whether the Bill should go on to the next stage of scrutiny and challenge – the Committee Stage and then Third Reading.
On that vote the decision taken by Harriet Harman, our interim leader, was that Labour should abstain.
 The reasoning for that was that there are some things in the Bill we agree with, for example, a new duty on Ministers to create and monitor high quality apprenticeships and a cut to social housing rents in England. I disagreed with that decision, and argued in Shadow Cabinet that there is far more in the Bill to object to than we might support. Along with Andy Burnham and others, I said that we should table a reasoned amendment, to detail our opposition to the Bill but, if that fell, we should also vote against at the second vote. However, that was not the position that Harriet took and the leadership’s decision was to abstain. That left me and others in the Shadow Cabinet with the choice whether to resign our positions to vote against the party in whose name, and on whose manifesto we were elected, or to be loyal to the leader and abide by her decision and the rules of collective responsibility.
 I clearly took the decision to do the latter. I did so for three reasons:
 1. I believe that integrity is important in politics, as in all things. I was elected as a Labour representative, not as an independent delegate, and the leader of Labour sets our position.
2. Had anyone from the Shadow Cabinet resigned, the split in the Labour party would have been horrendous, massively damaging our ability to take the fight – on this Bill and on the many other pernicious measures that we will face over the next five years – to the real enemy: the Tories.
3. The Bill would still not have been defeated with my vote – or, indeed, the votes of every Labour MP.
The Tories won the election, they have a majority, even if every opposition party in the House of Commons banded together against them.
And, as a back bencher, I would have had less chance to influence the policy of the Labour Party – the only party that can defeat the Tories in the next election and give us a chance of implementing progressive politics in Britain.
 The only people who would have benefit from such a massive split in the Labour Party are the Tories, Nationalists, Lib Dems and UKIP, parties who want to see Labour defeated. People do not vote for divided parties, as a rule – as the Tories illustrated over Europe in the 1990s – and every year out of power for Labour is another year of increased hardship for our communities here in Pontypridd and across the UK. Nye Bevan was right when he said that we have to win power if we are to be any real use to our constituents.
 They don’t just want protest, they want us to wield power on their behalf and to make a better society and a fairer economy.
We can’t do that from Opposition. But that does not mean that we cannot and will not protest against injustice when we see it in opposition.
That is why we spent much of the last five years arguing against the Bedroom Tax, low wages, cuts to disability benefits, corporate tax dodging etc. That is why Labour’s manifesto proposed not to slash 12 billion from social security spending, to increase taxes on unearned wealth and the highest incomes. And it is why Labour will continue to oppose the current Welfare Bill, word by word and line by line, at Committee stage and, unless there are massive improvements made to it (reinstating the Child Poverty targets, scrapping this awful 2-child policy etc) we will vote against it at Third Reading.
Andy Burnham, who I am supporting to be leader of the party, has made that clear, and I will be supporting him wholeheartedly in opposing the bill when we get to those crucial votes in the Autumn.
The process of opposing the Bill at Committee Stage has already started – though it will not get the headlines that Monday night’s votes did. We have already tabled amendments which seek to • Prevent the Government abolishing the targets for reducing child poverty. • Stop the 4 year freeze of Tax Credits • Change the 2 child policy These amendments, and many others fundamental changes, would have to be made to the Bill or I will be voting against it.
Now that may not be enough of an explanation, nor sufficient opposition for some, but it is an honest reflection of what happened last week from my perspective and a sincere pledge that I will continue to vote against the Bill, and fight for a Labour victory in 2020.

Jeremy Corbyn Welfare Reform

 Jeremy Corbyn has become the Labour party leader What is his track record prior to the General Election 2015? How will his leadership touch the lives of the Poor within the U.K? Jeremy is a North London M.P since 1983 as Islington North with an interest in Social issues.

 His former leader voted for it. Jeremy has made it clear his views on the Welfare Reform process as well as the Media. He points out that if Rent levels are capped then the Housing Benefit expenditure is reduced Jeremy points out that Child Poverty and Homelessness has increased in the last 5 years. He points out that there is a need for a fundamental change in direction over Welfare 

Jeremy responds to the Budget 

Jeremy Highlights Osbourne's Welfare Bill issue. As he rightly points out there are many countries that have no Welfare for their citizens. Jeremy seeks a budget where the plan is to eliminate austerities Jeremy regarding the last Budget as an attack on young people

 He commented on the 3 child policy which he feels is an attack on young people

 " What is is that the Conservative Party have got against the Young people of this country" 2/3 of Lindoners on Tax Credits are working He points out that much of the money involved in the Benefit cap goes into Private Landlords hands. The low income subsidies like Tax Credit's are often handed out due to low wages paid by employers.

From the Unemployed viewpoint-

There is more likely to be more of a defence of the poorest in society. The responce to the budget makes that clear.

Under Labour at the first test of the Bill M.P's were invited to vote alongside the Conservatives. Jeremy voted against. Indeed the media have made it clear that he was and isnt popular amongst the career politicians. Many of these politicians on the Shadow cabinet resigned despite the clear mandate that Jeremy was provided. 

I like many seek a different form of politics. Not the M.P's who are trained by their party in what they should say and those that just toe the party line.....But those that like Jeremy who engage and listen to their constituents and stand up for the belief rather than the 

Jobcentre or Job seeker Pastors

Introduction

A visit to a DWP Job Centre can be a depressing experience. There is little in the way of Pastoral support. Indeed if a Job seeker is Sanctioned there is little signposting support. Should that worry us? Yes
At a very basic level attending a Job centre is not a pleasent experience. In most cases it will be undertaken on a fortnightly basis. The staff at a Jobcentre have a very limited time for each job seeker.
A job seeker is required to sign a Job seeker agreement to obtain benefit money. If they do not undertake the requirements of the agreement then this can cause issue.

Why is there a need for Job Centre or Job Seeker Pastors

DWP statistics indicate that sanctions are placed on many JSA and ESA claiments. Job seekers find the sanctions system a tough system. If you have been informed that you have lost Welfare Benefit payments for a period of 12 weeks you may easily face feelings of despair. You may need to find a listening ear

Statistics show that Sanctions are a common issue throughout the U.K. DWP do not have the time or the manpower to support, guide or signpost attendees and listen to the issues.
At the time of writing this post there is little support for Job seekers in terms of online support, signposting or information on community support.

The Street Pastor movement set up a number of years has reached out to communities throughout the U.K. They have been a visible presence of the local Town Centre engaging with late night drinkers reducing the numbers of Police hours spent simply listening to those facing challenges.
Local Church volunteers patrol cities on a Friday and Saturday night and engage with many...often just a listening ear.

A listening ear with leaflets and support information may make a massive difference to so many accessing a Job centre in your area.

Here is a quote from a Linked in article highlighting the issues that are faced.

A recent Linkedin article from a Support manager tells a story

"Tenant visited JCP on a Friday, the systems were down and he was advised to call back Monday or use his own PC to make a claim on line. Claimant advised he did not have his “own” PC. He attempted to use the JCP telephone but the systems were unavailable. He left the building and was asked to return Monday. 
My advisor actually made the hour long claim using company telephone on the Friday, to prevent a delay in claim. 

The interview at JCP 
• The interview took over 1 hour, mainly as the start of the interview involved the advisor taking copies of identification, stamping every page of the telephone transcript, and asking the claimant to sign every page. 
• The claimant was not directly asked Tier 1 or Tier 2 questions. 
• An APA was explained but never offered. 
• The claimant was asked who the landlord was but not asked if there were current rent arrears, and was not advised to supply a copy of the tenancy agreement/rent statement. 
• The telephone number was given to the claimant for a budgeting advance, but the claimant was told he could not apply for one for at least 24 hours. *
• It was very much like a JSA interview but with contracts drawn up. 

Other points of interest: 
• The JCP advisor only has read only access to the UC claim account, ALL changes have to be made by ringing the service centre ( even small changes i.e. telephone numbers)* 
• Sanctions were briefly explained 
• The JCP coach has no access to payment information, dates or amounts, this is all done by ringing the service centre. (if the coach/advisor can get through). *

* These are areas where a Tenant can be let down by DWP and feel frustrated
This gives you an example of the challenge and indication of the needs

How 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1525809011042796/
A group page has been set up to encourage discussion of the concept and for people to share the idea of the Pastors with each other.
From my experience 30 mins or more  outside a local job centre can make a difference. Engagement can make a massive difference

Is this a concept that might work in your area?
Is it a concept that your local Church could pray into and discuss

Unemployment stats June 2015

Information on images taken from Research Breifing Universal Credit stats are now appearing in research document pdf file. Sadly ONS has stopped producing some of the information as they used to in their easily digestable format. The 18-24 group information now takes more research but the stats are available for all areas for those that are keen to obtain this       The ONS used to produce a video each month however the figures are still available in this picture format. One area that I have noticed is that the area of the NEET group is no longer highlighted   Researched by John FairestAIEP    

The employment rate in the United Kingdom, for the 3 months ending April 2015, was highest in the South West (77.3%) and lowest in Northern Ireland (68.4%). The employment rate estimates are showing a mix of increases and decreases across the regions and countries of the UK.

• The unemployment rate in the United Kingdom, for the 3 months ending April 2015, was highest in the North East (7.4%) and lowest in the South East (4.1%). All regions are showing decreases in the unemployment rate compared with a year ago.

• The inactivity rate in the United Kingdom, for the 3 months ending April 2015, was highest in Northern Ireland (27.0%) and lowest in the South West (19.2%). A year ago, the lowest inactivity rate in the UK was in the South East (19.7%).

• The Claimant Count rate in the United Kingdom, for May 2015, was highest in Northern Ireland (4.8%) and lowest in the South East (1.2%). The Claimant Count for May 2015 compared with April 2015, is showing decreases or no change in the count across all regions of the UK, except the North West, for men, and the North West and Wales, for women.

• The largest increase in workforce jobs, in the United Kingdom, for the 3 month period ending March 2015, was in the West Midlands, at 40,000. The largest decrease was in the South East, at 32,000.

• The highest proportion of workforce jobs in the service sector was in London, at 91.7%, which is a decrease of 0.2 percentage points from the previous quarter. The East Midlands had the highest proportion of jobs in the production sector, at 13.8%, which has increased by 0.2 percentage points from the previous quarter.

• The highest average actual weekly hours worked, for the twelve months ending December 2014, were in London, at 33.6 hours and lowest in the South West, at 31.2 hours. For full time workers, it was highest in London, at 38.3 hours and for part time workers it was highest in Northern Ireland, at 17.8 hours.

Cameron Government intro

 Its  all about  Welfare Change. The changes that  may well effect are those on Universal Credit, JSA Youth Contract, Esa Disability benefits and Industrial Accident   David Cameron the prime minister showed the cameras the manifesto. He refers to the manifesto and you can see some of the relevant comments here.

The Conservative Party Manifesto -Promises ahead on Jobs

key slogan-Full employment

"A job is the best way to provide security for families"

Introduction

Following the election of the Conservative Party to power within the Uk. the Key phrase used within their Manifesto has been "Full Employment" not underemployment or Unemployment.   In this Post I have Quoted the Partie's manifesto

We will boost apprenticeships and help you secure a good job We have already delivered 2.2 million new apprenticeships over the last five years. Over the next five years, we will deliver three million more and ensure they deliver the skills employers need.
 We aim to achieve full employment in the UK, with the highest employment rate in the G7, and we will help businesses create two million jobs over the Parliament. We have abolished the jobs tax – employers' National Insurance contributions (NICs) – for the under 21s and next year we will do the same for young apprentices under 25.
We will continue to help smaller businesses take on new workers through the Employment Allowance, which frees businesses from the first £2,000 of employers’ NICs so that a third of employers pay no jobs tax.

"Our plan will help to generate jobs and higher wages for everybody"

Youth & NEET's

Jobcentre Plus advisers will work with schools and colleges to supplement careers advice and provide routes into work experience and apprenticeships. But it is not fair – on taxpayers, or on young people themselves that 18-21 year-olds with no work experience should slip straight into a life on benefits without first contributing to their community. So we will introduce tougher






Day One Work Requirements for young people claiming out-of-work benefits. We will replace the Jobseeker’s Allowance for 18-21 year-olds with a Youth Allowance that will be time-limited to six months, after which young people will have to take an apprenticeship, a traineeship or do daily community work for their benefits


. It is also not fair that taxpayers should have to pay for 18-21 year-olds on Jobseeker’s Allowance to claim Housing Benefit in order to leave home. So we will ensure that they no longer have an automatic entitlement to Housing Benefit We will fight for equal opportunity for Disabled Last year alone, 140,000 disabled people found work. But the jobless rate for this group remains too high and, as part of our objective to achieve full employment, we will aim to halve the disability employment gap: we will transform policy, practice and public attitudes, so that hundreds of thousands more disabled people who can and want to be in work find employment. We now have more women-led businesses than ever before, more women in work than ever before and more women on FTSE 100 boards than ever before. We want to see full, genuine gender equality. The gender pay gap is the lowest on record, but we want to reduce it further and will push business to do so: we will require companies with more than 250 employees to publish the difference between the average pay of their male and female employees.

NEET U.K Parent-support

 NEET-Parental-support

As a parent or family member of a Young Unemployed person you may find it challenging. Not only is it a difficult age but many struggle with a sense of hopelessness.  As a parent you may have the structure of your work and find it challenging that your child enthusiasm, motivation and focus may be lacking. The lack of success in Job search success may be frustrating.

Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET)

What does NEET stand for? It stands for Not in Employment Education or Training.  A Job seeker who will normally be between 16-24, by definition have left school, Not all unemployed 16-24 year olds are NEET and not all people who are NEET are unemployed. 61% of unemployed 16-24 year olds are NEET, the remaining 39% are in education or training. 47% of people who are NEET are unemployed, the rest are economically inactive: not seeking work and/or not available to start work.
In England, the regions with the highest proportion of 16-24 year olds who are NEET are the North East, Yorkshire & Humber, and West Midlands.

Characteristics of people who are NEET  Key characteristics of people who are NEET

Are more Boys Neets or girls?   The difference is clearly marginal The Longitudinal Study of Young People in England4 gives some more detailed information on characteristics of young people who were NEET and aged 19 in 2010. Young people who have achieved five or more GCSEs grade A to C are less likely to be NEET than those who have not. Those eligible for free school meals are more likely to be NEET than those not eligible. Those who have been excluded or suspended from school are more likely to be NEET than those who have not. Those with their own child are more likely to be NEET than those without. Those who have a disability are more likely to be NEET than those who do not

Is your child alone

The stats indicate No

• For October to December 2014 there were 963,000 young people (aged from 16 to 24) in the UK who were Not in Education, Employment or Training (NEET), an increase of 9,000 on July to September 2014 and down 78,000 from a year earlier.
• For October to December 2014 the percentage of all young people in the UK who were NEET was 13.2%, up 0.2 percentage points on July to September 2014 and down 1.0 percentage point from a year earlier.
• For October to December 2014 just under half (47%) of all young people in the UK who were NEET were looking for work and available for work and therefore classified as unemployed. The remainder were either not looking for work and/or not available for work and therefore classified as economically inactive.

A NEET Youth Playlist NEET is an International term

Youth Contract measures are outlined below:

1. Apprenticeship Grant for Employers of 16-24 year olds (AGE 16-24): Payments of £1,500 are available to employers with less than 50 employees that take on young apprentices.
2. Work experience: Placements are available through Jobcentre Plus for 18-24 year olds who have been claiming JSA for at least 13 weeks.
 3. Support for 16 and 17 year olds who are NEET: Payments of £2,200 are made to providers who take on 16 and 17 year olds who are not in education, employment or training and who have low or no qualifications, and those from other disadvantaged backgrounds.
4. Sector-based work academies: Some 18-24 old JSA claimants will be offered a mixture of training, work experience, and a job interview at a local firm through Jobcentre Plus.
5.Extra support at Jobcentre Plus: 18-24 year old JSA claimants are intended to have weekly rather fortnightly signing on meetings at the Jobcentre Plus.
6. Funding for localised Youth Contracts: Localised Youth Contracts are available in Leeds City Region, Liverpool and Newcastle. The cities designed their own local schemes using national funding. Wage incentives: Payments of up to £2,275 were available to employers who employ young people (aged 18-24) who have been claiming JSA for over six months. Payments were made after 26 weeks of employment, although partial payments were available to small firms and employers where employees left between

Example of Solutions

A course that involves Sales and Marketing qualification which has Youth worker involvement can be seen here. What is there in your area.

Facebook Page

Inspiration and motivational stories from famous Job seekers

Most Jobseekers find themselves discouraged and in need of motivation.

The Stories you find below I hope will encourage and #motivate you.

Why not share this with someone you know what is searching and having a hard time of it.

The article was featured on The Guardian

To the million jobseekers out there, I'm imagining you're on your sofa, lying on your face, lifting your head for the occasional perusal of a still-empty inbox – an understandable reaction to the crushing despair of unemployment.

It doesn't help to see dismal employment figures, commentary on why the younger generation is doomed, and absolutely nothing to make you feel better about it.

So I'd like to attempt a short-term remedy, a mixture of inspiration and schadenfreude – five down-and-out jobseekers who clawed their way to the top.

5. Ricky Gervais

Gervais was a failed pop star and an unsuccessful manager long before he was a super successful writer, director and actor. At university he couldn't afford two types of soap – he had to choose between washing his clothes or himself (in the end he did both; Daz, he informs us, is "quite a good exfoliate").

In his 30s he landed a job at the radio station XFM, where he realised he didn't understand radio and hired Stephen Merchant to "do all the boring stuff". In 1998, they were both made redundant.

Luckily, Merchant cast Gervais in a short film about a "seedy boss" for a BBC production course, which we now know as The Office. It became the most successful British sitcom ever.

4. Jim Carrey

The Canadian funnyman was a high school dropout, working as a janitor and security guard to help pay the family bills. They lost their home and were forced to live in a van. He then moved to LA to struggle on the stand-up comedy scene before going into the out-of-work-actor business.

While, yes, it sucks to get rejected with the robotic line, "Due to the high volume of applications…", at least most of us don't have to spend weeks watching the guy who got the job beam at you from the side of a hundred buses. Before Carrey got his big break on the TV sketch comedy show In Living Color, he was rejected from leading roles in Saturday Night Live, Sixteen Candles, Bachelor Party, Legend,Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Back to School and Edward Scissorhands.

But it was worth the wait. Now, aged 52, he's estimated to be worth $20mn.

3. Walt Disney

The man behind children's stories had a rough time on his way to billionaire status. When he dropped out of high school at 16 to enlist in the army during the first world war, he was rejected for being too young. At 18, he started drawing political caricatures, but they didn't catch on and he was fired by his editor because he "lacked imagination and had no good ideas".

Disney started a business with a cartoonist, and it failed, as did his second business. In fact, he went bankrupt five times before he found success with Disneyland, which was also rejected by the city of Anaheim, Orange County, because it would "only attract riffraff". At one point Disney was so skint he survived on dog food.

He also faced a lot of ridicule. His project of turning Snow White into a feature-length animation, was called "Disney's folly". He even ran out of funding during production, and had to show loan officers a rough cut to secure enough cash to finish it.

His pitch for the much-loved character of Mickey Mouse was rejected too – he was told it would never work because a giant mouse on the screen would "terrify women". Despite enduring rejection and ridicule, between 1932 and 1969 Disney won 22 Academy Awards and was nominated 59 times – more than anyone else in history.

2. JK Rowling

Rowling wrote the first Harry Potter novel at rock bottom: "I was jobless, a lone parent, and as poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain, without being homeless." She survived on benefits, sometimes going without dinner so she could feed her children.

The first manuscript was rejected by 12 publishers. The 13th publisher accepted it at the behest of the only person it seems had actually bothered to read it – the chief executive's eight-year-old daughter.

The books did rather well, and Rowling was the first female novelist to become a billionaire – although now, after a spate of charitable giving, she's back to being a humble millionaire.

1. Abraham Lincoln

In his book, Emotional Equations, Chip Conley notes how Abraham Lincoln had a rough time too, almost drowning, losing his mother when aged nine, his fiancée and sister when he was 26 – not to mention getting malaria, syphilis, smallpox, and kicked in the head by a horse.

Lincoln failed in business aged 21. Two years later he ran for state legislature, lost his job and was rejected from law school. He bounced back and started a business on borrowed money, but was bankrupt within a year.

At 28, he was defeated as a speaker of the state legislature. He ran for the US House of Representatives and lost at age 33. He tried again at age 39, and lost. Not to worry – at age 45 he ran for the US Senate and lost again. He also lost when he ran for his party's vice presidential nomination at age 47. And again at the US Senate at age 49. But at the age of 51, he became the president of the US.

So, how's your job hunt going?

It may seem like these superhumans, these titans in their field, these "absolute legends" are nothing like the young people of today, who seem to be educated to the eyeballs but lack opportunities. But if we can learn anything from their stories, it's not that success comes from sending as many CVs and cover letters as you can in a day. It's identify what you love, then bang away at it like a relentless idiot until something brilliant happens.

Select committee DWP recommendations

 Benefit sanctions policy beyond the Oakley Review

Sanctions

The two specific areas that Sanctions normally relate to are JSA  ( Job Seekers Allowance ) and ESA (Employment Support Allowance) Though Universal Credit may also feature as time evolves

Lower Level Sanctions

Higher Level Sanctions
     

Categories of JSA “sanction”
The Select Committee". We recommend that DWP make a clear distinction—in its processes, its communications with claimants, and in the official data—between claimants who are not meeting the underlying conditions of entitlement, in particular those who are genuinely “not actively seeking employment” and may therefore be abusing the system, and those who have not fully complied with the precise terms of a Claimant Commitment. At the moment, both receive the same penalty.  We recommend that the Government confirm the steps it has taken to ensure that suspensions of JSA payments where the JCP Work Coach believes that the claimant has not been “actively seeking employment” do not occur before good reason can be considered, and a decision made, by a Decision Maker detached from the employment support process. DWP should set out the steps it has taken to address this issue, to provide assurance that the newly instituted procedure of making decisions in these circumstances within two days of referral is sufficiently robust to ensure that the decision has in fact been made, and the claimant notified, before the JSA payment is suspended. We also believe that notification should be by either written or telephone communication, depending on the claimant’s preferences as previously expressed to JCP staff when signing the Claimant Commitment, or subsequent to this. Review of the legislative framework for sanctioning Given the complexity of the existing legislation, there is a strong case for a review of the underpinning legislative framework for conditionality and sanctions, to ensure that the basis for sanctioning is clearly defined, and safeguards to protect vulnerable groups clearly set out. We recommend that the clarity and coherence of the legislative framework for benefit sanctions policy be included in the terms of reference of the full independent review which we have recommended.
Use of Jobseeker Directions
We note the concern expressed by some witnesses that use of Jobseeker Directions has increased in some JCP offices in recent years. While we appreciate that there may be circumstances in which it might be appropriate for JCP staff to mandate a JSA claimant to undertake a very specific type of work-related activity, such as particular skills training, it is not immediately clear why such activities could not invariably be included in Claimant commitments. Intuitively we would expect there to be minimal, if any, use made of Jobseeker Directions, as the Claimant  Commitment becomes more firmly established. We recommend that DWP’s evaluation of the Claimant Commitment include an assessment of the appropriate use of Jobseeker Directions and their interaction with the Claimant Commitment process.
  ESA sanctioning
Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) is a relatively new benefit; it was introduced in 2008 as a replacement for incapacity benefits (IB), for unemployed people with long-term health conditions and disabilities. ESA claimants considered to have “limited capability for work”, but with the capability to undertake “work-related activity” and considered to have a reasonable prospect of being able to work in the future, can be placed in the ESA Work-related Activity Group (ESA WRAG). These claimants are subject to a more limited range of conditionality than JSA claimants—attendance at mandatory  work-focused interviews at JCP and/or mandatory participation in the Work Programme

Unemployment Kensington North South divide

U.K diversity- 2 Kensington's

The Guardian has recorded this rather interesting study of 2 kensington's

Yes there is more than 1 Kensington. Most of us are aware of the traditional Kensington in London. Yet as you look at the frame you see in the picture here you cannot picture where this could be in Kensington, London

Kensington Liverpool is the complete opposite of the U.K spectrum in terms of Income and wealth.
The Students rooms from £60 we see advertised in the Liverpool Kensington are unlikely to be visible in London.
The observation that Liverpool's local Jobcentre looked like a prison with it's barbed wire made me reflect on the view that many job seekers have. The Jobcentre isn't where people look for support but more as a test of endurance.With an average 30% of the Liverpool's area of Kensington being on out of work benefits The fact that there wasn't a Job centre anywhere the London Kensington spoke volumes. The unemployment rate in London's Kensington was 2.9%

There is a difference of £44.000 in the average salary between the two areas.
Child poverty rates stand out even more with the number of children in poverty in London being less than 5% and yet the Northern % is 45.8%

The ownership of the London Kensington is changing though as the Property ownership of the capital continues to change.

The community spirit  appears to be strong within Liverpool. Community resources and need become a key feature. Liverpool and it's weaker economy become clearer with it's expectancy from the politicians. Can they save the community resource of Sure Start?

Both areas do have a common theme. Multi -culturalism is a common theme indicated by the film.
This is a common aspect of Britain today.

As the presenter says Austerity and equality become a cliche. Austerity has become an issue for those on the lowest incomes. The lack of opportunity and funding is relevant to the North.

The Southern issue could be the Mansion Tax concept with people considering moving out of their properties to avoid larger bills. The rise in property values is a concern to those that have lived in the area for a lengthy time.
As we approach the Election what changes will occur in Kensington

Ladywood- Worst affected area for unemployment

Ladywood

Ladywood has previously been highlighted in 2011 as an area of unemployment.
This picture highlights the stats
The video that you see highlights the historical issue between 2005 -2012

Birmingham stood out as the four top regions worst affected.
In this article I look at other stats connected to Ladywood in terms of local population including skill base, education and employment

Ladywood stats 

Watch the video and watch the figures change to get a clear picture of the area

Do claimants really want work . Well it's worth looking at the figures

Ladywood labour supply stats for 2011

Here you can see the supply of labour in comparison to regional and Nationally

Labour supply in 2011

How does the labour stats look in terms of occupation. Look at the % in relation the the National %'s

What about the stats today

Compare this to your area on the NEET category. We have reviewed the figures over a period of time

Birmingham has seen changes and you can see an overview of the stats for the area.

Sadly the worst affected area is no longer featured on this
Sanctions figures area featured here for Birmingham

Training courses in U.K

DWP Training Provision

DWP for many years has sent Job seekers on training courses to boost their C.V's  but also to create employability options

The more common training courses have included

• Basic Food Hygiene Course
• Manual Handling
• First Aid

Many have been encouraged to check out Safeguarding and other related training courses. Often this was purely to put something on a CV

This used to take some planning to get these qualifications. Often they were not accessible.

However, the provider's market has changed. 

Providers

I was contacted by David Stephenson this week. He is a Director at the Digital College

His company produce many of the key courses that DWP required recently and allow for the claimant to undertake the training through the internet. No longer is there a requirement to attend a building at a set time for training. The internet allows the Job seeker real options

The internet is opening many doors allowing us to provide training support through the internet. 

Be Inspired's Managing Director Lisa Duffy also shared with me the work that her company is doing. Be Inspired is working with clients to provide them with solutions that overcome barriers 

Having identified many of the issues that we have featured on our site's she has like ourselves provided individuals with assessed solutions. 

The services her company provides are services that many really keen Job seekers will welcome.

As a job seeker in the U.K if you need help you need to ask. So that we can provide you with some solutions

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DWP Minister Esther McVey Employment Minsiter: grilling by the Select Committee over Sanctions pt1

Current DWP Minister Esther McVey receiving a grilling from the Select Committee of MPs chaired by Dame Anne Begg. A comical performance; McVey's rambling did not answer one question put to her, she didn't know figures asked of her, and denied evidence of DWP staff being harassed into sanctions targets

Impact questions were repeatedly asked of the Minister from as early as the first 5mins of the review
no evidence was offered of any success. I have included aproximate timings of comments throughout this video- so specific comments and questions can be followed in context.

DWP Punitive Sanctions

DWP Sanctions are described as punitive in this committee. by both Dame Anne Begg Chair of the Work and pensions Committee.
13:00-No research has been undertaken on the effects on Sanction on claimants own ability to survive

Advisors had made it clear that there was a culture of targeting the vulnerable with sanctions. This is shown in this cjss article.

15:50 -No support is really offered to sanctioned claimants.
17:11 mins-Sharon Gilmore indicates that many step back from the job search to deal with the finances. She felt that the claimants were treated like naughty children

DWP Communications

Some claimants often only found out that they had been sanctioned through checking their bank accounts.
The committee continues to question as to how the Sanctions are being reviewed and how the success is being checked and there is clear indication of avoidance of the issue. No evidence of defence is provided by the department

22:00 - No evaluation or review  is planned of the Sanction system
35:00- Esther McVey states you cannot have a Welfare Benefit system without a punitive Sanction based system based on International evidence
37-38 Esther answers a question from Teresa Pearce indicating that although there is a Destination survey her department is unclear as to how many have gone into work due to sanctions and how many have just changed benefits.

Welfare benefit witheld

41:00- Debbie Abrahams asks about the money withheld from claimants. rising from 2010-2011 at 45 million to 60 million in 2011-12. esther indicates that Stephen Timms requst for further information has been turned down as the stats aren't accurate as they do not include Hardship benefits. This has led to the statisticians decision not to reveal more information.

Universal Credit

Debbie's constituency includes Oldham that has seen the introduction of Universal Credit in recent times.
43:00- Debbie indicates that  £275 million has been witheld. A minute later Debbie refers Esther to Universal Credit conditionality. The Sanction issues related to in work sanctions on low pay.
Esther then indicates that there will be conditionality on the Universal Credit payments including
Requirements to reach a certain Threshold of income -£11.000 -Promotion, training etc....A random control pilot....

Linkedin

Linkedin

Linkedin

Linkedin really didn't appeal to me initially.Until I saw it's potential. Linkedin allows you to share who you are and what you about almost as if you were in the same room with other key people. You can share your CV and what makes you tick with others. You can join groups and read about what is really going on and ask the questions that you want to ask in a way that you cannot within all the other forms of social media. In many ways its more open than a website and more approachable than calling a company as you might have done some years ago If you are looking for work in a certain industry it's a great solution to look at the Recruitment within the industry and to see what the decision makers are saying within that sector. There is a Privacy option however, there is a great opportunity as a Job seeker to promote yourself.

Talk about your Passion

An excellent way of using Linkedin without being pushy. Wise words on personal marketing

The Linkedin profile

The Linkedin profile provides an excellent opportunity to allow recruiters and potential employers to see your CV, Employment history, Interests and your ability to put your Skills and knowledge across without having to push. Instead contribute.  

 Linkedin Posts

Linkedin Posts

Linkedin Posts[/caption] Linkedin Posts are an opportunity to share your skills and knowledge on a subject that you might be passionate. Keep it relevant. Think before you post. maybe its worth seeing what others think of your posts As I write this page I regard myself as something of a novice on Linkedin, so my views and experience is limited. However, I feel that it's worth looking at .

Skills and Endorsements

LinkedIn provides the opportunity for others to endorse you. To vouch for you. Almost like a reference. This is a particularly usefull tool for Recruiters and employers. You can choose those key words and others can endorse you. In today's employment market that is an effective resource.

More people need to get better paid Jobs

Following the arrival of the Labour Parties material arriving on my doorstep I heard- More people need to get better paid Jobs.

This has led me to reflect on the video and the Unemployment stats this month.

yes there is a need but the training provided for the future also needs to meet the skill gaps.

so that more people find the better paid Jobs

More People need to get better paid jobs

A statement made at the end of this video highlights a key issue within the U.K .
The reality is that the Full time employment is the key. Work that is skilled rather than Unemployment, Zero hour or part time work.

There is however some encouraging signs in the Graph presented here by the FT
The All remains red
If you look at self employment the strength in growth has been since 2013.
The Full time growth however stands out most since Nov 2013. Self Employment from the Graph however has been the greatest growth area



Reality wise is that there needs to be a feel good factor in the economy from the Conservative party from the perspective of the General Election.

Positive Encouraging Economy 

Kings lyne is an area that has good news however the lower skilled work . The skilled employees are seeing the rises where as the lower skilled employees are continuing with their struggle.
The political reality is that the lower skilled electorate will require persuading where as the higher skilled employees may appreciate the changes that have occured in recent times.
Labour Party
Labour is making promises that by 2020 they wish to see the minimum wage at £8.
Reality is that by 2020 it will need to be higher than that to meet bills that will be coming at that stage
Many will feel that is to long. The Conservatives will also have to look at this issue.

job seeker agreement

Jobsearch support form a £1 a day

Job search for Job seekers with support from a £1 a day

Support including

• Registering on Job sites
• Uploading of CV ( Resume)
• Cover letters
• Job Filters
• Application forms

Act of Faith

Introduction to Appeal

Cjss stats feb 2015

In 2008 I set up CJSS.org having heard John Kirby  of CAPUK speak at Grapevine

I was moved and felt God  saying that there was a need to set up a web site for the Unemployed and U.K job seekers. With the help of friends who undertook sponsored walks and assisted in web site design Cjss developed.

Many hours of research were undertaken.

CJSS.org Sats

Cjss statistics showed that it has attracted attention and developed. But there was also a need to provide an alternative to the platform that CJSS was set up on

 It was clear that as the Government changed the planning of CJSS changed. I became aware there was a need to develop an alternative. site that has become Benefits2work.com.

CJSS.org & Benefits2work.com Development

Cjss and Benefits2work have been developed with  a U.K theme. The majority of the material on the internet is American so part of the research undertaken is to search for Video material and place that on each site. Both sites have the option to share and to comment. On CJSS.org we have a prayer page.
At present all time is given free to develop the sites. Recently with additional resources we have input a more developed pay as you go and monthly subscription options on Benefits2work.
Benefits2work has a BuddyPress community built to allow questions answers as well as the option for companies to post Jobs.
On cjss.org you can see the number of viewings per posting and see several years of articles.

Both sites Time

Both sites take several hours a week. dependant on the news and articles that are featured. The sites require funding and this is where the Test of faith is ( Hebrews)

On average 15 to 20 hrs a week is commited to the sites for Free.

Financially the sites have had their costs covered privately but I now want to encourage others to to support the sites. There is a need for proof reading , genuine U.K contributors U.K bloggers and i welcome enquiries

The Hosting costs £180 a year. 

I am praying that £1.000 a month  can be raised to develop the site.

The current funding will be stopped at the end of this month as an act of Faith. So please either use the buttons here or on the respective web sites

Benefits2work FREE Pages

CJSS.org Donations

 

HSBC Tax avoidance & Welfare Benefit Fraud

The HSBC Tax avoidance and Benefit Fraud

Tax Fraud v Benefit Fraud

The HSBC issue and Benefit Fraud is an interesting story of two aspects of our economy in the U.K.
The Benefit Fraud issue is highlighted in the first video recorded some time ago and features the major issue of Benefit Fraud and the consequences

This highlights the issue that most welfare benefit claimants cannot afford the lawyers that the Wealthy Tax avoiders can afford.

The line that Benefit Fraud hurts the tax payer should------now apply to the Tax avoider shouldnt it?

Will we see the same level of protections with the wealthy Tax avoiders or will there be a fear of upsetting them? The Photo explained

HSBC Tax avoidance

Own speaks of Tax avoidance and here today in the U.K we hear of the issue of Tax avoidance featured on Panorama tonight.
Uk Government seems to be rather reluctant to chase the Tax.

Working Families Tax Credit

Leaving us also to reflect on how quickly the Working Family Tax credit claimants have their money reclaimed with the threat of Debt recovery and all the other action HMRC will take. As Mr Cameron has said. we are all in this together

I