Unemployment is a challenge. This blog looks at what is happening around the country and some solutions. You are not alone
These are personal thoughts-
Consultancy undertaken through benefits2work.com & http://jobsearchagent.co.uk/ 07963 137094
Introduction
I feature some views on the Unemployment situation News in the UK. We feature the latest on The U.K Unemployment News. The Youtube channel has a focus on UK Unemployment News with specially selected material
Although this was a Northern Island Conference the speaker spoke about the reality of the changes from a pilot of Universal Credit and the National results
It makes stark viewing and reflection
The speaker then continues with even more
Here is the slide that is referred to - Note 5 weeks minimum to
The Mandatary reconsideration of ESA and UC with an average 8 week delay is very poor
2 months of direct debits - how would you be affected
The Rowntree Slide makes us reflect on the Housing situation Nationally
Working-age benefit spending has always been sensitive to the unemployment rate. But the rapid growth of housing benefit and tax credits over the couple of decades (documented in thisbriefing note published today) means that slow earnings growth now has the potential to push up spending too. Much of the hoped-for savings from the introduction of ESA have failed to materialise, and it is an open question whether the personal independence payment will be any different. Mr Osborne wants further cuts to social security spending to help reduce the deficit. He may end up having to make cuts just to stay on track." The gov .uk Stats for your area- Benefit stats
The BBC quote the Institute of Fiscal studies
Explaining why spending had in fact reduced by £2.5bn in real terms, it said:
All of the £5bn rise in the cost of pensioner benefits could be explained by the rising cost of state pensions. It said this was partly down to the ageing population, but also the "more generous" entitlements of a new generation of pensioners who had recently retired
There had been an "unanticipated" rise in housing benefit spending of £1bn, despite cuts of £2bn, which was down to the growth of the private rental sector, rising rents and slow earnings growth
This slower earnings growth meant spending on tax credits had not come down as quickly as expected, reducing costs by less than £3bn compared with a forecast saving of £4.6bn
"Significant delays" in the replacement of disability living allowance with the "less generous" personal independence payment had led to a £1.6bn increase in spending, rather than a £1.2bn cut
Switching from the Retail Prices Index to the Consumer Prices Index measure of inflation for up-rating benefits had not saved the expected £4bn
Note the challenge of the Tax Credit - this will become the Universal Credit in due cource. The slow earnings growth has made a difference
Many may agree with Edd Balls and Rachel Reeves. They wrote: "A key cause of the Tories' overspending is their failure to make the economy work for working people, leaving thousands more reliant on housing benefit."
So how are the Welfare Reform changes affecting people
The changes to council tax benefit have also hit Blackpool particularly hard, as the council decided to pass on most of the 10% shortfall in government grant to its residents.
Mike Clague, a former RAF chef whose 19th floor flat has such a spectacular view, is having to find £15 a month extra.
"It doesn't sound much," he says. "But on top of all the other bills, it's a lot."
Ann Morris gives out school uniforms to those who cannot afford them
He has had to cut back on food as a result. Chocolate has become a once-a-week treat.
In Blackpool even those on jobseeker's allowance (JSA) have to find an extra £206 a year.
Many people have not yet paid anything.
"We recently had a huge influx of clients for non-payment of that money," says Julia Hannaford of Blackpool Citizens Advice.
"In one week we saw 40 people."
For those that are paying, the extra outgoings have stretched household budgets. Half the council tenants in Blackpool are behind with their rent.
In two or three cases, the local housing association has now obtained suspended possession orders, the first stage in the eviction process.
Sanctions
Elsewhere in the North West there are already some striking memorials to the first six months of the benefits changes: the houses that no one wants.
In Sefton, on an estate once known as Beirut, there are roads where dozens of people have moved out.
One resident of Daley Road points out 10 empty houses in her street.
One of the empty houses in Daley Road
"They don't even bother to board them up anymore," she tells me.
"It's all because of the bedroom tax. Nobody wants a three bedroom place anymore."
On this part of Merseyside, community workers also report that, since April, more people are having their benefits temporarily stopped.
JSA claimants, for example, now have to prove that they are job hunting, by applying online.
But not all are computer literate.
Ann Morris, a development worker in Litherland, says that as a result many parents can no longer afford to buy school uniforms.
She and her colleagues have set up a uniform bank to help.
"They all want their kids to go back to school with new uniforms. But some have benefit sanctions, so they just don't have the money," she says.
I never thought I'd see the day that we'd all get in and share a bath. A treat is getting in the bath first.”
Carol WilsonBenefit claimant
'Blind Scouse'
Carol Wilson, a carer from the Tuebrook area of Liverpool, was herself sanctioned earlier in the year.
She lost one week's Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), as a result of being in hospital.
Since April she has also had to find £80 a month as a result of having a spare room, and £9 a month extra for council tax.
Along with all claimants, she has also been affected by the 1% cap on annual benefits increases.
She, her partner, and her son now share their bath-water to try to economise.
"I never thought I'd see the day that we'd all get in and share a bath. A treat is getting in the bath first."
And she stretches a pot of stew, known as scouse, so that it lasts for three days.
"You just add potatoes each day. When the meat runs out, it's known as "blind scouse".
Blind scouse is certainly making a comeback in Liverpool at the moment, she says.
Coping
All along the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has insisted that the changes are not about saving money, but about encouraging more people into work.
Indeed since claimants were warned about the cap on total benefits back in April, the DWP says more than 15,000 have been helped to find jobs.
"Since April we have made great strides delivering our reforms," a DWP spokesman told the BBC.
"The rollout of universal credit and personal independence payments have begun, reforms to housing benefit are making the system fairer and the benefit cap is now in place across the country."
The government also says it has cut income tax for 25 million people, saving a typical taxpayer £700 a year.
It claims the typical household will also save £600 as a result of council tax being frozen for five years.
And even among those hit by benefit cuts, there are those who support the principles of the reforms.
"I do think it's right that people should be in work if they can be," says Carol Wilson.
"And I don't think being on benefits should be too comfortable.
"Whilst I would like more, the country is in a crisis. And I cope with what I have," she says.
The Welfare Reform
This is the reality watch the video to hear the truth!!!
A day when the stats and Banker feature in the same news bulletins
In many ways interelated as the Bankers started the issue of the recession which affected the Employment rate and led to an increase in Youth Unemployment
Apprenticeships are now available in careers ranging from advertising, to legal work, to art galleries, and information technology, to name but a few of the 1,200 job roles on offer. Is that the solution to the Youth Unemploymentor NEET ? The challenge of Pay is an issue National minimum wage for apprentices, which is £2.73 per hour. A lot lower than the minimum wage Apprentice News
If you move people off JSA to ESA you get some interesting results. Note ESA are not featured here
The figures are encouraging however against the past figures
Around 14.7% of workers, or 4.5 million, are self-employed, down by 88,000 on the quarter but up by 279,000 on a year ago, while the number of part-time workers wanting a full-time job remained at about 1.3 million.
Employment Minister Esther McVey said: "Record numbers of people in work means more people with the security of a regular wage who are better able to support themselves and their families.
Part of the problem is that many are not feeling the benefits. many are still searching to undertake 2 or more Jobs
Background
Unemployment is referred to as a lagging indicator, because businesses will often delay laying people off as long as they can in difficult times.
A few months after the start of the recession in 2008, unemployment started to rise sharply. When the global financial crisis hit, the unemployment rate was a little over 5% or 1.6 million.
Towards the end of 2009, with the UK coming out of its severest recession since the 1950s, it was almost a million higher at 2.5 million, or 8%.
Unemployment peaked at almost 2.7 million at the end of 2011, its highest level for 17 years.
Bankers
Six banks have been collectively fined £2.6bn by UK and US regulators over their traders' attempted manipulation of foreign exchange rates.
HSBC, Royal Bank of Scotland, Swiss bank UBS and US banks JP Morgan Chase, Citibank and Bank of America have all been fined.
Have we not been here before and didn't this whole recession start with the Banks? Is there not an issue with bankers benefiting from fraud or " benefits fraud"
income-related ESA – usually you get this on its own or on top of contribution-based ESA, if you’re on a low income
Contribution-based ESA
Contribution-based ESA lasts 1 year if you’re in the work-related activity group. You may be able to re-apply at least 12 weeks after your contribution-based ESA ends. You may qualify again depending on:
National Insurance contributions you paid in different tax years
whether your health deteriorates and you’re placed in the support group
There’s no time limit on how long you can claim contribution-basedESA if you’re in the support group.
Income-related ESA
You may qualify for income-related ESA if you no longer qualify for contribution-based ESA.
How much you get depends on your circumstances. There’s no time limit on income-related ESA.
Benefits sanctions
Your ESA can be reduced if you don’t go to interviews or do work-related activity as agreed with your adviser. The reduction can continue for up to 4 weeks.
You’ll get a ‘sanction letter’. Tell your ESA adviser if you have a good reason for missing the interview.
You’ll get another letter if the decision is made to give you a sanction. Your benefit will only be affected once a decision has been made.
There is an argument that an MP is a Public employee
Why is his or hers skill base worth more than the skilled staff featured here?
TUC
Rallies occured this week on behalf of the Public servants "Our members didn't cause this recession, our members didn't cause the failures of the banks,"Dave Prentice said TUC says Top directors were being awarded 175 times more than the average worker, while five million people were earning less than the living wage.
People are currently facing the biggest squeeze on their incomes since Victorian times”
Paul KennyGMB union general secretary
Len McCluskey, general secretary of the Unite union, said Labour should support workers by offering a "clear socialist alternative" to the Conservatives at the next election.
"I say to Labour - stop being scared of your own shadow. Don't shrink what you offer the British people," he said.
We must make life as difficult as possible for today's slave masters and traffickers, and the position of the victims of slavery must be transformed”
The figures speak for them selves
Romania, Hungary, Lithuania and Poland are part of the Eastern European block has been. In the news many of these countries you will see the prosperous aspects of the countries.
Those travelling into the U.K from Poland and Lithuania for example there are no Visa requirements just the need to carry their passport People from Poland were the most likely victims of labour exploitation - forced to work in agriculture, construction, factories and car washes. East Europeans sometimes sell their passports for drink or drugs or have them removed.
How would you recognize it ?
What support is available?
DWP provide translation for most languages for anyone who gets away and the Police are able to telephone for translation as well.
If an individual is entitled to be in the U.K then the issues are less complex but the support in any situation is important
In most locations there are night shelters as well as organizations like "Framework " or the Salvation Army that can assist
Why?
Some victims had initially responded to online dating sites or job adverts. "Various sources indicate that tattoos are used globally to mark victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation by traffickers and pimps, but the extent to which this is used in the UK is not known.” How do they arrive? It is possible to catch buses as well as flights from as little as a cost of a train from many parts of the U.K. A return trip from East Midlands or Doncaster Airport can be less than £100 It is possible to drive through the EU from countries like Lithuania
So what action is being taken by the U.K government and U.K agencies The U.K Border agencies and Police are acting
Crime Invasion Human Trafficking
It is a criminal offence and these documentaries show real stories from the U.K Showing issues that are tough to take on board.
SOME VIEWERS MAY FIND THESE VIDEOS DISTURBING
Mental health problems are estimated to cost the economy around £100bn a year and around 70 million working days are also lost annually.
Nearly two-thirds of patients get access to talking therapies within 28 days. So asking the NHS to ensure 95% are seen within 18 weeks does not seem a big ask. Mental Health is also a issue seen in our prisons.
If you’ve just been diagnosed with a mental health problem you might be looking for information on your diagnosis, treatment options and where to go for support. Our information pages will help you learn more.
Types of depression (3)
Stress and anxiety (5)
Sleep (2)
Suicide and self-harm (3)
Eating and body image (2)
Types of personality disorder (2)
Mania, bipolar (2)
Psychosis, hearing voices and schizophrenia (4)
Other (9)
Anxiety and panic attacks
Explains anxiety and panic attacks, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.
Bipolar disorder
These pages describe the symptoms of bipolar disorder and what treatments are available. It also suggests how you can help yourself, and what family and friends can do.
Body dysmorphic disorder
Explains Body dysmorphic disorder, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.
Borderline personality disorder
Explains borderline personality disorder (BPD), including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.
Depression
Explains depression, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.
Dissociative disorder
Explains dissociative disorders, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.
Drugs - street drugs
Explains the mental health effects of street drugs such as alcohol, cannabis or cocaine. It explains what might happen if you use street drugs and also have a mental health problem, and suggestions for where you might find support.
Eating problems
Explains eating problems, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.
Hearing voices
About voices, who hears them and how to cope if they are a problem.
Hypomania and mania
Explains hypomania and mania, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.
Loneliness
Explains loneliness, giving practical suggestions for what you can do and where you can go for support.
Mental health problems - introduction
Explains the most commonly discussed mental health problems, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
Explains obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.
Panic attacks
Brief tips about panic attacks and what might help.
Paranoia
Explains paranoia, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.
Personality disorders
Explains personality disorders, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support.
Phobia
Explains phobias, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.
Postnatal depression
Explains postnatal depression, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.
Psychotic experiences
Explains pyschotic experiences, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.
PTSD
Explains post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.
Schizoaffective disorder
For people who have been given a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder, and their friends and relatives. Explains what the disorder is, and the types of treatment and support available.
Schizophrenia
Explains schizophrenia, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.
Seasonal affective disorder
Explains seasonal affective disorder, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.
Self-esteem
Explains how to increase your self-esteem, giving practical suggestions for what you can do and where you can go for support.
Self-harm
Explains self-harm, including possible causes and how you can access treatment and support. Includes tips for helping yourself, and guidance for friends and family.
Sleep problems
Explains insomnia and other sleep problems, giving practical suggestions for what you can do and where you can go for support.
Sleep problems - tips
Brief tips on how to cope with sleep problems.
Stress
Explains what stress is, including possible causes, and how you can learn to cope, with tips on how to relax.
Stress - tips
Brief tips on how to cope with stress.
Suicidal feelings
Explains what suicidal feelings are, including possible causes and how you can learn to cope.
