Workways+ continues to charge forward successfully supporting people overcome complex barriers which prevent them from finding employment. One such success story is 41-year-old Mark from Neath Port Talbot.

Mark was referred to Workways+ by Jobcentre Plus in May 2017 having not worked for over 10 years. Mark has already made great progress having completed several courses, however struggled to take the next step in finding and securing employment due a number of barriers; lack of transportation, lack of confidence, trust issues and family commitments.

Mark’s mentor Anthony supported him from the outset, building a clear picture of Mark’s individual needs, building his self-esteem and confidence and steering him in the right direction to achieve his goal of finding work within his chosen career of Engineering. When Mark was ready he was introduced to Workways+ Employer Liaison Officer Lesley who was worked with him to identify a potential place of work.

Lesley secured Mark a two-day work trial with Rhino Doors, a company based in Port Talbot who specialize in the manufacture and installation of performance rated sliding, folding and side hinged doors. Mark made an excellent impression on Rhino Doors during those two days and was subsequently offered a three-month paid work opportunity funded by Workways+.  During this time Mark further developed his skillset and completed Counter Balance Forklift Truck training, thanks to Workways+.

Mike Winchcombe from Rhino Doors said “Mark has settled down well and has not been afraid of taking on a challenge. I am sure Mark will have a great future ahead”. Rhino Doors were so impressed by Mark’s commitment to work and his problem-solving skills, they made him an offer of employment on the 1st March this year. Mark was thrilled and accepted the position immediately.  Mark said, “things are going well in work, I am happy but most importantly I feel trusted by my employer which has given me confidence and motivated me to continue to improve my knowledge and experience”.

Cllr Charlotte Galsworthy said “Mark’s story is inspirational and just goes to show that with the right support there are no barriers which cannot be overcome. I commend the Workways team for all their hard work and urge anyone who finds themselves in a similar situation to contact Workways+ for help.”

EU funds are having a positive impact on people, business and communities across Neath Port Talbot, Swansea, Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire by raising skills and helping people into work. The project is backed by £17 million from the European Social Fund through the Welsh Government.

Mr Justice Ouseley accepted the claim brought by the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) on behalf of one claimant household that the exception to the two-child rule for cared-for children was perverse because it was only available where the cared-for child was the third or subsequent child.  As the judge identified: ‘…the purpose of the exception is to encourage, or at least avoid discouraging, a family from looking after a child who would otherwise be in local authority care, with the disadvantages to the child over family care which that can entail and the public expenditure it can require.’  Only making the exception available if the cared-for child was not the first or second child was, according to the judge, ‘…not rationally connected with the purposes of the legislation and indeed it is in conflict with them.’

The ruling means that all children looked after by family members  claiming tax credits or universal credit will not be taken into account for the purposes of the two-child limit.

Commenting on the ruling, CPAG’s solicitor, Carla Clarke, said:

‘This is an important in-road into a flagship welfare reform policy.  The irrationality of limiting the exception for children cared for in kinship arrangements to third or subsequent children  has been raised on numerous occasions by various bodies, yet rather than accepting such legitimate criticisms and removing the restriction, it has required taking the DWP to court for the unlawfulness to be properly recognised.’

CPAG’s wider challenge to the lawfulness of the two-child rule as breaching fundamental human rights to private and family life and to non-discrimination was not accepted by the Court.  CPAG intends to appeal that aspect of the ruling.

Ms Clarke said:

‘This is a policy which is not simply about what level of benefits predominantly working families are entitled to.  Rather, it is a policy which necessarily encroaches upon very personal and intimate decisions about family size and planning and treats some children as less deserving of a benefit intended to meet their basic needs purely because of their birth order. We do not agree with the judge’s findings on the various human rights arguments and will look to appeal this case further’

An Post processed 33.6 million social welfare payments in 2017

Thursday, 19 April, 2018: Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection Regina Doherty, T.D. has today renewed her Department’s contract with An Post to provide pensions, Child Benefit and other social welfare payments in cash at Post Offices.

The Minister formally signed the contract for An Post to provide services for the year ahead at the GPO on O’Connell Street in Dublin. David Mc Redmond, CEO of An Post signed on behalf of An Post. Last year’s contract amounted to €51 million for 33.6 million payments, and the value of the 2018 contract is expected to match that. 

The current terms of the contract between the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection and An Post were agreed in 2013 for an initial two year period, with an option to extend annually up to 2019.

Minister Doherty used the opportunity to re-affirm Government policy which sees the post office network as a key piece of the country’s financial and social infrastructure, particularly in rural areas.   Accordingly, the Programme for a Partnership Government commits to actively encourage payment at post offices. 

The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection gives effect to this commitment by renewing the current cash services contract with An Post and also advising social welfare customers who are making new claims or seeking to change their payment arrangements that they can choose between payment at the post office or by electronic funds transfer.  In the case of most new jobseeker claim customers the default payment option is through the post office network.

A report from the Federation of Small Businesses has warned small childcare providers are facing "an unsustainable future". 

A Women’s Equality Party spokesperson said:

“This is further evidence of the damaging impact caused by the Government’s failure to invest in childcare.

“By introducing the 30 hours per week provision without proper funding or consideration to the need to increase capacity, the Government has left smaller nurseries forced to look for other sources of income. As the FSB sets out, this means parents are having to pay more for additional hours or so-called ‘extras’ like lunches or nappies.  

“If the Government fails to get a grip on this issue, many providers could go out of business - something that will further limit access to childcare.

“The Women’s Equality Party has a plan to fund universal free childcare from the end of parental leave to the start of school. This would be both an investment in the next generation, and help to close the economic inequality between men and women that has been so starkly demonstrated by the gender pay gap figures.”

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- 10.30 a.m. Thursday 19th April 2018 -

Róisín Shortall TD and Senator John Dolan of the Disability Federation of Ireland will today hold a protest at Leinster House to highlight the government's betrayal of 640,000 people with disabilities in Ireland.

The UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities comes into force today - but without a crucial Optional Protocol which gives it teeth..

Deputy Shortall will present signatures from a petition she organised calling for the government to honour its commitment and implement the whole Convention so that people with disabilities can bring complaints under it where their rights are breached.


When: Today Thursday 19th April 2018

Where: 10.30a.m. Kildare Street Gates, Leinster House

Who: Róisín Shortall TD, Senator John Dolan

Image: Leinster House

Simon Collyer of the ABC is challenging the DWP over what might be described as a legal anomaly, a matter that could potentially affect all jobseekers. We cannot discuss the details of the case, but the DWP are battling not to have the case heard in Court at all.

If we win our case, this could influence the treatment of all benefit claimants. So, we are very keen to have our day in Court and test this important issue.

We have great respect for government lawyers, and in a moment of inspiration, we were directed to Rodney, of Hylton-Potts Legal Consultants. We certainly needed a legal ‘gunslinger’ to back us up, despite having pretty good legal knowledge ourselves.

We have to say Hylton-Potts present themselves rather differently than the average legal firm and we like [love] there winning attitude, as this attitude resonates with ours.

Solicitors frequently advertise Legal Aid and you find it is for matrimonial matters only. Some ask you to leave a message on their Voicemail and you never hear from them again. Others seem more interested in their fees than anything else. Trying to find help on a modest budget can be very difficult indeed. Almost impossible.

Hylton-Potts has a great deal of expertise in the welfare field. People can be accused of fraud, such as when a partner moves in and people fail to notify the DWP. There are so many laws in the UK even academics have given up trying to find out how many. There is an argument that everyone is guilty of something if you look hard enough.

There is clearly a difference between the person who gets some gardening work from a friend who desperately needs a pair of shoes and does not declare it, to someone with the ethics of a bank robber who sets out to rob and abuse the system. We have seen cases where people’s circumstances change, and they forget to stop a claim for Housing Benefit quick enough, and then find they cannot pay the money back. We strongly advocate that since benefits have been frozen, a more sympathetic attitude is taken towards those claimants who get in a muddle. There is a need for these people to be distinguished from those with an obvious criminal intent. We can all err and make mistakes.

Some might argue it is the government robbing taxpayers, collecting the same amount of tax and NI but paying out less and less in benefits, to people becoming who are increasingly desperate. The government is the real villains some might argue. However, we cannot possibly comment.

The battle to get our matter heard will be in the Chelmsford County Court in late June. Hylton-Potts are reviewing our case and they are providing input.

If you have a welfare issue, or if you have been accused of fraud by the DWP or if you have other legal issues do check out the Hylton-Potts website. Do not, get formally get interviewed by the DWP or Inland Revenue without getting professional help.

Please click on the logo below to visit their website:

UK Labour Market Statistics: April 2018

Main points for December 2017 to February 2018

Estimates from the Labour Force Survey show that, between September to November 2017 and December 2017 to February 2018, the number of people in work increased, the number of unemployed people decreased and the number of people aged from 16 to 64 years not working and not seeking or available to work (economically inactive) was little changed.

There were 32.26 million people in work, 55,000 more than for September to November 2017 and 427,000 more than for a year earlier.

The employment rate (the proportion of people aged from 16 to 64 years who were in work) was 75.4%, higher than for a year earlier (74.6%) and the highest since comparable records began in 1971.

There were 1.42 million unemployed people (people not in work but seeking and available to work), 16,000 fewer than for September to November 2017 and 136,000 fewer than for a year earlier.

The unemployment rate (the proportion of those in work plus those unemployed, that were unemployed) was 4.2%, down from 4.7% for a year earlier and the lowest since 1975.

There were 8.73 million people aged from 16 to 64 years who were economically inactive (not working and not seeking or available to work), little changed compared with September to November 2017 but 154,000 fewer than for a year earlier.

The inactivity rate (the proportion of people aged from 16 to 64 years who were economically inactive) was 21.2%, lower than for a year earlier (21.6%) and the joint lowest since comparable records began in 1971.

Latest estimates show that average weekly earnings for employees in Great Britain in nominal terms (that is, not adjusted for price inflation) increased by 2.8%, both excluding and including bonuses, compared with a year earlier.

Latest estimates show that average weekly earnings for employees in Great Britain in real terms (that is, adjusted for price inflation) increased by 0.2% excluding bonuses, and by 0.1% including bonuses, compared with a year earlier.

Image: Courtesy of the ONS: Changes in people in employment December to February 2017

SNP MP Alison Thewliss has written to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions calling for an urgent meeting over comments made by the Minister during a Holyrood Social Security Committee on the Tory government’s welfare reform policies.

At Monday’s session, Esther McVey was questioned on the UK government’s Universal Credit policy, which many committee members decried for pushing thousands of families into poverty, with an inequitable burden being placed on low-earners.

When pressed by the committee over the UK government’s position on the two child limit and the non-consensual sex exemption - commonly known as the rape clause - far from showing contrition, the Secretary of State said the policy could offer “double support.” 

A demonstration against the two child policy – one year since its implementation – will be held on Thursday 19 April at 5.30pm, on The Mound, Edinburgh.

Commenting, the SNP MP for Glasgow Central Alison Thewliss, said:

“I didn’t think the Tory government could sink any lower on this issue, but they have once again outdone themselves.

“The Secretary of State is completely out of step with how damaging the two child limit is, and she demonstrated as much with her performance at yesterday’s committee hearing.

“Charities and agencies are lining up to tell the government how reckless this policy is, that it will push 200,000 children below the poverty line, and that women claiming tax credits for a third child conceived due to rape will have to prove the point during an interview, yet no one wants to listen. This behaviour is inhumane, it is unforgivable.

“Esther McVey is simply wrong about the rape clause. No woman should be forced to relive the experience of rape simply in order to qualify for tax credits. To endorse the existing process as in some way beneficial to the claimant is simply staggering.

“The issue of rape is an incredibly sensitive one, and it is not being treated as such by this Tory government. The very fact that women’s aid organisations in Scotland are refusing to act as third-party referrers should be ringing serious alarm bells about the policy’s viability.

“Unfortunately for the Tory government, opposition to this pernicious policy continues to grow, and I look forward to joining with charities, agencies and demonstrators at the protest on Thursday. The Tory government has performed various U-turns in recent weeks, without doubt the two child limit and rape clause should be its next. To this end, I have written to the Secretary of State to ask that she meet with me, and women’s aid groups, as a matter of urgency”.  

Responding to the Resolution Foundation's prediction that one third of young people will never own their own home, Liberal Democrat Housing spokesperson Wera Hobhouse commented:

“This government has failed time and time again to take sufficient steps to tackle the housing crisis, and it is our young people that are ultimately paying the price.  "This government is failing young people. They are destroying their opportunities with Brexit, they are running their public services into the ground, and they are denying them the right to have a home of their own. Frankly, young people deserve better.”