Former service personnel in Wales deserve better support when they return from service, Plaid Cymru has said. Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood set out her party’s commitment to veterans, in order to support veterans to make a full contribution to society when they return.

Figures show that currently, only half of those with less than four years’ service are in education, employment or training six months after they leave the armed forces, and Plaid Cymru’s plans are about giving them the support they need to live full and happy lives after they leave.

Plaid Cymru plans to give all service people access to advice from relevant voluntary organisations three to four months before they leave service on matters such as welfare, housing, educational courses and training, budgetary and life skills and health.

The party has also pledged to improve the aftercare and wellbeing for military personnel after they leave the forces, by giving them better access to legal advice, healthcare and counselling support. 

In the US the retail industry is slowly atrophying, and there's proof: more and more shopping malls are closing. Dead shopping malls even have their own website.

The malls are primarily those that are not high-end or low-end. Earlier this year, D.J. Busch, senior analyst at Green Street Advisers, said to the New York Times, "It is very much a haves and have-nots’ situation." The ABC recently created an article showing how the middle class in the US had shrunk. Shopping on-line of course has had a huge impact. 

Really quite errie. 

Shopping malls were in fact a US invention. 

Earlier in 2015 a coalition of national Churches and charities has criticised the Department for Work and Pensions over its refusal to undertake a full review of the benefit sanctions system. The DWP has issued its overdue response to the Work and Pensions Select Committee inquiry into benefit sanctions, but has failed to commit to a review as recommended.

The Select Committee, the Government’s own advisors, the Social Security Advisory Committee, charities and Churches have all called for a full independent review of the regime. These groups have highlighted the extreme hardship caused, the inconsistent and unjust application of sanctions and the lack of evidence that they encourage people into work. 

The Baptist Union, Church in Wales, Church of Scotland, Methodist Church, United Reformed Church and charity Church Action on Poverty have called for an immediate suspension of sanctions against families with children and people with mental ill-health. They say the DWP’s response does not go far enough and have called again for a review.

“In refusing to undertake a full review, the DWP is stubbornly ignoring the calls of parliament, expert advisers, Churches and charities. Most importantly, it is condemning people, many of whom have also spoken out eloquently against the inhumanity of the current practice, to unjust and pointless punishment,”  said Paul Morrison, Public Issues Policy Adviser for the Methodist Church.

Responding to the DWP’s announcement that they will trial a ‘yellow card’ system, Mr Morrison added: “If a court is working to a bad set of laws for a bad set of reasons and making bad and unreliable decisions, it’s not the sentencing policy you look at. ‘Yellow cards’ will reduce the number of sanctions, which is welcome, but won’t address the fundamental problems that occur long before the decision to sanction has been made. That’s why we need a full independent review”

Even if a benefits claimant is able to demonstrate that they cannot afford food due to being sanctioned, most people will still not become eligible for a hardship payment or loan for a further two weeks and, once eligible, it will take a further three days before payment actually arrives.

Dr Richard Vautrey, a GP in Leeds and deputy chair of the BMA's General Practitioners Committee, said: “GPs are increasingly seeing people who are suffering serious consequences as a result of the current benefit sanctions system. Vulnerable people can be left with no money to pay for essentials such as food and heating and this can then have a damaging impact not only on their physical and mental health but also the health of family members, including children, who depend upon them. Government policy directly puts the health of patients we care for at risk. Immediate action should be taken to end these punitive actions.”

In March this year, the Churches published a report showing that nearly 100,000 children had been affected by sanctions in 2014 alone and that people with mental health problems were being sanctioned at a rate of more than 100 per day. As a result of their campaign more than 2,000 people wrote to their MPs asking them to support a review of the system.

The report told stories like that of Martin*, aged 60, who missed an appointment with the job centre because his wife died suddenly. He was sanctioned for six weeks, leaving him with nothing to live on and in a state of confusion as his wife had previously handled most of their joint paperwork. He came to the local church for help and charity Acts435 helped him with his living expenses until he could come to terms with the new shape his life had taken.

“The Government claims that sanctions help people into work, but the evidence for this claim is practically non-existent,” added Mr Morrison. “However, there is plenty of evidence that sanctions cause hardship, suffering and hunger. Any system that seeks to ‘change people’s behaviour’ by using hunger as a weapon is immoral.”

*Not his real name.

PLEASE DOWNLOAD THE REPORT BELOW:

Thinking about your future over Christmas? Are we producing too many graduates for too small a pool of jobs? The Work Foundation has not found this to be the case. This Work Foundation report Unemployed and Overqualified can be downloaded below and it should give you some ideas, to help guide your future.

If you are thinking about uni and the comittment to student loans  it could be useful. 

The finding in today’s Salary Movement Report conducted by Mercer, that 97% of employers plan to give their workers a raise in 2016 means that more and more people are feeling the benefits of a recovery that is bedding in across the economy.

It is becoming clear that the record economic growth and the increases in numbers at work that the Irish workers are seeing, are now being accompanied by improvements in pay in every sector. In other words, what Irish workers are experiencing now is, to a large extent, a wage-led recovery.

When Labour entered Government in 2011, the made a commitment to fix the economy and create jobs. They have done precisely that, with 140,000 more people now at work, compared to the peak of the jobs crisis.

As growth has picked up in the last two years, Labour in Government has ensured that the interests of workers, particularly those on low and middle incomes, are prioritised.

They have taken 700,000 of the lowest earners out of the USC net, we have reduced USC rates for all workers earning under €70,000, and they have twice legislated for an increase in the minimum wage, the second of which takes effect on January 1^st.

In addition, Labour have agreed to increase the pay of public servants, with low and middle incomes benefiting more than higher earners, and thanks to the work of Minister Ged Nash, and they have driven the Living Wage agenda.

These are examples of how this Government, and Labour in particular, is shaping an economic recovery that benefits all.

For Labour, economic recovery is not just an accounting exercise, it is about making sure incomes rise, living standards improve and prosperity is felt in every region and every sector of the country.

Zero Hour Contracts (When and If Contracts in Ireland)

Labour Youth is calling for legislation in order to end the precarious working conditions caused by If and When Contracts. The prevalence of these contracts has been outlined as a problem in achieving secure employment by a study undertaken by the University of Limerick.  

Labour Youth National Chairperson, Grace Williams stated: "The strengthening of workers' rights in this government by the Labour Party has been incredible.

"The restoration of joint labour committees, the introduction of collective bargaining legislation, and the amendment to Section 37, as just three examples, have progressed workers' rights past recognition.

"With the UL study finding the prevalence of If and When Contracts to be problematic, it is necessary that we prioritise legislation to protect vulnerable workers.

"Labour commend the work that has been completed by Minister Ged Nash in improving workers' rights. In such a short time as a Minister of State, reforms have been made that will vastly improve the quality of employment across the country.

"However, in order to continue protecting workers, the Department of Jobs, Enterprise, and Innovation should prioritise action to legislate against the use of If and When Contracts."

The NHS are encouraging everyone to be aware of health services available over the Christmas and New Year bank holidays.  If you are unfortunately ill over the festive holidays, please consider these ways of getting treatment, with further online advice from www.nhs.uk

Treat yourself for simple illness and minor cuts, sprains and burns.  Keep painkillers and cough remedies in a safe place at home and have a first aid kit handy.  Check your medicine cabinet and make sure you have the following basics to get you through the next few months:

• Your usual painkillers, such as paracetamol, ibuprofen or aspirin
• Cold and flu remedies 
• Anti-diarrhoea medicine
• Oral rehydration salts
• Indigestion remedies
• Plasters
• Bandages
• Thermometer
• Tissues

Ask your local pharmacist (chemist) for advice on minor illness.  Your local pharmacist can offer you free, qualified health advice at any time, and no appointment is necessary. From coughs and colds to aches and pains, they can give you expert help on everyday illnesses and answer any questions about prescribed and over-the-counter medicines.  Pharmacy opening times over Christmas and New Year are listed below and are also available on www.nhs.uk

NHS 111: If it is urgent, call 111 available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to get advice on which service is best for you. Specially trained call handlers have access to advice from nurses or doctors. They can arrange for you to contact the out-of-hours GP service or an emergency dentist if needed

Out with two party politics in th Spainsh General Election, 20 December. Weeks of negociations are anticipated to follow. 

For more than 30 years, the Popular Party (PP) and Socialists had alternated power, but they now find themselves challenged by Podemos and centrist party Ciudadanos, which came fourth in the closely-fought legislative polls.

While it took the largest share of the votes, the PP lost its absolute majority in parliament by a significant margin and will now have to try and form an uneasy alliance with other parties or attempt to rule as a minority government.

"We are starting a new political era in our country," gushed Pablo Iglesias, the pony-tailed, 37-year-old Podemos leader, as supporters looked on holding purple balloons to match the colours of the party.

The country's long-established Socialists, meanwhile, scored their worst score in modern history - challenged as they were by Podemos, which has skillfully managed to surf on the wave of exasperation over austerity and corruption that saw it emerge in the first place.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras made early morning comments that austerity policies caused the government vote to unravel. While Spain has successfully exited its bailout program, it continues to suffer overall unemployment rates of 20 percent.

Source: The Local

Over the past 30 years the number of post offices in the UK has almost halved, although numbers have remained stable over the last few years. The Post Office Network stood at 11,634 at the end of March 2015.

One thing that seems to be missing this Christmas in our local Post Office is staff.

According to Wikipedia, in September 2015 the Post Office experienced controversy when it refused to pay out travel insurance to repatriate a body because the deceased had written the wrong date for a historical operation. The Post Office refused to comment. This forced the family to attempt to raise the money to repatriate the body through crowdfunding. 

Christmas and empty counters at the Post Office 

Universal Credit say the government, gives you the support you need to prepare for work, move into work, or earn more. In return it’s your responsibility to do everything you can to find work or increase your earnings. It is available to people out of work or on a low income.

Some might say more jobs might also help people get intio work. Or are we perhaps being factious? 

According to recent research

Almost half of families who don’t already own their own home believe they’ll never do so (and only a third think they will definitely buy)

57 per cent of non-owners in the poorest 20 per cent of the population say they won’t ever buy, a figure that only falls to 42% among middle-income households. Even 25 per cent of the richest 20 per cent of non-owning households believe they will never buy.

It will 24 years for a low to middle income household saving 5 per cent of their disposable income a year to accumulate the deposit required for an average first time buyer. In the 1990s it took around three years.

Source: The Resolution Foundation