Latest Articles By Simon Collyer

SCOTLAND - Challenge Poverty Week is underway in Scotland. There is still time to get involved.  The project aims to raise a unified voice against poverty and show that we all want to live in a more just and equal Scotland.  To build a...

POVERTY - According to their website:  Anti-Poverty Week supports the Australian community to have an increased understanding of poverty and to take action collectively to end it. We are a diverse network of individuals and organisations who sha...

PENSIONS - As the State Pension age rises to 66 today, new research by the personal finance experts at money.co.uk, reveals that over two million working Brits don’t think they will ever be able to afford to retire. The poll of workers from acro...

TRAINING - Economy Minister Diane Dodds today announced 3,000 free online training places for people whose employment has been disrupted by the pandemic. Representing an investment of £4.6million, the courses will have a focus on digital skills...

DWP - Jobseekers will be offered coaching and advice on moving into "growing sectors" as part of a £238m employment programme, the government has said. Job Entry Targeted Support is aimed at helping those out of work because of Covid-19 for three mon...

TRAINING - The Assured Skills Academy, focussing on Future Business Skills, will see participants receive industry-relevant pre-employment training at Belfast Met. Participants who complete the training are guaranteed a job interview for a role...

FURLOUGH ENDS - Today is the deadline for SMEs to issue redundancy notices if they are planning to lay off between 20 and 99 people when furlough ends on October 31. At PMQs yesterday the PM said “we will do everything we can to save every job”...

SOCIAL SECURITY FRAUD - The Social Security Administration and its Office of the Inspector General (OIG) announced four new Cooperative Disability Investigations (CDI) Units opened across the country. CDI Units identify, investigate, and prevent...

DWP POSTAL SITES - We get asked a lot about where to send mail to.  The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is modernising how it receives and processes post by gradually changing from a paper-led system to a digital solution. This has result...

PENSION CREDIT - Communities Minister Carál Ní Chuilín is encouraging people to make sure they don’t miss out on claiming Pension Credit they may be entitled to. Pension Credit is an income-related benefit and means that people need not live on less...