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UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights UK Visit - Preliminary Findings

The Special Rapporteur, Professor Philip Alston, presented the findings from his investigation into government efforts to eradicate poverty in the UK, including the impact of austerity measures last Friday, at the International Maritime Organisation in London, 

The Special Rapporteur undertook an official visit to the UK, and he visited Belfast, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Essex, Glasgow, Jaywick, London, and Newcastle, and he met with people affected by poverty, civil society, academics, and government officials.

Professor Alston's final report will be presented to the Human Rights Council in Geneva in June 2019. However, an abridged version is posted below.

We do suggest you read it - we have heard nothing but praise so far. Our verdict was that it is a 'master-class' in report writing - packed with extraordinary detail and it goes straight to the heart of what is wrong with our callous, cruel and inhuman welfare system that is failing the public so badly. 

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PLEASE:- Download this report below. It is a supurb piece of work and anyone claiming benefits or caring for those who do should read it. 

Interim Response to the Independent Review of the Personal Independence Payment assessment process

An Independent Review of the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) process was carried out by Walter Rader who examined the operation of the PIP assessment process in NI since its introduction in June 2016.

The Department for Communities has now considered Mr Rader’s report and has published an Interim Response to the recommendations. This will remain subject to review and possibly change by an incoming Minister.

The full Independent Review, including all recommendations and the Department’s Interim Response can be found below:

ABC Note: 

1. The review complied with the Welfare Reform (NI) Order 2015 which states that an independent review must be undertaken within two years from the date PIP came into operation. PIP was introduced in Northern Ireland in June 2016.
2. Walter Rader was appointed in late 2017 as the PIP Independent Reviewer. He is Discretionary Support Commissioner for Northern Ireland and previously served as Deputy Chief Charity Commissioner for Northern Ireland.
3. PIP is the benefit replacing Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for people aged 16 to pension age. Published statistics show that up to end of May 2018 almost 77,000 PIP claims are in payment with an average clearance time of 12 weeks. Of these, 57,710 (75%) have been reassessed from DLA. 23,680 (41%) of the reassessed claims in payment received the highest level of award, enhanced rate for daily living and mobility components. This compares favourably with the working-age DLA caseload prior to PIP implementation, where 15% were receiving the equivalent award rate.

ABC Comment: 

ABC Comment: Please read the report below:

Over 170 delegates have attended a ‘Health and Homelessness’ conference in Belfast.

The event, organised by the Department of Health, Queen’s University Belfast and the Public Health Agency, brought together front line staff, key policy makers and experts from services elsewhere in the UK and Ireland, who came together to discuss a range of public health topics in relation to homelessness. 

Opening the conference, Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride said: “Homeless people suffer extreme health inequalities and barriers in accessing mainstream healthcare. Last month, the Department announced a new Healthcare Hub to transform services for the homeless. This will bring services out of the clinical setting and into the community and onto the streets, to wrap care around the people who need it most, where they need it. 

“Tackling issues around homelessness requires a partnership approach. Events like this help facilitate the sharing of best practice and are vital in helping to inform future healthcare services in Northern Ireland.”

Dr Nigel Hart, a GP and Senior Lecturer in the School of Medicine at Queen’s University Belfast, said: “As educators of the next generation of doctors and health professionals, we have a duty to confront stigma and nurture compassion towards the most marginalised and vulnerable in our society. Today’s event will help us to focus on that goal and to identify how our education courses can better prepare our students to meet the needs of those who find themselves homeless.”   

Dr Nigel Hewitt, Medical Director of Pathway – England’s leading charity for homelessness healthcare – presented on approaches that have been tried and tested in England, and proven to make a difference. Dr Austin O’Carroll from Safetynet, a medical charity that delivers care to homeless people, and Dr Clíona Ní Cheallaigh, Senior Lecturer in Medical Gerontology and Consultant in General Medicine and Infectious Diseases, St James’s Hospital, shared with delegates the extent of homelessness and the approaches taken in Dublin. Susan Semple, homeless healthcare co-ordinator from Belfast Health & Social Care Trust, was also a keynote speaker.

Dr Stephen Bergin, Acting Assistant Director Screening and Professional Standard at the Public Health Agency, said: “The Public Health Agency is very grateful to all the speakers and workshop facilitators, both from Northern Ireland and from further afield, who have shared their knowledge and experience at this symposium. They have helped further the collaborative working which is essential to improving outcomes for people experiencing homelessness.”

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Notes to editors:

You are cordially invited to the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights’ presentation of the preliminary findings from his visit to the United Kingdom on Friday, November 16, 2018, at 12:00 pm at the International Maritime Organisation in London - said the invitation

The Special Rapporteur, Professor Philip Alston, will present the findings from his investigation into government efforts to eradicate poverty in the UK, including the impact of austerity measures, Universal Credit, child poverty, Brexit, and an increasingly digital government. The Special Rapporteur has been undertaking an official visit to the UK, and has visited Belfast, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Essex, Glasgow, Jaywick, London, and Newcastle, and is meeting with people affected by poverty, civil society, academics, and government officials. 

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We attended the press event which was packed by many of the leading companies in the media world. There was evidently a lot of interest in this report whose findings the government will find difficult to ignore. The ABC was limited to one question and we asked had Professor Philip Alston had he been given the figures for those who had died after being found 'Fit For Work' by the DWP. NO was the answer. We felt concern, as we believe there would be a predictive list somewhere of those at risk of dying following a 'No Deal' BREXIT. The Professor admitted in his presentation that revenues and therefore tax revenues would fall. 

Image: Media interest was very high. 

To be fair much of the information was already in the public domain. However, we pointed out that there are many subtle changes that come with Universal Credit. The full housing benefit amount is not paid and claimants have to use the part of the benefit needed to live on to subsidize this rent payment. That the DWP can now sanction ALL of your benefits including the Housing Benefit part. 

Professor Alston's report was very well drafted and he came across as someone compassionate and with great regard for human rights. The professor had to be polite to his hosts the British government, but this report was no whitewash by any means. Professor Alston had found MP's indifferent in some cases and lacking knowledge in other cases, MP's had complained the number of time benefits issues was taking up.  About 43 MP's were spoken too and one was left with the feeling that the political class do not understand the issues and some feel that a harsh benefits system helps people into work. It is possible that the reverse is the case.  

Image: Professor Alston and Karen Davis, of the UN Regional Information Centre for Western Europe.  

This is what the Professor has to say.  Attached far below is his press release.

UN poverty expert says UK policies inflict unnecessary misery

LONDON (16 November, 2018) – The UK Government’s policies and drastic cuts to social support are entrenching high levels of poverty and inflicting unnecessary misery in one of the richest countries in the world, a UN human rights expert said today.

“The United Kingdom’s impending exit from the European Union poses particular risks for people in poverty, but the Government appears to be treating this as an afterthought,” the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Philip Alston, said at the end of a 12-day visit to the country.

Almost all studies have shown that the UK economy will be worse off after Brexit. Consequences for inflation, real wages, and consumer prices will drive more people into poverty unless the Government takes action to shield those most vulnerable and replaces current EU funding for combatting poverty, he said.

In the United Kingdom, 14 million people, a fifth of the population, live in poverty. Four million of these are more than 50 percent below the poverty line, and 1.5 million are destitute, unable to afford basics essentials. After years of progress, poverty is rising again, with child poverty predicted to rise 7 percent between 2015 and 2022, homelessness is up 60 percent since 2010, and food banks rapidly multiplying. “In the fifth richest country in the world, this is not just a disgrace, but a social calamity and an economic disaster, all rolled into one,” Alston said.

“During my visit I have spoken with people who depend on food banks and charities for their next meal, who are sleeping on friends’ couches because they are homeless and don’t have a safe place for their children to sleep, who have sold sex for money or shelter, children who are growing up in poverty unsure of their future,” Alston said. “I’ve also met young people who feel gangs are the only way out of destitution, and people with disabilities who are being told they need to go back to work or lose benefits, against their doctor’s orders,” Alston said.

Successive governments have presided over the systematic dismantling of the social safety net in the United Kingdom. The introduction of Universal Credit and significant reductions in the amount of and eligibility for important forms of support have undermined the capacity of benefits to loosen the grip of poverty. “British compassion for those who are suffering has been replaced by a punitive, mean-spirited, and often callous approach,” Alston said.

“As a ‘digital by default’ benefit, Universal Credit has created an online barrier between people with poor digital literacy and their legal entitlements,” Alston said. “And the ‘test and learn’ approach to the rollout treats claimants like guinea pigs and can wreak havoc in real peoples’ lives.”

Local governments in England have seen a 49 percent real-terms reduction in Government funding since 2010, with hundreds of libraries closed, community and youth centres shrunk and underfunded, and public spaces and buildings including parks and recreation centres sold off.

“I was told time and again about important public services being pared down, the loss of institutions that would have previously protected vulnerable people, social care services that are at a breaking point, and local government and devolved administrations stretched far too thin,” Alston said. “The voluntary sector has done an admirable job of picking up the slack for those government functions, but that work does not relieve the Government of its obligations.

“The Government has remained in a state of denial, and ministers insisted to me that all is well and running according to plan,” Alston said. “Despite making some reluctant tweaks to basic policy, there has been a determined resistance to change in response to the many problems which so many people at all levels have brought to my attention.”

During his visit, the Special Rapporteur traveled to nine cities in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, and met with people affected by poverty, civil society, front line workers, and officials from a range of political parties in local, devolved and UK Governments.

“Government policies have inflicted great misery unnecessarily, especially on the working poor, on single mothers struggling against mighty odds, on people with disabilities who are already marginalised, and on millions of children who are locked into a cycle of poverty from which many will have great difficulty escaping,” Alston said.

This was the Facebook Livestream: https://www.facebook.com/AlstonUNSR/videos/207369616828528/UzpfSTEzMTQzMTI1NDg6MTAyMTc3NjA0NDMzMDU1MTk/

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ABC Note: UN poverty expert says 'UK policies inflict unnecessary misery'. Please see press release below:

Esther McVey has resigned today but she will not be missed from a post that appears to have a revolving door attached to it.

The Tory press are portraying McVey as a working-class Tory grafter, but to many people she came across as inflexible, cold, cruel, and at times, when a humble attitude was required, a bit too cocky.  

Furthermore, she may have lacked the intelligence, skill, and vision to be able to oversee a project as complex as Universal Credit and the ITC requirements that go with it? Being a former TV presenter may have its merits but it is doubtful these are the right skill sets for the job. That is not meant in any way as an insult - Universal Credit is an incredibly difficult project to deliver and someone with a senior IT background might be a better person in the job.

BREXIT is an honorable way out for Esther McVey, who might, like Iain Duncan Smith, want to change public perception about their legacy.   Over 110,000 people died on their watch and those who have died having been declared 'Fit to Work' have yet to have their statistics revealed to the public. 

Esther McVey was too ready to go along with it all and what is needed in the job is someone with compassion, who really understands people and their needs. Someone who could stand up to the PM and say about cuts to the Social Security budget:- ENOUGH!

We wish Esther McVey all the best for the future, but we know many people will cheering on her departure. She certainly is not PM material and 'DWP Minister' must surely be the apogee of her career in government.

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 ABC Note: It has been pointed out that Esther McVey is ‘now subject to a higher level benefit sanctions’ after voluntarily resigning from her job.

The ABC have an invitation to an event with the UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights on Friday at the:

International Maritime Organisation in London (4 Albert Embankment, London, SE1 7SR).

Image: International Maritime Organisation.

Today, Thursday 15th November 2018, Simon Collyer was at the Social Enterprise East of England (SEEE) at an event run in collaboration with Cambridgeshire Social Enterprise at the Lord Ashcroft International Business School, Cambridge.

A great event - you meet some amazing, inspirational people and pick up tips and new ideas. If you run a social enterprise or are thinking of starting one, these are two organisations you need to consider contacting or joining. 

Image. Anglia Ruskin University. 

Following a refusal to allow a vote at last nights cabinet meeting, Esther McVey, Work & Pensions Minister is said to be close to quitting.

A passionate BREXIT leaver, Esther McVey was said to have been in tears after a clash with PM Theresa May. In apparently a three minute confrontation, she is said to have repeatedly demanded a vote at the table to “put on record where everyone stood”. Number 10 sources said all twenty-nine ministers spoke in the Cabinet meeting and that no one threatened to resign however there are also reports Leader of the Commons Andrea Leadsom was also in tears and that she and International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt could also resign. There request for a free vote was rejected. 

In a briefing on November 27th by the Centre for Competitive Advantage in the Global Economy (CAGE) and the Social Market Foundation, Thiemo Fetzer, Associate Professor in Economics at the University of Warwick, will show that austerity was the salient factor that activated existing social and economic grievances, which significantly bolstered the Leave vote. In the week that new immigration statistics are published, he will examine the factors that drove the Leave vote, discussing how far the vote was an act of protest against globalization and to what extent Brexit can be seen as an “informed choice”. Thiemo will argue that the economic grievances that were born out markedly in the EU referendum are likely to persist well-beyond the UK exiting the EU.

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Urban is a National fixed fee lettings agency with local experts that guide you through the rental process. They have conducted a landlord survey and found these results.

There were some surprising results from the quiz, most notably: -

91% of landlords aren't following the correct process when it comes to tenants’ deposits.

90% of respondents weren’t up to date when it came to the new GDPR regulations and what documents are required to be compliant.

51% of landlords answered incorrectly when asked how often they need to apply for a Gas Safety Certificate for their rental property.

Only 32% of landlords knew the legal requirements for the number of smoke alarms required.

The majority of landlords (82%) are unfamiliar with the legal size of room allowed to be rented out to a single person - the correct answer is 6.51 sqm.

Just 18% on landlords know they must give 24 hours-notice before requesting to enter their rental property.

Other questions covered energy efficiency, the Section 21 notice, deeds of surrender, selective licensing.

ABC Note: This suvey certainly shows that tenants need to full understand their rights and obligations.

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In the report below, you will find more information:

Theresa May’s senior ministers will gather in as a at 2 p.m. this afternoon for what should be the most significant Cabinet meeting in years. The PM will seek the backing of her top team to press ahead with the draft Brexit deal agreed by negotiators in Brussels yesterday. This is after nineteen months of negociation. 

One minister it has been suggested could resign over this deal is Esther McVey, it has been pointed out as a way to escape the Universal Credit nightmare.  International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt and on Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey, are two ministers who didn’t have one-on-ones with the PM last night. If the both resigned that could sink the government it has been pointed out. We shall have to see. 

Not everyone is going to be happy that is for sure. 

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Dundee East MSP Shona Robison has urged the UK government to “think again” on investing £50 million through the Tay Cities Deal to secure a future for the Michelin tyre factory in Dundee.

 Image left: The Michelin tyre factory in Dundee.

Image: MSP Shona Robison. 
 
An extra cash injection has been ruled out yesterday by Scottish Secretary David Mundell. Since the potential closure of Dundee’s Michelin plant was announced, the SNP has urged the UK government to come forward with an additional £50 million to help save jobs – which would simply match the £200 million in city deal funding already committed by the Scottish Government.

Image: Scottish Secretary David Mundel.
 
Ms Robison said that failure to explore every option to secure jobs at the site, including an extra £50 million cash injection, would be “unforgiveable”.

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