Work TV

The Association of Pension & Benefit Claimants CIC (the ABC) is competing for a grant at Tesco’s Highwoods, alongside notables such as Barnardo’s (middle container). If you are doing your Sunday shopping at Highwoods, do drop your plastic counter in our bin.

We are about to buy a lot of film and lighting kit and a grant, so even that of third place would be very welcome.

If you can help us PLEASE post your counter to our box far right. 

ABC Comment, Please add yours below:

On the last business day of August 2018 in the US, the number of job openings reached a series high of 7.1 million.

Over the month, the number of job openings was little changed in August for total nonfarm, total private, and government. Job openings increased in federal government (+15,000).

ABC Comment, have your say below:

The EU wants new rules for the Gig Economy

-Transparent work contract from day one

-Specific set of rights for workers in non-traditional jobs

-Non-renewable six-month probationary period

New rules on minimum rights for workers in on-demand, voucher-based or platform employment, such as Uber or Deliveroo, were approved by the Employment Committee.

Employment Committee MEPs said on Thursday that a person, who for a certain period perform services for and under the direction of another person in return for remuneration, should be covered by these new concrete rights.

This would mean that workers in casual or short-term employment, on-demand workers, intermittent workers, voucher-based workers, platform workers, as well as domestic workers, freelancers, trainees and apprentices, deserve a set of minimum rights, as long as they meet these criteria.

Transparency

According to the approved text, all workers need to be informed from day one of the essential aspects of their contract, such as its duration, notice periods and initial basic salary. MEPs introduced a requirement for employers to provide such information in writing and include details about trainings, bonuses and overtime payments.

New forms of employment

To cover new forms of employment, MEPs focused on refining a specific set of rights and security.

• Variable working schedules: workers should be informed about guaranteed paid hours and the remuneration for work performed in addition to those guaranteed hours. The deadline by which the employer can cancel a contract, after which the worker is entitled to remuneration, should also be indicated.

• Predictable working hours: workers under on-demand contracts or similar forms of employment should benefit from a minimum level of stability and predictability and be able to refuse, without consequences, an assignment outside predetermined hours or be remunerated if the assignment was not cancelled in time.

• More than one job: the employer should not prohibit, sanction or hinder workers from taking jobs with other companies.

Probationary period and training

Probationary periods should be no longer than six months or nine months in the case of managerial positions, to ensure that a renewed contract cannot result in a new probationary period. It should not be possible to extend a probationary period unilaterally, under any circumstances.

MEPs backed the proposal that mandatory training should be provided free of charge by the employer and added the provision that it should be completed within working hours and count as working time.

 Quote

 Enrique Calvet Chambon (ALDE, ES), the lead MEP, said: “"This is a big step forward to reinforce and enhance the European social model and cohesion for the future.

The time to develop minimum rules on working conditions for European citizens has arrived. These minimum rights matters to the lives of 500 million Europeans; it is a response to their expectations and will contribute to balance flexibility and security.

Social Dialogue is the best way to face the challenges of new forms of employment. We propose to promote it as much as possible. These new forms of employment will now be supported by basic minimum concrete rights at European level. "

Next steps

The text was adopted with 30 votes to 7 and 11 abstentions. It will be now negotiated by Parliament and Council in order to hammer out the final shape of the rules.

ABC Comment, have your say below:

The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection wishes to sincerely apologise for the payment difficulties encountered by customers arising from the changeover to a new IT system and for the lack of communication which added to these issues.

The Department has recently moved from a payment-in-arrears system to a real-time payment system for Illness Benefit. The new system has been introduced to speed up initial payments on new claims and provide a more efficient service to customers.

The transition from the old to the new model has involved moving from a system of payment one week in arrears to payment during the current week for claims and certificates received during that week. Arising from this change a payment timing issue has arisen for a number of customers leading to higher than expected payments in some weeks followed by lower than expected payments being made in other weeks.

The Department would like to assure customers that – where issues have arisen – these are issues of timing and that all Illness Benefit customers will be paid the correct amount for the period of their certified illness. The Department acknowledges that these issues have caused difficulties for some customers, leading to a large volume of calls to our helpline and long delays in responding to calls. In order to address this, the Department is taking urgent action to deploy additional staff to manage customer calls.

In order to minimise any disruption to their payments, customers are asked to make sure, in the case of a continuing illness, that they are certified not just for the past period of illness but for a future period of illness of at least one week or to the expected date of their return to work, if sooner.

In addition, to ensure prompt payment we would advise that customers should ensure their claim/cert is submitted on the new IB1/MED1 forms to the Department directly at the following Freepost address: Social Welfare Services, P.O. Box 1650, Dublin 1.

Customers who have financial concerns arising from the move to the new system can apply to the Department’s Community Welfare Services to receive an interim payment.

If customers have any further queries with regard to their payments, they can call 01 – 7043300 or 1890 928 400 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and they will endeavour to reply as soon as possible.

ABC Comment below, have payment delays affected you?

DWP expects to pay £970 million in ESA underpayments to around 180,000 claimants.

The SNP has said the Tory government must urgently get a grip of its "appalling record of failure and mismanagement" on social security - after it emerged 180,000 disabled, sick and terminally ill people lost an average of £5,000 each in a £1.5billion Tory benefits error.

The UK government was today forced to admit that it must now pay out more than £1.5billion after mistaken calculations left tens of thousands of people without the money they were entitled to when they were moved onto the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). 

SNP MP Mhairi Black called on the UK government to make the backdated payments as soon as possible, and give support to those affected, while using the Budget to deliver a long-overdue boost to incomes after a decade of failed Tory austerity. 

Commenting Mhairi Black MP said:

"The Tory government must urgently get a grip on its appalling record of failure and mismanagement on social security, which has left millions of people poorer and worse off.

"It is frankly disgraceful that a staggering 180,000 disabled, sick and terminally ill people have been left without the financial support they desperately need - as a result of a £1.5billion UK government blunder, that has cost people an average of £5,000 each in lost income.

"These payments must be made as soon as possible, and those affected must be given the support they need. It is simply not good enough that people in crisis situations have been left without money to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads due to Tory mistakes.

"After a decade of failed Tory austerity, incomes have fallen while poverty and inequality have risen. The Chancellor must use the Budget to deliver a major and long-overdue boost to incomes and reverse the decline in living standards that the UK government has caused."

ABC Comment, have your say below:

Last week, the Welsh Government announced its provisional budget settlement, which includes the funding to go to Local Government.

Under the new settlement, Wrexham will see a 0.6 per cent decrease in funding – equivalent to £5million in cuts. You can feel just how hard ot is for Councils to continue to provided services with this level of cuts. 

ABC Comment, Have your say below:

Doing a bit of Facebook and Twitter marketing today. Reaching new people and connecting with existing  friends. We hope you do not mind the intrusion.... Big UC debate on after PM Question Time today - you can watch it live at www.abcorg.net The ABC is an independent association. People often get confused us being a government department. Nice comment but most defiantly not true….!!

PLEASE do comment on articles on our website.

We are going to be doing a lot more filmography soon. Thank you BIG Lottery…! 

A very kind invitation was extended to us by the Centre for Policy Development, Australia.SEE HERE:

Date: Tuesday, 11 December 2018

Time: 5.30 pm - 7.30 pm

Venue: Carriageworks, 245 Wilson St, Eveleigh NSW 2015

We would be delighted if you can attend this special and timely event! Please RSVP here said the invite .  

Last month, we asked you to save the date for CPD's second annual John Menadue Oration, which will be delivered by Professor Mariana Mazzucato on 11 December at Carriageworks in Sydney. Mariana advises policymakers around the world on innovation-led inclusive and sustainable growth. Mariana's new book, The Value of Everything, encourages us to rethink where wealth comes from and who creates it. Following her address, Mariana will be joined in conversation by David Thodey AO, who is chairing the independent review of the Australian Public Service. The conversation will be moderated by Laura Tingle, ABC 7:30's political correspondent. 

 RSVP NOW 

More about Mariana Mazzucato: Mariana is Professor in the Economics of Innovation and Public Value and is an advisor to governments and institutions around the world, including the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network Leadership Council; the Council of Economic Advisors for the First Minister of Scotland; the Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation for the European Union; the Secretary-General of the OECD; and the SITRA Advisory Panel in Finland. Learn more about Mariana's work though this Freakonomics podcast or her TEDtalk.

ABC Note: We shall not be attending as it stands but we would love to go. Anyone who fancies a trip to Sydney and can fund myself, we have the opportunity if you have the funds!

ABC Comment, have your say below: 

House of Commons

Wednesday 17 October 2018 Meeting starts at 11.30am

AGENDA

Oral questions: Scotland

Prime Minister's Question Time

Ten Minute Rule Motion: Collective Defined Contribution Pension Schemes

Opposition Day Debate: Universal Credit; Social Care Funding

Adjournment: Government approach to detrimental home insulation issues - Sir Mark Hendrick

Former Minister for Welfare Reform, Frank Field, asked the Minister of State for Work and Pensions to make a statement on the roll out of Universal Credit.

The Minister of State for the Department for Work and Pensions, Alok Sharma, responded to the question and provided details on the roll out policy.The Minister went on to state that the Government would take a slow and measured approach in the roll out of Universal Credit and would act on feedback throughout the process. He went on to announce that by December 2018 Universal Credit would be in every Job Centre in the country and that the managed migration process would be carried out from 2019-2013.Frank Field responded to the Minister and asked if the Government would ensure claimants who have been transferred to the new benefits system are not made worse off as a result. He also asked if the Government would guarantee claimants are not faced with hunger, destitution or homelessness once the reforms are in place.

House of Commons

Tuesday 16 October 2018 Meeting started at 11.33am, ended 7.33pm. Universal Credit starts 12:40:00