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Over Half of Investigations Against Councils Upheld Last Year By the Ombudsman. 

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman’s annual report has revealed that 57 per cent of the investigations into complaints against councils were upheld last year.

The organisation’s figures show a total of 31,664 complaints and enquiries from the public over the past year, with the Ombudsman making 730 recommendations to improve services for the wider public, almost a fifth more than the year before.

Where the Ombudsman upholds a complaint, it can recommend councils and care providers make changes to avoid the problems highlighted in a case affecting further people. Overall, the Ombudsman made 3,949 recommendations last year, which includes actions to put things right for the individuals that complained.

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SNP Spends Just Under £400m Plugging Westminster Welfare Cuts 
 
Tory welfare cuts since 2010 dwarf entire Scottish social security budget
 
SNP MSP Clare Adamson has said that Scotland is “tackling poverty with one hand tied behind our backs”, following revelations the SNP Scottish Government has spent almost £400m in four years plugging the gaps created by Tory austerity.
 
Despite Westminster’s £211m real terms cuts to Scotland’s fiscal resource budget this year, the SNP Government is spending over £127m mitigating UK Government welfare policies, such as the bedroom tax, and supporting those on low incomes.
 
By the end of this decade, Westminster cuts since 2010 will have reduced annual welfare spend in Scotland by £4 billion, which is more than the entire budget for the new Social Security system in Scotland.
 
SNP MSP Clare Adamson, who chairs Holyrood’s Social Security Committee, said:

“The Tories think they can do whatever they want to Scotland and get away with it.

“Despite continued cuts to Scotland’s budget, over the past four years the SNP Scottish Government has spent nearly £400m plugging the gaps created by Tory austerity to try to keep people in Scotland from further hardship.

“In that time, Tory cuts have driven up the number of food bank parcels distributed in Scotland by nearly 30%, and this year alone it’s estimated that Tory cuts will leave 3.1 million children with working parents below the official breadline across the UK.

“It is totally unacceptable that in 2018 people are finding themselves in these situations through absolutely no fault of their own.

“With our limited powers over welfare in Scotland we are building a social security system with dignity and respect at its heart - but as long as the Tory government in Westminster persists with such damaging, callous welfare policies, Scotland will be tackling poverty with one hand tied behind our backs.”
 
ABC Note: SG spending on welfare reform impact mitigation, and supporting those on low incomes

Source: Scottish Government figures, provided by SPICe.

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Housing and Regeneration Minister Rebecca Evans has written to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to warn about the impact Universal Credit is having on some of the most vulnerable people in Wales.

Rebecca Evans said: 

“Foodbank use in areas where Universal Credit has been rolled out has increased by 30% according to National Audit Office statistics, compared to a 12% increase in non-Universal Credit areas. This is extremely worrying.

“A Universal Credit claimant survey from Esther McVey’s own department shows that four in ten claimants were experiencing financial difficulties, and that 46% of new Universal Credit claimants need help to make their claim online.  

“I have asked the Secretary of State to make Universal Support for people who claim Universal Credit available as widely as possible to help those people who are experiencing difficulties in managing their finances, and for those who are struggling with digital access. 

“The recent National Audit Office report was clear; local authorities, housing associations and landlords are all seeing an increase in rent arrears since the introduction of Universal Credit. 

“This chimes with many concerns raised and reported to me by the housing sector in Wales. 

“The National Audit Office highlighted that the system is lacking in ways to identify vulnerable people, which makes it difficult to see how they are getting the right support, from the outset when they apply for Universal Credit. I have asked the Secretary of State to explain how she plans to rectify this. 

“People who are more vulnerable can be offered alternative payment arrangements through Universal Credit, but we are seeing real inconsistencies in the way this is offered to claimants; the Department of Work and Pensions’ own claimant survey indicated that as many as 48% of those surveyed had to request this themselves, rather than being offered it proactively.

“I am deeply concerned about the flaws of Universal Credit, and its impact on the most vulnerable people in Wales, and I will continue to press the UK Government on addressing these.” 

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There were 27,388 individual insolvencies in Q1 2018, consisting of 16,676 individual voluntary arrangements (IVAs, 61% of the total), 6,524 debt relief orders (DROs, 24%) and 4,188 bankruptcies (15%).

Individual insolvencies increased this quarter, reaching a five-year high

Total individual insolvencies in Q1 2018 were 6.8% higher than in the previous quarter, and 8.5% higher than in the same quarter the previous year. This continued the increasing trend observed since 2015 and was the highest quarterly total since Q3 2012.

This was mainly driven by an increase in IVAs which rose to a new high The number of IVAs in Q1 2018 rose 8.3% compared with Q4 2017. This was the largest quarterly number of IVAs since they were introduced in 1987. Bankruptcies were higher than a year ago Bankruptcies overall rose by 9.6% on the quarter and also by 9.3% on the year.

Bankruptcies on both debtors’ own applications and creditors’ petitions increased on the quarter and on the same corresponding quarter in 2017. Debt relief orders (DROs) also increased DROs increased by 1.3% on the quarter and by 6.9% on the same quarter in 2017. The insolvency rate increased In the 12 months ending Q1 2018, the rate of insolvency was 21.8 per 10,000 adults (1 in 458 adults).

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Company insolvencies the first quater this year have also increased. 

ABC Note: An individual voluntary arrangement (IVA) is a formal agreement allowing you to make affordable payments to your debts, usually over five or six years. At the end of your IVA any unsecured debt left is written off. You can also make a one-off payment known as a lump-sum IVA. There are disadvantages however and you need to take advice before taking this route. 

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Early day motion

Session: 2017-19

Date tabled: 10.07.2018

Primary sponsor: Godsiff, Roger

Sponsors:

That this House views with concern the problems currently experienced by many vulnerable universal credit (UC) applicants, particularly those in hostel accommodation and living with mental health problems, providing acceptable ID to banks for the purposes of establishing a bank account which is a condition of receipt of UC; notes that the Statement available on the universal credit website is proving not to be acceptable for these purposes to banks in a way that historical legacy proof of benefit letters were accepted; further notes that the Department of Work and Pensions is aware of these problems but has yet to schedule any remedy; and welcomes the existence of the Payment Exception Service to enable clients to receive cash vouchers with UC payments, but believes that this adds further unnecessary pressure and stress to those in situations who need it least.

ABC Note: Roger Duncan Godsiff MP (born 28 June 1946) is a British Labour politician, who has served as Member of Parliament for Birmingham Hall Green since 2010 general election, prior to which he was Member of Parliament for Birmingham Sparkbrook and Small Heath from 1992–2010.

An early day motion (EDM), in the Westminster system, is a motion, expressed as a single sentence, tabled by Members of Parliament that formally calls for debate "on an early day". In practice, they are rarely debated in the House and their main purpose is to draw attention to particular subjects of interest.

New analysis from the Office for National Statistics published today shows that there are over half a million people in the UK experiencing the poorest levels of personal well-being.

This means they have poor ratings across all four personal well-being measures: life satisfaction, feeling that the things they do in life are worthwhile, happiness and anxiety.

The most significant factor associated with poorest personal well-being is having ‘bad’ or ‘very bad’ health – those people are almost 14 times more likely to report the poorest personal well-being than those with ‘very good’ or ‘good’ health.

ONS also found that disabled people were almost twice as likely as non-disabled people to report poor personal well-being across all the measures. The ONS has identified other individual factors that are associated with the lowest levels of personal well-being, besides health. These include: being economically inactive with long-term illness or disability; being middle-aged, being single/ separated/ widowed or divorced; renting their home; having no, or basic, education. “There are inequalities in our society beyond the purely economic ones,” says Silvia Manclossi from the Office for National Statistics. “Today, for the first time, we have identified some of the factors common to the half a million people in the UK with the lowest level of personal well-being. Improving how people feel about their lives is important for the health of our society in so many ways – not least the social and economic implications. Today’s findings will help target services to support those in most need.”Three groups of people were identified as being at particular risk of having the poorest personal well-being:

• Unemployed/ economically inactive renters with self-reported health problems/ disability;
• Employed renters with self-reported health problems/ disability;
• Retired home owners with self-reported health problems/ disability.

Image: Retired home owners with health issues are in the lowest catagory. 

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A young apprentice’s career has lift-off thanks to the loan of a moped to help him get to work.

Scott Redmond, a management apprentice at the Golden Glider Café at Lasham Airfield, had been struggling to get to work but can now keep his job thanks to the vehicle loaned from the Wheels to Work scheme.

The 16-year-old is using one of 10 such mopeds available to hire in the East Hampshire area to help people with limited access to transport links get to work.

The Wheels to Work scheme, operated by Community First New Forest and funded by East Hampshire District Council, Hampshire County Council, Winchester City Council, Test Valley Borough Council and New Forest District Council, has been available across East Hampshire since 2009 and enables people to get to job interviews, vocational training or get to their job.

Scott said: “Wheels to Work has been great as it has allowed me to get to work a lot easier and not rely on my parents for lifts.

“It has allowed me to continue with my apprenticeship which I wouldn’t have been able to do because there are limited public transport links in the Lasham area.”

East Hampshire MP Damian Hinds recently met Scott to learn more about the project, he said: “I think the Wheels to Work scheme is a really positive thing, especially here in East Hampshire and areas like ours where it is quite rural and can sometimes be difficult to get to work.

 “I would encourage people who live in the area who are looking to get a job or apprenticeship and are worried about how they are going to get to it to get involved in the scheme.”

 Councillor Rob Humby, Executive Member for Environment and Transport at Hampshire County Council, said: “Wheels to Work can make a huge difference to people finding a job or apprenticeship, or getting to training or interviews.

 “I’m delighted Hampshire County Council is able to support this in East Hampshire as well as other rural areas of in the county such as the New Forest, Test Valley and around Winchester.”

The scheme helps people with limited access to public or private transport by loaning them a moped at a nominal weekly charge.

 For £17 to £20 a week, depending on the age and type of moped, users of the scheme can hire a moped which is fully taxed and insured, with full breakdown and service cover. Hirers will also be provided with safety equipment such as a helmet, gloves and a protective ‘armour’ jacket. Compulsory basic training is also covered in the cost.

 The mopeds can be loaned for three to 12 months by anyone aged 16 and above. The average loan period is five months and the scheme makes sure there are continued transport arrangements in place once the loan period has ended.

 Councillor Julie Butler, EHDC’s Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Customer Relations, said: “The Wheels to Work scheme is a lifeline to a lot of people who don't have access to community transport.

 “It's the first step on the ladder to help them get into employment and we are delighted to be able to offer it in East Hampshire”

 If you are interested in hiring a moped, or would like more information about the scheme, visit: http://www3.hants.gov.uk/wheels-to-work.

Image: East Hampshire MP Damian Hinds (far left) and Councillor Rob Humby (far right), Executive Member for Environment and Transport at Hampshire County Council, meet Scott Redmond (centre), an apprentice at the Golden Glider Café at Lasham Airfield, to learn more about how the Wheels to Work scheme has helped him.

Theresa May has now lost almost a third of her Cabinet in the past nine months. Brexiteer backbenchers probably have the 48 Tory MPs they need to trigger a confidence vote in her leadership, but not the 159 required to force her from office.

Following the reshuffle Esther McVey meanwhile has no plans to resign as DWP minister.

ABC Comment: Construction output has continued its recent decline, the third consecutive fall. In May alone construction fell by 1.7%, driven largely by a sharp decrease of 2.5% in new work. Last year social housing numbers hit the lowest since records began whilst the numbers of people sleeping on our streets rose dramatically. While everyone is focused on BREXIT there is much else we could be discussing. 

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Graduates interested in developing a career in the thriving IT sector are being offered the opportunity to participate in Deloitte’s Cloud Academy.

The ten week pre-employment training programme, backed by the Department for the Economy provides graduates with the skills and knowledge to work in the fast growing area of Cloud technology. Academy participants will receive £150 weekly training allowance and be interviewed for a position with Deloitte. If successful, graduates can expect a salary of £20,000 plus benefits with a clear path to progressing their career in Deloitte including opportunities to gain an industry recognised qualification in Amazon Web Services.

Ann Williamson, Head of Employer Skills at the Department for the Economy said: “Northern Ireland is increasingly becoming a leading technology hub with businesses across all industries looking to take advantage of web-based IT cloud services.

“Assured Skills Academies help graduates, with any degree, gain the skills needed for high quality jobs, many of which are in cutting edge technologies such as Cloud technology.”

Over 85% of graduates who previously participated in Assured Skills Academies went onto secure employment.

Highlighting the significance of the Academy, Jackie Henry, Senior Partner at Deloitte, commented: “Cloud technology is everywhere, transforming how many of our clients do business. This Academy provides graduates with the opportunity to gain the skills, knowledge, and experience required to get the best out of the technology available and help our clients on that journey.  

“Cloud technology is a key growth area for Deloitte so alongside the Department for the Economy, I’m delighted to launch our second Cloud Academy, designed to help develop the key skills needed for the future workplace in Belfast. ”

Jason Hutchings completed the first Cloud Academy in 2016, talking about his experience he said: “My arts degree was in 3D design which isn’t related to Cloud technology but I was attracted to the Academy because it places a big emphasis on transferrable skills such as teamwork and problem solving skills.  I knew this would stand me in good stead for future career opportunities. On completion of the Academy I was interviewed by the company and was successful in gaining a full-time position with Deloitte. I would encourage all graduates irrespective of their degree to consider the Academy which provides a great route into employment and the IT Sector.”

Further information on the Cloud Academy and how to apply can be found on the nidirect website at www.nidirect.gov.uk/asssured-skills. Deadline to apply is Friday 3 August 2018 with a start date for the academy in early September 2018.

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Base closure threat signals more pain for Scottish communities
 
The Ministry of Defence has cut 2,000 military and civilian jobs in Scotland since 2012, with communities the length and breadth of the country bearing the cost of misguided Tory policies.
 
Successive UK governments have hammered Scotland’s armed forces and systematically dismantled Scottish regiments with a proud military past, rooted in local communities.
 
These latest figures provided in a response to a Freedom of Information request by the SNP show a 12.3% reduction in the MoD headcount across a range of Scottish sites, with South Ayrshire losing all of its military personnel since 2012, Edinburgh losing 500 military jobs and Fife losing 520 MoD jobs in total.
 
This follows the announcement that the Tories intend to close a further eight military bases across Scotland, amounting to a 20% reduction in Scotland’s defence footprint and serious implications in terms of jobs and damage to communities and local economies. The sites earmarked for closure include the 250-year-old Fort George near Inverness and the Glencorse Barracks in Penicuik which underwent a £60 million upgrade in recent years.
 
The SNP supports further spending on conventional defence infrastructure and jobs in Scotland while arguing vociferously against the renewal of the Trident nuclear weapons system at a cost of £205 billion to the taxpayer.
 
Highlands and Islands MSP Maree Todd said:
 
“These are devastating figures, which reveal the extent of MoD cuts upon Scotland.
 
“There’s barely a community that isn’t being hammered, as the Tories grind down our armed forces, hollow out Scotland’s proud military past and spare little thought for local communities and the jobs that depend on the military.
 
“But what’s worse is that they aren’t done wielding the axe.
 
“The Tories want to mothball a fifth of Scotland’s defence estate in the coming years – meaning more jobs cut and more economic damage.

Image: MSP Christine Grahame.

Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale MSP Christine Grahame said:
 
“Glencorse Barracks in my constituency supports a whole local economy in neighbouring Penicuik, the shops and local services. The MoD has invested £60 million in this site alone in recent years. Selling off the site makes poor operational as well as economic sense.
 
“And all so they can afford fund the UK government’s biggest vanity project of all – wasting £205 billion on renewing Trident, which Scotland doesn’t need or want.
 
“It makes no sense, and those who work in and depend on our armed forces shouldn’t pay the price.”