Work TV

BUDGET - Please see this budget summary below. 

James Andrews, Senior Personal Finance Editor at money.co.uk, said: “Rishi Sunak handed a tax cut worth £330 to millions of Britons today - with the promise of more to come.

“He also announced plans to help with rising bills - cutting fuel duty 5p a litre from tonight as well as removing VAT for energy efficient home improvements and adding more money to the fund councils have to help people struggling with energy bills.

“But with bills still set to soar in April and petrol and diesel prices well ahead of last year even after the cut, that doesn’t mean you can relax and should make sure you’re getting all the help available to you.

“Your first line of financial support is Universal Credit, a monthly allowance from the government, to help you cover basic necessities like food, rent and bills. If you are over the age of 18, unemployed, or on low income, you can apply for Universal Credit through the government website.

“You can also claim an additional allowance if you have children. Most people can receive support for their first two children, although there are some circumstances where you can claim for three or more. It’s worth checking your eligibility on the government website.

“If you have children but earn too much to claim Universal Credit, the next most common scheme of financial support is Child Benefit. This usually works as a monthly allowance, equaling around £21.42 a week for your first child, and an additional £14 a week for each child after. 

“When it comes to parenting, another huge financial burden for many is affording childcare payments - especially in the current financial climate. The good news is that the government has multiple schemes in place to ease the burden.

“Anyone who has children aged three or four is entitled to 15 hours free childcare, regardless of your employment status. If you’re currently employed, this increases to 30 free hours a week.

“You can also apply for 15 hours free childcare if you have a two-year-old, however, you will only be eligible if you’re already receiving another government benefit like Universal Credit. You can check your eligibility for all free childcare on the government website.

“Parents should also be aware of free school meals. In England, all children in state school are entitled to free school meals in reception and Years one and two. If you live in Scotland, all children are entitled to free school meals up to year 5 in state schools.

“Beyond this, if you’re receiving Universal Credit, or another benefit including Income Support and Child Tax credit, you can claim free school meals for your child from year 3 up, right until they finish school.

“When it comes to paying your bills, it’s really important that they are paid on time. Late bill payments often incur fees and negatively affect your credit score. One easy way of ensuring your bills are paid on time is by setting up a direct debit.

“It’s also important to prioritise your bills to ensure the most important are paid off first. This way, you can tick off bills like mortgage payments or rent that could see you lose your home above unsecured loans such as credit cards. 

“With millions struggling financially, it’s understandable that many will turn to using credit cards to make payments. These can work in your favour, as credit cards allow you to spread thousands of pounds of purchases over more than a year - often interest free for the first few months. However, if you don’t clear your debt on time, interest quickly starts to build up - especially if you’re only making the minimum payment each month. 

“If you are dealing with mountains of credit card debt, you may want to move this existing debt to a 0% balance transfer card. Shifting your debt to a 0% card means that you will not be charged any new interest for a set period. Just make sure you have a plan to clear that debt before the 0% period runs out though, or you’ll just end up back where you started.

“However, before you do this, it’s important to think carefully about whether you can set a sensible budget for paying off your balance within the 0% period, otherwise you’re only adding to your problems.  

“If you fail to pay your bills then you may be fined, while more serious cases can result in your service being rescinded and your provider employing a debt collecting agency to chase payment. It’s also worth remembering that this will negatively affect your credit rating. 

“Outstanding debts can feel like a huge weight, affecting your relationships, mental health and threatening your financial security, but the worst thing you can do is try and tackle this on your own.

“If you’re really struggling and need short-term support, you can get independent advice from several specialist services. StepChange is a charity that provides advice and help on budget and debt management. Similarly, Citizens Advice and National Debtline offer free, confidential advice to people facing debt problems in the UK. 

“The most important thing to remember is that you shouldn’t have to suffer on your own. Help is always available - just ask.”

For a full recap of the Spring Statement, visit https://www.money.co.uk/guides/spring-statement-2022

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UKRAINE - We have been following events as most of you are.

Wars cost money and following this conflict will be economic hardship both in Ukraine and Russia. There can be no victory for the ordinary people. Unemployment, economic hardship and misery will be the only winners.

It breaks our hearts to see what is happening in Ukraine. The great irony is that it is pulling people together in the western world. For a change,

Putin has united people. 'Sandwich gate' and Boris Johnson has been all but forgotten in the face of far less important matters. How fast things can change in the political world. 

We wish Ukraine all the best, which seems completely hollow.  What can we do? This is not our argument and to get involved could trigger a nuclear exchange. Putin though has a problem. Like Ghaddafi and Saddam Hussain, he has made himself a target and his country a pariah state. In time he will be delt with unless the Russian people do it first. 

Ukraine was far from perfect with lots of corruption in government. All that is forgotten. So often the reverse effect is obtained by people’s actions.  Putin has badly miscalculated. Julius Caesar met a violent end doing he same thing. Tyrants who rule by fear rarely die of old age.

Ukraine is in our thoughts. They are far from beaten. We must keep helping them every way we can.

 ABC Note, have your say below;

UNIVERSAL CREDIT - Today is the start of a government crackdown aimed at getting people off benefits and into work. 

Under the previous rules Claimants would have three months to find a job in an industry where they have experience and/or want to work in. That leeway has been reduced to just four weeks. A ridiculously short time, where even if you find a job you want to do, the recruitment process is likely to take longer than this short period. 

It remains to be seen whether it will make any difference. These jobs are likely to be low paid, and with everything going up due to inflation, how can people afford to travel to take up work? Top company directors argue they need to be paid what they are worth to incentivise them into work in jobs often grossly overpaid, yet those at the bottom are expected to be forced into mainly, rubbish, low-end jobs. Working for employers that want the lowest-cost labour. 

There is the question mark over the morality of refusing to pay benefits to people via sanctions who have paid tax even when out of work. Claimants still pay VAT and other taxes even without a job. If people have paid into the system, then they lose their job, the ethics of stopping their benefits is very questionable. 

The sanctions system is used by DWP staff pursuing personal vendettas against people who have upset them. The idea that the general public is slaves to the state goes against the principle of free-market economics where the public should be tempted and incentivised into work exercising free will.

The Peasants Revolt in 1381 saw wages rising as the plague had reduced the population giving the peasants higher bargaining power. The aristocracy was not having that. The rebels sought a reduction in taxation, an end to serfdom, and the removal of King Richard II's senior officials and law courts. 

From Wikipedia: The authorities responded to the chaos bypassing emergency legislation, the Ordinance of Labourers in 1349, and the Statute of Labourers in 1351. These attempted to fix wages at pre-plague levels, making it a crime to refuse work or to break an existing contract, imposing fines on those who transgressed. The system was initially enforced through special Justices of Labourers and then, from the 1360s onwards, through the normal Justices of the Peace, typically members of the local gentry.

Although in theory, these laws applied to both labourers seeking higher wages and to employers tempted to outbid their competitors for workers, they were in practice applied only to labourers, and then in a rather arbitrary fashion. The legislation was strengthened in 1361, with the penalties increased to include branding and imprisonment. The royal government had not intervened in this way before, nor allied itself with the local landowners in quite such an obvious or unpopular way.

If this all sounds like what is happening today don’t be surprised. The government are helping business owners to recruit staff by attempting to stop the use of free will in the jobs market. Forcing people into work by in essence by ‘fixing wages at pre-plague levels and making it a crime, at least a sanctionable event, if you refuse to accept work.

History revisits itself. We may see a revolt once more against these draconian measures emerge simmelar to the 'anti-vax' movement which is simmering away in the background. Freedom is hard to define a concept. You only know what it is when it is taken away. 

ABC Comment, have your say below: 

NEW JOBCENTRES - Towns and cities across Great Britain are now home to over 150 new temporary jobcentres and Youth Hubs which will support the Government’s new Way to Work campaign to get 500,000 people into work by the end of June.

Work coaches at jobcentres are at the forefront of the Government’s drive to help people find their Way to Work, and many of the team recently joined DWP as part of the rapid recruitment drive to hire 13,500 new work coaches across the country. 

Around a further 50 jobcentres are expected to open to the public in the coming months as efforts ramp up to get jobseekers into work faster by bringing them face to face with employers, and encouraging them to look for work in a sector they may not have previously considered.

More information on Way to Work.

Temporary jobcentre locations

More temporary jobcentres will be added to the list when locations are confirmed.

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NEW TECHNOLOGY - The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) has awarded a multi-million-pound contract to leading video specialist provider, Involve Visual Collaboration Limited, to provide communications services that support the virtualisation of the UK benefits system. The initial two-year contract value for Involve is £3.95m, with the option to extend the contract for a further two years, totalling up to £7.79m.

The DWP is the UK’s largest public service department and is responsible for administering the State Pension and a range of working age, disability, and ill health benefits. The DWP’s priority is to deliver accessible, effective, and fair services to customers, and assessments have traditionally been completed via face-to-face consultations. However, to respond to the increase in benefit claimants resulting from the pandemic, and to overcome the challenges customers may face in attending in-person appointments, the DWP acted fast to virtualise key business areas. ^1-3 This includes Personal Independent Payments, Universal Credit, Industrial Industries Disablement Benefit, Employment & Support Allowance and Fraud.³

Virtual assessments will improve accessibility to DWP services, as customers will be able to attend remotely, which will reduce work absences, and the need for travel and childcare costs. Virtual meetings will also mitigate COVID-19 health risks and make it easier for people with reduced mobility or disability to access the support they need.

Mick Roach, Director of Strategic Alliances at Involve, commented: “The COVID-19 pandemic has driven a huge increase in the demand for virtual meetings, due to the challenges of meeting in-person. As a result, the public sector has had to adapt and speed up their digital transformation to support those they serve. Having seen the positive impact that video technology has had within the healthcare space, we are excited to partner with the DWP to provide a more accessible service for their customers.”

References

1. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/dwp-benefits-statistics-february-2021/benefit-combinations-to-august-2020 [Last accessed: January 2022]
2. https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/dwp-benefits-statistics-august-2021/dwp-benefits-statistics-august-2021 [Last accessed: January 2022]
3. https://inductionhealthcare.com/regulatory_news/induction-attend-anywhere-wins-dwp-contract/ [Last accessed: January 2022]

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DWP INITIATIVE -  A new scheme from the Department of Work & Punishment aims to pressurize claiments into accepting low paid work sooner with the usual threats of santions and stopping benifits to those who have paid for them via their taxes.  

A new target to move half a million people into jobs by the end of June launches today, under ambitious government plans to turbo-charge our national recovery from COVID-19.

From the DWP - As we move out of the pandemic, with restrictions lifted and life returning to normal, the ‘Way to Work’ campaign will focus on getting job-ready people off Universal Credit and into work, rapidly filling vacancies which are at a record high.

Targeted predominantly at those in the intensive work search group on Universal Credit, Way to Work will support people back into work faster than ever before and filling vacancies more quickly. Latest figures from the ONS show that the demand for workers is there, with a record 1.2 million vacancies to fill, 59% higher than pre-pandemic levels.

To support people into work faster those who are capable of work will be expected to search more widely for available jobs from the fourth week of their claim, rather than from three months as is currently the case.

This clearer focus will ensure that, if people are not able to find work in their previous occupation or sector, they are expected to look for work in another sector and this will be part of their requirements for receiving their benefit payment.

For the vast majority of people who are already engaging fully with Jobcentre Plus, this could be the extra support they need to secure a job. However, for the small minority who do not engage, the sanctions regime will operate as usual.

They will be supported in this with more time spent face to face with a Work Coach to receive better, tailored support. We know work is the best way for people to get on, to improve their lives and support their families because people are at least £6,000 better off in full time work than on benefits.

Work and Pensions Secretary Thérèse Coffey said:

Helping people get any job now, means they can get a better job and progress into a career.

Way to Work is a step change in our offer to claimants and employers, making sure our jobcentre network and excellent Work Coaches can deliver opportunities, jobs and prosperity to all areas of the country.

As we emerge from COVID, we are going to tackle supply challenges and support the continued economic recovery by getting people into work. Our new approach will help claimants get quickly back into the world of work while helping ensure employers get the people they and the economy needs.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak said:

It’s important that everyone has the opportunity and support to find a good job to help them get on in life. That’s why we’re doubling down on our Plan for Jobs with this new campaign to harness the talent of jobseekers and support employers to fill vacancies, find work and create new opportunities.

Together we will boost this country’s jobs-led recovery.

Building on the success of the flagship Kickstart Scheme, DWP will work with a wider range of employers to cement positive relationships and show them the good quality of candidates coming through jobcentres.

This includes through direct engagement with employers across booming sectors like construction, haulage and logistics and social care, and over 350 jobs fairs mobilised across every region in the coming months. Major employers including Balfour Beatty, Whitbread Group, TalkTalk, Bourne Leisure, Ocado and Kier are already throwing their weight behind the campaign.

Ian Nicholas, Global Managing Director, Reed said:

We’ve been working closely with the Department for Work and Pensions for a number of years and in the drive to get people into work, this is now more important than ever. Working closely with the DWP has provided us with valuable access to people looking for work. Those not already working closely with the department should consider the benefits it can bring both for business and the UK economy.

Tony Ellender, Head of Professional Development, Balfour Beatty said:

Balfour Beatty is delighted to be working with DWP to promote our wide range of opportunities in construction.

Lisa Taylor, Head of Resourcing, Whitbread said:

Many of those who have joined us from the jobcentres during our time working closely together have gone on to build a successful career with us or maintain long term employment. At Whitbread, we passionately believe that by working together with Jobcentre Plus we can make a real difference to the lives of jobseekers in this country through our no barriers to entry and no limits to ambition approach, as well as being a force for good in our local communities.

Daniel Kasmir, Chief of People and Procurement at TalkTalk said:

We are happy to be working with DWP in exploring all recruitment solutions to look to fill our vacancies and will continue to do so with this push for jobs.

Anne Blyth, Talent Director, Haven said:

Work Coaches have enabled us to link with over 50 jobcentres across the UK supporting our parks from Scotland to Cornwall. Understanding the great opportunities in hospitality, the DWP has also provided extensive support for our recruitment programme referring candidates and providing, support for interviews, for assessment days and job fairs.

Cat Pardoe, Recruitment Business Partner, Kier Group PLC said:

Since taking the Kickstart process in-house, we have had the benefit of meeting with our DWP Account Manager on a fortnightly basis, and regularly reviewing progress has had a positive impact on our relationships with job centres. As job centres know their local markets well, the quality of candidates has been good; one job centre we work with has run events to drive interest in some of our opportunities, which has been hugely beneficial in promoting our roles to a new audience.

We’ve successfully offered a number of Kickstart placement employees permanent and apprenticeship opportunities at Kier, from construction management assistant, to HR administrators and information security analysts.

Jonatan Gal, VP for Customer Fulfilment, UK, Amazon said:

Amazon is proud to offer excellent career opportunities for job-seekers, as well as great pay and benefits. Working collaboratively with the DWP, both locally and at a national level, has enabled us to find great candidates the length and breadth of the UK.

Locally, our teams know that when they partner with Jobcentre Plus they will be supported by local work coaches and will receive applications from high quality, local candidates. And at a national level, we recruit talented, committed job-seekers through our work with the National Employer Partnership Team (NEPT) on key initiatives, such as the Care Leaver Covenant and the Disability Confident Scheme.

Further information

Under existing rules claimants have 3 months to find a job in their preferred sector before facing the prospect of sanctions. New rules will mean that sanctions could begin 4 weeks after their initial UC claim, if they’re not making reasonable efforts to find and secure a job in any sector or turn down a job offer.

ABC Note: Company directors have been living in luxuary with large wage and dividend payments since the 70’s while workers’ wages have been diminishing in real terms and are now shrinking rapidly due to inflation. Not surprisingly people are arguing, if I have to be dirt poor, I might as well be dirt poor on the dole. Going to work costs money and the cost of travel following privatization has soared.  If companies want workers, they are going to have to improve their offer, not expect the DWP to punish people into work. It just is not going to happen. 

ABC Comment have your say below:

HIGH ENERGY COSTS - Michael Clarke, Head of Information Programmes at Turn2us, says:

“For millions of us, the announcement of a higher energy price cap will undoubtedly make people feel uncertain and worried about their finances for the future. At a time when the cost-of-living is soaring, people are already being forced to make impossible choices in order to survive.  

“The cost-of-living crisis isn’t just a temporary problem over the winter. For a long time now, incomes haven’t kept up with increasing costs of essentials in life and so the adequacy of people’s finances must be addressed as a matter of urgency by the government. While we welcome any intervention to reduce the cost of people’s energy bills, including a potential £200 rebate, we want to see the government take more targeted measures to support people on the lowest incomes.

“We urge the government to reassess the accessibility of the Warm Home Discount, look at what more it can do to provide people with crisis support through local councils and in the longer-term, review benefit levels and set them based on the true cost-of-living. It’s time to make sure everyone receives enough financial support to afford the essentials in life.”

The Turn2us website (www.turn2us.org.uk) includes a Benefits Calculator to find out what welfare benefits and tax credits people could be entitled to, a Grants Search to find out if people might be eligible for support from over 1,500 charitable funds, and a range of information and resources to help people struggling to get by.    

Action for children responds to chancellor’s measures to tackle rising energy bills

'The help announced for these families today won’t be enough. We’re going to see more children going hungry...'

Imran Hussain, director of policy and campaigns at Action for Children, said: ‘Soaring energy prices are the latest battle for low-income families already locked in a permanent cost of living crisis. We welcome the government is taking action, but the proposals outlined today are poorly targeted.

‘Just over 100 days ago, the families we help lost £1,000 a year in Universal Credit, and will now have nearly £700 a year added to their bills. The help announced for these families today won’t be enough. We’re going to see more children going hungry as parents struggle to make ends meet.

‘The best way to help those most affected such as low-income families with children is through the benefits system, rather than council tax, which is measured on out-of-date property values, not on income.’

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UNIVERSAL CREDIT - Approximately half a million Brits are newly eligible following a change to the rules last year.

More than 1.3 million people could be missing out on Universal Credit payments of up to £7,300 a year, according to data from ​​the New Economics Foundation. The number of Brits eligible for the benefit has skyrocketed thanks to a rule change in the Autumn Budget.

To find out more about the change, and whether you are now eligible, see money.co.uk’s quick and easy guide below.

James Andrews, Senior Personal Finance Editor at money.co.uk, said: “In November, Rishi Sunak slashed the Universal Credit taper rate, the mechanism that sees your benefits withdrawn as your earnings rise. As a result, thousands of people who previously earnt too much to be able to claim benefits now qualify for Universal Credit.

“To be exact, taper relief was changed so that rather than lose 63p of benefits for every extra pound earnt, you now only lose 55p. It means you can earn hundreds more before your benefits are reduced to £0.

“On top of this, the work allowance - which is how much you can earn before the taper rate applies - has gone up by £500 a year. Under the new rules, a single parent with two children and rental bills of £750, could earn up to £52,000 a year and still qualify, compared to £44,500 previously.

“Combine the two and people can now make more money each month without losing any of their benefits payments, and will lose less of any money they earn above the work allowance.

“With millions of Brits seeing their essential bills rise, the Universal Credit rule changes should not be ignored as a way of getting hold of some extra cash to help make ends meet. 

“And thanks to a number of handy online benefits calculators, it’s simple to find out. Using sites like EntitledTo and Turn2Us, you can find out your benefit entitlement in less than 10 minutes - all you need to do is answer a series of simple questions about your living and work situations.

“If you are eligible, then monthly payments will vary between £344 and £596.58, depending on your circumstances. A single payment is paid into your bank account each month if you live in England or Wales, although you can apply for an alternative payment arrangement if you need additional support. In Scotland and Northern Ireland there is the option of payment every two weeks.

“For more information about what Universal Credit is and how it works, use money.co.uk’s comprehensive guide here: https://www.money.co.uk/guides/what-is-universal-credit.htm.”

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LIZ TRUSS - Liz Truss’s trip to Australia on a private jet is scandalous. If you are flying around in Europe and you have a number of meetings that you need to get done in a day, a private jet can be cost effective against airline flights with all the loading and unloading and boarding.

You can have meetings on the plane, arrive in good shape after a sleep. Flying to Australia is a complete piss take. A disgusting waste of money. Two fingers up to the taxpayer and to all those who have had their state benefits cut.

Liz Truss ought to go along with Boris. Truss visited Colchester at the request of Will Quince MP. I didn’t really rate her. A free marketer as long as competition does not apply to her of course. Privileged upper class thick’o was my opinion. All theory and no practical. A female, 'Tim, Tim - nice but dim'. You would need to be lacking in common-sense to go and do something so high profile at a time your boss (who appointed you) was the subject of intense media scrutiny.

Where do they find these people? Anyone that thinks the upper-Classes are where they are because they are smarter than the rest of us could be in for a big surprise. 

ABC Note: How you treat company expenses is often watched by the company you work for. If you are given latitude to spend money, it’s a good idea not to spend lavishly if you are new to a company. Wait till you have proved yourself. Show that you are responsible, and you can be trusted. Avoid bunging alcohol on hotel meal bills especially from the expensive mini-bar.  Don't scrimp on necessary expenditure either. Do not make yourself seem like a mug or someone lacking in confidence. Your not expected to sleep in the park in a tent on company business but don’t rush to book into the Ritz if you are given latitude to spend company money. 

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SANCTIONS - Jobseekers are going to be forced to look for jobs outside their chosen field of work 

According to the BBC, from Thursday, people will have to look outside their sectors after just four weeks, rather than three months, or face sanctions.

Ministers want 500,000 jobseekers in work by the end of June.

Job vacancies hit a record high of 1.22 million between September and November.

As part of the jobs push - called "Way to Work" - claimants will have to widen their job search outside their previous occupation or sector after four weeks, rather than three months.

A percentage of their benefits could be cut if they are deemed to not be making reasonable efforts to get a job, or if they turn down a job offer.

ABC Note: This is a policy to suit the government not the jobseeker. In work it is actually much harder to get the job that you want as you don't have the flexibility to attend interviews. The pointlessness of going to college to train for a career and then find you are forced into doing something else menial is not missed. 

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