Work TV

BARNACLED WARSHIP - A Barnacled Warship is what we feel like at times battling the authorities. 

Johnny Flynn is a very talented musician and actor, from Johannesburg, South Africa. Jonny recently potrayed David Bowie in a movie. 

A bit of a diversion but we do like our music. See if you like this one - 'Barnacled Warship'. 

Take it away Johnny...

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MENTAL HEALTH - Unemployment benefits will hit their lowest real value in more than three decades this April, a think tank has pointed out.

The Resolution Foundation said the system will be worth just £77.29 a week in a “porous safety net” that has sent child poverty rising from 27% to 31%.

The Mental Health of those on benefits is being severely tested and many families are in temporary accommodation, far below the size necessary and in some cases living in very poor conditions. Local Authorities are struggling to find places and private landlords are turning their backs on tenants on benefits so low that rent arrears are almost inevitable.

No one knows what the long term effects will be on children this insecurity will cause. On their educational achievement. On their ability to cope with a life that can be increasingly stressfull as patterns of employment changes. 

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MENTAL HEALTH - People are returning to the workplace and classroom (or are planning to) as COVID-19 restrictions are eased. For some, anticipating a return to normal has become a source of stress, but understanding signs of stress can help people manage the condition and such transitions.

Returning to “Normal” Guide Mental Health, Post-COVID

A lot has changed since the World Health Organization declared the outbreak of the novel coronavirus-caused COVID-19 a global pandemic on March 11, 2020. Since then COVID-19 has killed millions and sickened hundreds of millions around the world.

Lockdowns and safety measures have kept many of us out of the workplace or classroom for months or longer. That’s affected our mental health. For some, the isolation has fueled anxiety and depression. For others, the prospect of returning to the workplace is a major source of stress.

Americans started receiving COVID-19 vaccines in December 2020, with the most shots being administered in April 2021. As variants of the coronavirus have been emerging, hundreds of millions of vaccines have been administered throughout the United States and around the world.

Since the vaccines have appeared to reduce cases and deaths, life has in some respects and in some places has begun to return to normal.

Except where it hasn’t.

Mental Health

The pandemic has not only affected our physical health but our mental health, too. Throughout COVID-19 people struggled (and continue to struggle) with uncertainty, isolation, and grief.

One survey looked at the mental health of full-time American workers in the first months of the pandemic. Among its findings: the pandemic was not good for mental well-being. Before COVID-19, 39 percent of workers reported mental health issues. After the coronavirus hit, that number climbed to 46 percent.

More than half (55 percent) of respondents said since the pandemic started, their mental health problems have interfered with their work.

Mental health issues can lead to other problems, including co-occurring disorders, such as when mental illness and addiction coexist. Left untreated, such disorders can result in many long-term health problems, risky behaviors, and reduced work quality.

Struggling Day to Day

Addiction and substance use problems did not dwindle, either.

Drug overdose deaths were on the rise even in 2019, but they climbed considerably in 2020, particularly during the early months of the pandemic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Fear and despair may be factors, but since many treatments and support options were closed, limited, or moved online, that led some to relapse.

Nationwide alcohol sales also accelerated, by 54 percent in the early weeks of lockdowns. Alcohol consumption went up, too, by 14 percent from 2019 to 2020. The frequency of use also rose. Other findings include:

One in 10 missed work or were less productive due to addiction or substance abuse.

36% of those struggling with substance abuse said it’s hurt their work even more since COVID-19.

One-third said that a significant portion of their workday suffers when they also are grappling with mental health or substance abuse problems.

Working from home is leading to other issues as well. Not everyone’s work-from-home stations are ergonomically sound. That can contribute to neck, shoulder, and back pain, leading to reduced efficiency, increases in sick days, worsening mood disorders, and dependence on pain medications.

For anyone struggling with mental health issues, be it anxiety, depression, or thoughts of self-harm, there are many ways a person can find help.

Calling a health care provider can be one way. So can reaching out to your primary care physician. If those aren’t options, below is a sampling of resources for finding help:

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 800a273aTALK (8255). This is a national network of centers that offer free and confidential support 24 hours a day to anyone struggling with a mental health crisis. There are chat options too.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC has resources for employees, how they can better manage job strain during the pandemic. It offers a list of symptoms, work-related factors that can add stress, tips to build resilience and handle stress, and ways to find help. It also has information for the workplace, including general, industry-specific, and health department resources.
• LinkedIn Learning has courses, too, including Supporting Your Mental Health While Working from Home. There is a fee, but this resource offers advice on challenges such as managing disruptions and balancing work, parenting, and school.
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). This grassroots mental health organization is dedicated to helping people through mental illness. It has links to local (state) chapters, news, a blog, a guide, and resources for COVID-19. Its national helpline, 800a950aNAMI (6264), is open to anyone needing support or advice.
• National Domestic Violence Hotline. 800a799aSAFE (7233), or text START to 88788. Help is available 24 hours a day, for survivors and victims of domestic abuse. Expert advocates are on the line to offer free, confidential support, information, and referral services.
• Resuming Business Toolkit. The CDC also has a toolkit for employers to help them slow the spread of COVID-19 as they reintroduce workers to the workplace. It includes checklists, protection advice, resources, and more.
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). This federal clearinghouse of information has a Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator that lets users search for mental health and substance abuse treatment options by location, specialty, insurance plan, and more.
• U.S. Department of Labor. This federal site has links to finding vaccines and help for those suffering long-term COVID-19. There is also information about workplace safety, wage and hour laws, and unemployment insurance.

Some employers have Employee Assistance Programs (EAP), too, which offer things such as free assessments, short-term counseling, referrals, and more for workers struggling with personal or work-linked problems. Human resources departments often have information on EAPs.

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DEATH OF OUR SUPPORTER - We just want to say goodbye to Brian our neighbour and great supporter.

Brian was a friend and neighbour and we regularly used to pop over and see him. Pretty much daily for some time. Brian was funny, seriously witty, and he had a wealth of funny stories and insights, he was a great raconteur. Brian just wanted to watch TV all day and showed little sign of doing anything more than that, beyond walking his dog..

Brian’s dog Lola was a great friend to him, but she was suffering as well from arthritis and the environment she was living in. Lola was getting on in years. She was taken away by relatives we believe. Brian was always very caring and loving towards her.

Brian was an alcoholic and over the last three years, we saw him slowly sink downhill. He would drink beer and 'voddy' on a continuous, daily basis. Brian had been a psychiatric nurse but the death of a lady friend who Brian found in her flat, was found lying next to an electric fire for three days and this pushed Brian to the brink he said. This event seemed to instigate Brian's slide downhill.

Drinking affects your hearing and when Brian put his TV on at 3 am at full blast, we had to read the riot act more than once to get a night’s sleep.

Brian had it seemed a bulletproof constitution. He was heard being sick though on various occasions.

We contacted Colchester Borough Council, though Brian never realized that Simon Collyer did this. The Council made regular visits as did a local church. As a result of our combined efforts Brian was given new second-hand furniture and clean bedding.

In the end, his drinking caught up with him - all we can say is the end stages of alcoholism are not a pretty sight. Brian had a pacemaker fitted after a heart attack but that did not slow down his drinking. It left Brian 'out of wind' as if someone had punched him in the stomach. Yet Brian never complained. He was always sunny and cheerful. He was depressed inside potentially yet outwardly he never showed it.

Last Christmas we shared food and popped round for a laugh and a chat. This year was different. Too much on at the ABC and we did not pay enough attention, to our great regret. Brian’s new bed was black with urine stain, and his flat stank of urine and his appearance was completely dishevelled by now. 

We heard this week Brian had passed away after Christmas.

Alcohol can be great fun, it can liven the party or a social gathering, it can even foster creativity in those who pontificate, sit, and think and philosophize. Abuse alcohol and it will extract its toll. The end stages of alcoholism are pretty awful. It can affect people regardless of social class, intelligence, or ability. If you a drinker, you have to know when to stop.

Don’t make drinking alcohol the whole of your life.

The alcoholics we know of are reactive not pro-active people. They are people who are generally bored but never go out and proactively find a purpose in life. An occupation, a hobby and so on… There are high achieving alcoholics. However, using alcohol to chase away boredom is not a good idea.

If you think you have a problem with alcohol, seek help, get counselling get advice. Take control of the situation.

Drinkers in the UK get drunk more than any other nation in the world, findings from a global survey suggest. Britons reported getting drunk an average of 51.1 times in a 12-month period – almost once a week – the report featuring 36 countries found. On average, respondents said they got drunk 33 times in the last year.

From a Guardian article - the nine alcohol-fuelled personality types are:

• "De-stress drinkers" use alcohol to regain control of life and calm down. They include middle-class women and men.
• "Conformist drinkers" are driven by the need to belong and seek a structure to their lives. They are typically men aged 45 to 59 in clerical or manual jobs.
• "Boredom drinkers" consume alcohol to pass the time, seeking stimulation to relieve the monotony of life. Alcohol helps them to feel comforted and secure.
• "Depressed drinkers" may be of any age, gender or socioeconomic group. They crave comfort, safety and security.
• "Re-bonding drinkers" are driven by a need to keep in touch with people who are close to them.
• "Community drinkers" are motivated by the need to belong. They are usually lower middle class men and women who drink in large friendship groups.
• "Hedonistic drinkers" crave stimulation and want to abandon control. They are often divorced people with grown-up children, who want to stand out from the crowd.
• "Macho drinkers" spend most of their spare time in pubs. They are mostly men of all ages who want to stand out from the crowd.
• "Border dependents" regard the pub as a home from home. They visit it during the day and the evening, on weekdays and at weekends, drinking fast and often.

The DrinkCheck web tool should be available at www.nhs.uk/units.

Image: Brian, we are going to miss you. 

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CLAIMANTS HARDSHIP - According to the IFS, state aid for the poorest households must double to support them through 2022. Benefits and pensions are currently set to rise by 3.1% in April, a figure in line with the inflation rate when the decision was made last Autumn. According to the Bank of England however, inflation may rise to 6% come April, resulting in a real terms benefits cut of 3%. This will be driven largely by a sharp spike in gas and electricity bills.

Wholesale energy costs have soared over the past year due to huge demand for natural gas in Asia and supply issues in Europe. Customers are partly protected from these costs by Ofgem’s price cap. However, the cap is set to be changed in April. According to sector specialists Cornwall Insights, it could increase by 46%, resulting in an extra £600 on annual energy bills. 

April will also see National Insurance contributions rise by 1.25%, a decision made to help support public funding during the pandemic. The government has faced calls to scrap this in wake of the financial difficulties households could face this year. 

Robert Joyce, Deputy Director of the IFS said: “we have become used to an era of low and stable inflation. But the way in which we increase benefits each April is not fit for the period of high and rising inflation we now face. Benefits are set to rise by 3.1% - last September’s inflation rate”.

“But by April inflation will be about 6%. So the poorest are heading for a 3% year-on-year cut in their real benefit levels and living standards. It would be preferable to raise benefits by the actual inflation rate in April. If that is 6% it would cost an additional £3bn, or £4 ½ bn if the state pension were included. Doing so would compensate benefit recipients on average for higher costs, including energy costs,” he added.

Power Consumption of Typical Home Appliances in Watts

Cost of electricity per hour = Consumed Energy in kWh x Cost of 1 Unit electricity

Cost Per Hour = kWh x Unit Price

E = P x t     …     (Wh)

E = P x t ÷ 1000     …     (kWh)

Energy Cost = Energy Used in kWh x Time in Hours

The following table shows the estimated value of wattage rating (in Watts) for different and common household devices, appliances and equipment.

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TENANCY HARDSHIP GRANT- The Welsh Government has announced that the eligibility period for the Tenancy Hardship Grant launched in July 2021 will be extended to include Covid-related rent arrears accrued up to 31 December 2021.

Julie James (Minister of Climate Change) launched the £10m Tenancy Hardship Grant in July 2021 for tenants in the private rented sector who are in serious rent arrears as a result of the pandemic. 

It followed extensive NRLA campaigning for a comprehensive package of financial support for tenants and landlords in Wales, to address to rent debt crisis.

The Welsh Government has opted to expand the scheme following extensive discussions with local authorities and other partner organisations. This latest announcement re-confirms that rental arrears built up between 1 March 2020 and 30 June 2021 will still be included under the terms of the scheme.

Alongside this news, James also stated that from now on social housing tenants who were not in receipt of housing-related benefits when they were impacted by rent arrears caused by the impact of the pandemic, will be able to benefit from the Tenancy Hardship Grant.

As a result, these individuals can now apply for assistance through either the Grant scheme or via Discretionary Housing Payments.

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TEMPORARY JOBCENTRES - Here is a list of temporary Jobcentres  

Temporary jobcentre locations

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

A GUIDE TO INHERITANCE TAX - This could be a useful read.  

https://www.comparethemarket.com/life-insurance/content/a-guide-to-inheritance-tax/

This guide covers:

• What inheritance tax is, when it has to be paid and how an estate is valued
• Inheritance tax thresholds and rates for 2021-22
• Ways to reduce the cost of inheritance tax and why we need to pay for it
• How inheritance tax works for married couples
• Tenants in common and inheritance tax

Here’s just some of the advice that readers are helped with:

• Don’t assume inheritance tax is essential – if the value of your estate is below 325k, it doesn’t need to be paid.
• Inheritance tax is often unavoidable, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of ways to reduce it. For example, you can leave 10% of your estate to a charity, reducing the tax from 40% to 36%.
• If an estate is mainly made up of property, you don’t need to pay all your inheritance tax in one go. You can pay it off over 10 years – since April 2020, the interest rate has been set at 2.6%.

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PENSIONS - 

The review will consider whether the rules around pensionable age are appropriate, based on the latest life expectancy data and other evidence.

The Pensions Act 2014 requires government to regularly review State Pension age, and in accordance with law, this latest Review must be published by 7 May 2023.

State Pension age is currently 66 and two further increases are currently set out in legislation: a gradual rise to 67 for those born on or after April 1960; and a gradual rise to 68 between 2044 and 2046 for those born on or after April 1977. The first Review of State Pension age was undertaken in 2017 and concluded that the next Review should consider whether the increase to age 68 should be brought forward to 2037-39 before tabling any changes to legislation.

As the number of people over State Pension age increases, due to a growing population and people on average living longer, the government needs to make sure that decisions on how to manage its costs are, robust, fair and transparent for taxpayers now and in the future. It must also ensure that as the population becomes older, the State Pension continues to provide the foundation for retirement planning and financial security.

Therefore, this review will consider a wide range of evidence, for example, it will:

• examine the implications of the latest life expectancy data
• provide a balanced assessment of the costs of an ageing population and future State Pension expenditure
• consider labour market changes and people’s ability and opportunities to work over State Pension age
• and develop options for setting the legislative timetable for State Pension age that are transparent and fair

Further information

As set out in the 2014 Act, the Secretary of State is commissioning two independent reports to contribute to the evidence considered during this review: a report from the Government Actuary and a report on other factors.

• The Government Actuary will provide a report which must assess the age of entitlement in legislation by analysing the latest life expectancy projections;
• The report on other relevant factors will consider recent trends in life expectancy and the range of metrics we could use when setting State Pension age. This is to ensure the way we set State Pension age is robust, transparent and provides fairness to both taxpayers and pensioners. This report will be led by Baroness Neville-Rolfe DBE., CMG. The Terms of Reference for this report can be found here.

The UK Government agreed during the passage of the Pensions Act 2014 that the State Pension age Review would consider evidence from across the UK. The review will therefore consider differences across countries and regions, including Northern Ireland; it will also consider the effects for individuals with different characteristics and opportunities, including those at risk of disadvantage.

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WAGES - High Pay Centre research suggests the median FTSE 100 CEO’s earnings for 2022 will surpass the median annual wage for a full-time worker in the UK by around 09:00am on Friday 7 January.

The calculations are based on a previous High Pay Centre analysis of CEO pay disclosures in companies annual reports, combined with government statistics showing pay levels across the UK economy.

This is the first time since the High Pay Centre was founded in 2011 that CEOs have needed to work into a fourth day in order to make the same pay a full-time worker would make in a year.

The most recent figures on CEO pay showed a 17% fall to £2.7 million in 2020 from £3.25 million the previous year, in light of the temporary pay cuts and bonus cancellations many companies announced during the initial lockdowns following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Most FTSE 100 firms have not yet announced CEO pay for their financial year ending in 2021, but 57% of those that have recorded an increase on 2020 levels.

In light of the huge pay gap between FTSE CEOs and the vast majority of workers, the High Pay Centre carried out polling with Survation on the public’s views regarding high earners and how they make their money. The findings included the following:

• 77% of people agree that high earners have had advantages in life such as more expensive education, family money and connections.
• 71% agree that high earners benefit from government policy more than low/middle earners.
• 59% disagree with the statement that high earners do more valuable work than low/middle earners.
• 63% disagree with the statement that high earners work harder than low/middle earners.

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