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HUNGER - The Trussell Trust have launched their largest ever state of hunger report.

You can download the report and read it below.

Executive summary:

Over the last decade there has been growing public and media concern about more extreme signs of material poverty. Public attention has been particularly captured by the rapid growth in the number of charitable food banks and the numbers of food parcels distributed. The Trussell Trust network, which covers around 60% of food banks, reported an increase in three-day food parcels provided from 61,000 in 2010/11 to 1,583,000 in 2018/19.

In response, there has been considerable policy and academic debate about root causes, including economic change, the increase in supply of food banks, and problems within the benefit system. Despite some new evidence (see, for example, Loopstra and Lalor 2017), this remains a controversial area.

There is a clear need for more definitive research on the nature and drivers of the problem and how these are changing over time. The State of Hunger is a three-year research project designed to provide the Trussell Trust, and the wider sector of stakeholders, with the evidence base required to make recommendations on how to address hunger in the UK.

A wide range of methodologies is therefore employed to provide a better understanding of how many people are affected by hunger, which groups of people are most affected, where, and what drives people to use food banks. The results presented in this report will serve as a benchmark for the subsequent two years of the project.

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Please download the report below: 

BENEFIT FREEZE - Today the Government has announced that the freeze on benefits, which has been in place since 2015, will come to end an end next year.

Working-age benefits such as universal credit and jobseeker's allowance will rise by 1.7% from April 2020, the Department for Work and Pensions said.

George Osborne's introduced the benefit freeze April 2016.

Labour called it a "cynically-timed" announcement ahead of the general election on 12 December.

Responding to the announcement Jon Sparkes, Crisis Chief Executive, said: “Everyone across Britain should be able to rent a safe, affordable home where they can build their lives from. So, it’s extremely disappointing to see the government’s commitment to lift the freeze on housing benefit fall short of enabling people to afford to keep their homes. 

“Right now, families on the lowest incomes are facing agonising stress and anxiety because they cannot afford to pay their rent. This is made all the worse when we know it doesn’t have to be this way. Our research shows that by investing in housing benefit, so it covers the true cost of rents, government could lift more than 35,000 children out of poverty.

“Putting families at risk of homelessness cannot be allowed to continue. We can make renting affordable for everyone, but we need to see all parties commit to investing in housing benefit rates, so they cover at least the cheapest third of rents across the country. The time for action is now.”

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The U.S. added 128,000 jobs in October. It’s a slowdown, the data say the New York Times is clouded by the temporary impact of a General Motors strike.

128,000 jobs were added last month, the US Labor Department reported on Friday. Analysts surveyed by Bloomberg had expected a gain of about 85,000.

The unemployment rate was 3.6 percent, up from 3.5 percent the month before.

Wages are growing modestly.

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Secretary of State Therese Coffey has today (1 November 2019) announced a £10 million Universal Credit Transition Fund for outreach programmes to help vulnerable people make Universal Credit claims.

The fund will be available to partner organisations across the UK, including charities, from April 2020. It will aim to help vulnerable people, including disabled people, care leavers and those with mental health issues, claim Universal Credit as a route into work. It will support innovative ideas for engaging with vulnerable people early, helping them to make timely claims to the new benefit.

Figures show that a fifth of claimants delayed making a claim for Universal Credit, largely because they didn’t know how to make a claim or because they thought they would find a job quickly.

Other help for vulnerable people

DWP is providing severe disability payments (SDP) to protect the most vulnerable. Severely disabled claimants can receive SDP to support their living costs as they move onto Universal Credit. This is worth a maximum of £405 a month to claimants – worth £600 million over the next 6 years for 45,000 claimants.

Around 1 million disabled households will receive an average of around £100 more per month through Universal Credit.

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Every year generous Torfaen residents donate hundreds of gifts to the annual Christmas Santa Appeal to ensure that some of the most vulnerable children living in the borough don’t miss out at Christmas.

This year’s Santa appeal opens on Monday 4 November 2019.

Last year 372 children received gifts and over 50 Christmas hampers were donated to young people living alone.

The Santa Appeal donates gifts to children and young people who would otherwise miss out. To donate a gift contact Torfaen’s social services team on 01633 647539 and you will be given a name, an age and a reference number.

These details must be attached to the donated gift which should be left unwrapped, although a donation of wrapping paper is also appreciated. You can also donate non-perishable food to make up hampers for young people aged 16 and over who are living alone.

Once your gift is ready please take to one of the following drop off points by Friday 6 December 2019:

• TYPSS, The Studio, Oldbury Business Estate, Cwmbran NP44 3JU
• Cwmbran Library, Gwent Square, Cwmbran Shopping Centre, NP44 1PL
• Civic Centre, Glantorvaen Road, Pontypool, NP4 6YN
• Pontsychan House, Abersychan, Pontypool, NP4 7BA (Group collections)

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RETAIL NEWS - In September 2019, retail sales in the UK totalled £7.3 billion per week, the same as August 2019 and down from £7.6 billion in July 2019. This figure includes money spent in shops, supermarkets, in petrol stations and online.

In the three months to September 2019, the quantity (volume) of retail sales increased by 0.6% compared with the previous three months (‘volume’ figures do not include the effect of inflation). Over the year, the volume of retail sales increased by 3.1%.

Internet sales

The average weekly value of internet sales in Great Britain was £1.5 billion in August 2019, up 9.1% on the year. This was 19.1% of all retail sales. Internet retailing exceeded 20% of retail sales for the first time in November 2018.

Sales by sector

The volume of sales in food stores in the three months to August 2019 was up 1.1% on the same period last year.

The volume of sales in non-food stores was up 0.8% on last year.

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TORY SNUB - Simon Collyer the founder of the ABC was asked in an email would he like to contribute to Tory Party funds as the election looms early December.

Simon seized the moment and asked could the ABC be added to the Conservative Party press release list. 

So far there has been no response.

We get a large number of press releases and newsletters every day from all kinds of organisations including political parties and we try and give everybody a fair hearing.

Our local MP Will Quince has done a very good job for us, excellent in fact, and we must thank Will's staff, especially case handler and researcher, Rachel for being so kind and patient. We have certainly kept there busy and we have put forward some worthy issues to be looked at, which Will has frequently taken forward. 

The attitude to those on benefits especially the disabled by the Tory party is hard to understand or make sense of?

Approximately 15% of the UK population has a disability. As political philosopher Machiavelli tried to fathom, if we have concepts of what is good and right in society, why do we so often elect those whose views are so different from what most people would see as good or decent?

We can only imagine that our public schools breed a kind of survival of the fittest attitude in this small elite section of society, that gets the top jobs in the military, civil service and politics. 

Who knows, we don't here at the ABC. 

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UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT - A PIP assessor working for Capita allegedly challenged a claimant’s son to a fight, damaged her home and laughed at her account of wanting to end her life.

Cheryl Matthews from Cardiff told the assessor that she had been in so much pain she had begged her GP for pills to allow her to take her own life.

Image: Cheryl Matthews, laughed at by Capita PIP assessor. 

But, Cheryl says, the assessor just laughed and said “Irrelevant, irrelevant, irrelevant”.

Cheryl’s 22 year old son heard the alleged increasingly disrespectful exchanges with his mother and asked the assessor to leave.

It is claimed the assessor then pushed Cheryl’s son and said: “You want a fight do you mate? I can give you a fight."

As he left the house Cheryl says the assessor kicked a safety gate at the front door across the garden and threatened: “"I'll be back for you mate - clearly you want a fight."

The police are currently investigating the allegations.

Capita immediately suspended the assessor and offered Cheryl compensation.

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STAYING WARM - The Affordable Warmth Obligation is designed to help people on low incomes and in receipt of benefits to carry out energy-saving work. However, landlords may also be able to make use of the scheme if a private tenant is in receipt of certain benefits.

Affordable Warmth Grants can be a cost-effective way of making energy-saving improvements to your properties.

So what are the Affordable Warmth Grants, do landlords qualify, and how do you apply?

What is the Affordable Warmth Grant?

The Affordable Warmth Grant is part of the Affordable Warmth Obligation, a scheme designed to provide help for home improvements for the purpose of energy saving. It is part of a series of programmes that replace the Warm Front Scheme.

The Affordable Warmth Obligation applies in England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, while a scheme called Nest operates in Wales.

What is covered under an Affordable Warmth Grant?

Grants under the Affordable Warmth Obligation made to tenants may cover all or part of the cost of insulation work, for example to insulate cavity walls or a loft, and replacement or repairs to a boiler or other heating upgrades. However, grants may also be made to landlords, to cover the cost of storage heater and boiler work. In addition, grants may be made to landlords to cover cavity wall and loft insulation, but a contribution may be required from the property owner.

Do I qualify for an Affordable Warmth Grant?

The Affordable Warmth Obligation is designed to help people on low incomes and in receipt of benefits to carry out energy-saving work. However, landlords may also be able to make use of the scheme if a private tenant is in receipt of certain benefits.

Storage heater and boiler grants may be available in the event that you or your tenant has one of the following benefits:

• Working Tax Credit (depending on income)
• Child Tax Credit (depending on income)
• Universal Credit (depending on income)
• Pension Guarantee Credit (but not if you or your tenant only claims the Pension Savings Credit)
• Income Support
• Income-based JSA
• Income-related ESA

In order to qualify for a landlord boiler grant, there must be a faulty central heater boiler installed at the property at the time the application is made. For a storage heater grant, there must be at least one such faulty appliance.

Additionally, landlords may apply for cavity wall insulation or loft insulation grants. For these, the tenant or householder may not be required to be in receipt of benefits but, as noted above, a small financial contribution might be required from you.

If you have more than one property, you should note that eligibility is determined based on individual tenants’ circumstances, so you’ll have to apply separately for each property.

Affordable Warmth Grants and the new EPC regime

Strict new regulations regarding Energy Performance Certificates in rented properties come into force in April 2018. From then, you could face a fine if you continue to let a property that does not achieve a minimum EPC rating of an E.

The Affordable Warmth Grants can be a highly cost-effective way of bringing underperforming properties up to scratch ahead of the EPC deadline.

How do I apply for a landlord Affordable Warmth Grant?

You can apply for an affordable warmth grant on the Affordable Warmth Grants website. Click below:

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UNIVERSAL CREDIT - claimants in Islington Council have accumulated nearly four times the rent arrears as people on Housing Benefit.

As of September 30, 3,176 council tenants were on Universal Credit and, of these, 72 per cent (2,285) were in rent arrears with an average debt of £1,295.

This compares to 9,969 Housing Benefit claimants in council properties, of whom 39pc (3,895) were in rent arrears with an average debt of £353.

"I think it's a huge indictment of just how terrible the government is," said Cllr Troy Gallagher (Lab, Bunhill).

Cllr Gallagher is deputy chair of Islington's policy and performance scrutiny committee, which has closely monitored the impacts of Universal Credit since it was introduced to the borough in June.

Since then, Islington Council has made 123 payments through its residents support scheme to help vulnerable claimants.

These include 31 crisis payments totalling £8,858 - to help with essential daily costs, like food. The town hall also made 92 discretionary housing payments amounting to £19,616 - to meet shortfalls in rent caused by changes to benefits.

In total, the council has awarded £288,836 in one-off payments to alleviate the burden for people moving onto Universal Credit, awarding an average of £134.53 per household.

The council has referred more than 2,800 people to Islington Food Bank since June. The food bank only allows people to be referred 12 times a year - and there are at least 14 people known to the council who have already exceeded this.

DWP data shows there were 8,901 Universal Credit claimants in Islington as of October 15.

Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party this month pledged to scrap the benefit, The council passed a motion of no confidence in Universal Credit in December.

Call Samaritans' for confidential emotional support via its free 24-hour phone line on 116 123. You don't have to be feeling suicidal to call this number.

ABC Note: Islington is Jeremy Corbyn's Constituency.

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