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Swindon North MP Justin Tomlinson has been promoted within the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to become minister of state for disabled people, filling a gap left by Sarah Newton's resignation on March 13.

Mr Tomlinson's role as junior DWP minister is taken by Colchester MP Will Quince. Will Quince (Cons) is the MP for Colchester.

Colchester is of course the home town of the, Association of Pension & Benefits Claimants CIC.

‘Will has done a great job for Colchester and looked after all our issues with a great deal of effectiveness and professionalism’ says ABC founder Simon Collyer. ‘Regardless of your politics, Will Quince has worked very hard and this appointment at the DWP is well deserved recognition’. 

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U.S. Adds 196,000 Jobs in March, a Return to Solid Growth

After a disappointing performance in February, the job market bounced back in March. February’s number of new jobs was also revised upward, to 33,000 from 20,000.

The Labor Department released its monthly hiring and unemployment figures for March on Friday morning, providing an important snapshot of the American economy.

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The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has invested £39 million into the ‘Help to Claim’ service, which will be delivered independently by Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Amber Rudd said:

One of the best things about Universal Credit is its flexibility. It recognises that everyone is different and it’s not a one-size-fits-all benefit.

So for anyone who needs that little bit of extra help to make their claim, new help is now here.

In addition to the support Jobcentre Plus staff already provide, Citizens Advice will now deliver high quality, independent advice through Help to Claim.

Help to Claim will provide free, confidential and impartial support to help people make a Universal Credit claim. People using the service can get advice on anything to do with applying for the benefit, including gathering the required evidence, filling in the application or preparing for their first jobcentre appointment.

Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland are committed to providing ‘Help to Claim’ across all areas of England, Wales and Scotland ensuring a consistent service across Great Britain. People will be able to access support online, over the phone and face-to-face through local Citizens Advice bureaus.

Anyone who requires support to make a new Universal Credit claim or is moving from a legacy benefit to Universal Credit following a change of circumstances can access Help to Claim.

Accessing Help to Claim support is completely voluntary.

The service can be accessed any time until the first full correct payment of Universal Credit is in place.

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The Skainos Centre in East Belfast was the venue for a special presentation of international caps to the young men and women who late last year represented Northern Ireland at the Homeless World Cup in Mexico City. 

The Homeless World Cup is an inspirational week-long street football tournament that brought together more than 500 players from over 50 countries who had faced homelessness and social marginalisation.  The tournament attracted crowds of over than 80,000 with millions more watching online around the world.

The men’s and women’s teams from Northern Ireland represented themselves with absolute distinction, and whilst the World Cup trophy didn’t make the 5,000 mile trip back home, the team did pick up two awards for ‘Best Female Coach’, awarded to Clare Carson and Claire Rea, and ‘Best Female Player’, awarded to Keira Moss, who was chosen from over 100 players. 

Justin McMinn, Manager and Co-Founder of Street Soccer Northern Ireland, said: “This project presented a once in a lifetime opportunity for all the players, a chance to represent their country in an amazing place like Mexico City.  We’ve already witnessed the positive impact the project has had on the players with many obtaining housing, jobs and qualifications on their return.”

Brian Lyndsay, player, said: ‘The football was amazing.  Very fast, very warm and the quality of the opposition from countries all over the world was fantastic.  This project has been life changing and eye opening.  It has given me a whole new perspective on life.  It’s also given me confidence and belief for the next chapter of my life.  Since returning from Mexico I’ve become an ambassador for the Department for Communities ‘Uniting Communities programme’, I now have a full time job with Stena Line and I’m looking at getting my own private rental soon.’’

Keira Moss, player, added: “This project has been a once in a lifetime opportunity and a life changing experience for me.  Street Soccer has supported us at every stage to ensure that we have the best chances to succeed in life and that we only look forward from here.  Playing football in Mexico is up there with the best experiences I’ve ever had.  We came together through Street Soccer and what it represents, and I’m very proud of what we achieved as a team.  I’m delighted to have won player of the tournament.  I’m very proud of that for myself but also for the team.”

Street Soccer NI was funded by the Department for Communities (DfC), as part of the Northern Ireland Executive’s Together: Building a United Community (T:BUC) Strategy.  The funding supports young people from complex and challenging backgrounds to build confidence, self-esteem and develop social skills through sport and creativity.  Specifically, the World Cup project used the lure of Mexico to engage nine males and nine females in an intensive support programme that ensured opportunities for the players to positively transform their lives. 

Moira Doherty, DfC Deputy Secretary said:  “The Department is delighted to be associated with Street Soccer NI and the Northern Ireland Homeless World Cup teams.  We are incredibly proud of every player that committed to this project, and indeed of what has been achieved since returning from the tournament.  The intensive support service that complemented this once in a lifetime opportunity has been truly transformational for those involved.  I congratulate everyone on their participation and I wish them every success for their futures." 

ABC Note: 

CARDIFF 2019

The 17th edition of the Homeless World Cup will take place in Cardiff’s iconic Bute Park, right at the heart of the Welsh Capital, from July 27-August 3.

More than 500 players representing over 50 countries will travel to Wales to attend the week-long festival of football, in what promises to be one of the most inspiring Homeless World Cup tournaments yet.

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 Apprenticeship Awards Cymru recognises learners, employers and training providers across Wales, who have excelled on the Welsh Government’s Traineeship and Apprenticeship Programmes.

The awards will showcase and celebrate the achievements of those who have exceeded expectations and shown a dynamic approach to training, demonstrated initiative and enterprise, innovation and creativity, and shown an understanding of, and commitment to, the improvement of skills development for the Welsh economy.

This year's categories are:

Employability – learner

• traineeships learner of the year (engagement)
• traineeships learner of the year (level 1)

Apprenticeships - learner

• foundation apprenticeship of the year
• apprentice of the year
• higher apprentice of the year

Apprenticeships - employer

• small employer of the year
• medium employer of the year
• large employer of the year
• macro employer of the year

Work-based learning practitioner

• work-based learning assessor of the year
• work-based learning tutor of the year
• tomorrow’s talent

The awards are free to enter and the closing date for submitting completed applications is 12 noon, Friday 3 May 2019.

The awards ceremony will take place on 24 October 2019.

For further information please visit the Apprenticeships Awards Cymru website.

Find out how businesses across Wales are benefiting from apprenticeships.

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We are doing our bit for the enviroment here at the ABC. We have just done our Blue STEM accreditaion with 

STEM is a step-by-step guide to putting an environmental management system in place within your business. 

• Enhances green credentials
• Reduces costs by removing inefficiencies
• Assists you in maintaining a legal business
• Prepares you for attaining the Carbon Trust Standard, BS 8555 or ISO 14001.

STEM has three levels; Blue, Silver and Gold. These levels correspond to the three phases of the National Standard BS 8555.

Blue - A business that has top management support for their environment programme and has carried out a baseline assessment of their current situation.

Silver - A business that has measured their carbon footprint and taken actions to reduce it. The business has identified the resources, legal requirements, training and communications required for their environmental programme.

Gold - A business that is measuring and monitoring their environmental impacts and has taken action to reduce them. The business will have reported their progress to Low Carbon Kent and other stakeholders.

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A leading law firm Prettys of Ipswich has warned that compulsory gender pay gap reporting is not a ‘quick fix’ for organisations which are struggling with the issue.

Eliminating the problem in the UK’s workplaces will only happen if employers start to recognise the structural and cultural issues that need to be tackled alongside.

A recent report found that despite firms now legally having to disclose information on the pay difference between their male and female staff, the gap between salaries in the public sector has actually widened*.

With new employment law regulations coming into force from April 6 and with Equal Pay Day taking place this week, firms need to shine a spotlight on their practices, according to Ipswich-based law firm Prettys.

Women can often lag behind male colleagues in earning power because of a number of factors, said Matthew Cole, employment partner at Prettys.

“Perhaps the main reason there is a pay gap is the fact that workplaces have still not made the necessary adjustments to allow women to pick up their careers effectively following a break for maternity leave, or to bring up children,” he said.

“Whilst employers are making increasing efforts to put into place family-friendly working policies, many of these will take years to bear fruit, and the attitude among many employers has not yet shifted far enough.”

Since last year companies with 250 or more employees have had to report their gender pay gaps at the end of their financial year (March 30 for public sector organisations).

The reporting looks at the overall pay gap in an organisation. It is different to equal pay which looks at employers paying men and women differently for performing the same role or ‘work of equal value’ and which is legally enforceable.

Almost nine in ten (88.5%) of public sector organisations have reported a gap in favour of men. The private sector has until tomorrow (Thursday April 4) to file its figures to the Government. 

While Shared Parental Leave (SPL) and Statutory Shared Parental Pay have been in effect since 2015, Matthew added that from his experience women are still taking far more leave than men.

But he added that it is not just about maternity leave: “Clearly the pattern of flexible working to support childcare and similar responsibilities is evidence that women undertake the large majority of caring responsibilities outside the workplace, and this seems to inhibit career progression for women.

“In our experience SPL is hardly ever taken up by men. There are many reasons why this could be, including society’s expectations or that men do not actually want the time off, choosing instead to disrupt just one career instead of two.” 

But he added: “There are also other, cultural issues, which are only just gaining more mainstream attention. There is evidence that men may over-value their worth, whilst women under-value their contribution. This means that men may push harder for career and pay progression, when compared to an equally (or more) competent woman.”

 And he concluded: “I think the pay gap will only be narrowed over a very long period of time by changing employment practices and attitudes.”

Image: Vanessa Bell partner at Prettys

Vanessa Bell, partner and Prettys’ head of employment, warned that while there may be no legal implications as long as the pay gap is reported properly, a significant difference between earnings could impact future recruitment.

“I think decision-makers have to look at the gender pay gap from a business perspective, not just out of a sense of legal or moral duty,” she said.

“It’s all well and good a business revealing its pay gap, but if these businesses don’t take action to address it, they could lose out on recruiting or retaining good staff.

 “Talented women may disregard the company and choose not to apply for vacancies based on a perception - that may be misguided - that women are not valued in the business.”

The Government is currently looking at other areas of concern over equality in the workplace, such as pay gap reporting in regard to race, Matthew explained.

“It is currently just a proposal but is proving controversial as a lot depends on a person’s self-identification of what their race is.”

And he added: “There will be more categories than simply male or female, but we are already seeing some isolated examples of voluntary reporting.

“And if you’re looking at race, why not look at pay gaps with other things such as sexual orientation and age? There is still plenty to think about.”

ABC Note: Despite the Equal Pay Act in 1970, women still earn less than men in Britain today. The current gender pay gap means women effectively stop earning relative to men on a day in November. This day is referred to as Equal Pay Day and varies according to the actual pay gap each year.& In 2017, Equal Pay Day is on Friday 10th November - the same day as last year.

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A Spanish campaign will transform 50.000 ton of citrus fruits in juice of fruits to be given to the food banks of FESBAL. FESBAL - is the Spanish Federation of Food Banks

The campaign to transform citrus into juice will run until March 31st. Fruit and Vegetable Producers' Organizations may notify the withdrawal of citrus fruit from the market to be processed into juice and its subsequent free distribution among disadvantaged groups, through the Food Banks. 

Luis Planas, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, reported on December 11 on the support of his Department to the adoption of measures for the transformation of orange into juice, charged to operational programs to cause a "certain relaxation" in the market within the existing operational programs. 

The citrus season 2018/19 started late, as a result of the weather that resulted in products of "smaller size" in the production of oranges and also a "certain market saturation" caused by the import of "large volumes of citrus from South Africa, at the end of its season", as reported by Elena Cebrián, Advisor of the Minister of Agriculture, Environment, Climate Change and Rural Development of the Valencian Government, at the last meeting of the Consultative Council of Agriculture. She transferred to the Spanish Government the concern of the Valencian producers for the bad start of this citrus campaign, a situation before which has requested to adopt specific measures.  

On January 2, Miguel Ángel Riesgo, President of the FEGA, informed by means of a Resolution on the citrus transformation procedure with payment in kind and with free distribution on 12/28/2018. 

Finally, the processing of up to 50,000 tons of oranges, clementines, tangerines and satsumas destined for free distribution has been authorized, as follows: 

Orange: 30,000 tons. 

Small citrus fruits: 20,000 tons 

The period during which the Producer Organizations may withdraw product from the market, prior communication to the competent autonomous community, will be from January 8 to March 31, 2019.  

It is not foreseeable that the product will be withdrawn by the stipulated limit, since it has not been foreseen as an exceptional measure and the withdrawals take place within the operative programs of the producer organizations. However, they are going at a very good pace; until February 3, 26% of the total quota has been allocated.  

As of March 31, it will be possible to confirm the total of fruit withdrawn and the total juice that will be packaged and distributed to food banks for those in need. The packaging will be made in brick format of one liter capacity in two types of juice 100% - orange juice and mandarin juice - and without added sugar. 

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Payslips are very important. The Real Time Information System sends payroll information direct to HMRC which in turn informs the DWP. If you stop work and the employer gives the wrong information, your Universal Credit could be cut or stopped. 

This month there are important changes to the Employment Rights Act 1996 affecting payslip information:

Employers must include the total number of hours worked where the pay varies according to the hours worked, for example under variable hours or zero hour contracts.

Payslips must be given to 'workers' and not just employees.

Gender Pay Gap reporting

An employer must comply with Gender Pay Gap regulations for any year where they have a 'headcount' of 250 or more employees. View Acas guidance and downloadable resources including our free Gender Pay Gap reporting template.

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End Hunger are campaigning to have the emergency help given to claimants restored.

People need help to move and overcome a range of issues they may experience in live. Without support these problems can become overwhelming. 

In the past, local councils have had schemes in place to help people in times of financial crisis, i.e. when they have so little money that they can’t cover their basic costs of living.

This can happen for several reasons, but more and more people are in this situation because of changes to the social security system, like increased use of sanctions, and the five-week wait for Universal Credit payments.

As the numbers of people needing financial support to get through a crisis have risen however, the money available to councils has been drastically cut. Over the past five years, as the funding provided by government has fallen, at least 28 local authorities have closed their crisis schemes completely, and almost all the remaining schemes have been drastically cut back.

The budget in Leeds for what is called the Local Welfare Assistance Scheme (LWAS) has been reduced from nearly £3.5 million in 2013-14 to £600,000 this year. That means many fewer families can get help when they desperately need it.

Please join End Hunger and take part in a campaign being run by Church Action on Poverty. You can email your local councillors to ask them about how they plan to ensure that there is a lifeline for people in your area using a simple 1-minute online action.

Click Here:

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