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In her first keynote speech as Liberal Democrat Work and Pensions spokesperson, Christine Jardine today outlined her priorities to her party’s conference in York and demanded the Conservative Government stop cutting welfare payments, end the freeze on working-age benefits and abandon the two child benefit cap.

Please see below Christine Jardine's speech to Liberal Democrat Conference in full.

"Morning Conference.

Its fantastic to be back here in York. And a bit eerie for me.

You see making a speech on this stage to all of you was the very last thing I did before my selection process in Edinburgh West.

A lot of things have changed since then… and there is a lot more we want to change.

Some of them are about the party. Some are about the country.

And then there’s Brexit. But lets not bring the mood down.

Certainly that is one of the things we are working to change.

But on a personal level I’ve been focusing on three things.

Asylum seekers. DWP. And the thing I’ve had most fun with:

The Pink Tax.

Taking multi-national corporations to task for thinking its ok to charge women and girls more for everything from deodorant and disposable razors to clothes and services.

Over the next few weeks Ill be lining up meetings with some of the big manufacturers and retailers to persuade them that they really want to act now. Fix the Pink Tax themselves.

They’ve seen what we did to the Gender Pay Gap and well if they don’t fix the Pink Tax.

Ill set Jo Swinson on them.

That’ll teach them.

I didn’t think Id be fighting the big corporations the last time I was in York.

So it’s all very different from the last time I was in York.

But it is wonderful to be back here in York.

I was going to make a joke about Vikings. Or maybe Rowntree’s Fruit pastilles. I do love them.

But isn’t it strange for us Liberal Democrats.

To be holding our conference so close to Theresa May’s spiritual home and the area from which her Government must be drawing its guiding principles.

The Shambles…

Well actually I’m being too kind to them.

Not York. York on the other hand deserves a better comparison than this Government.

It’s a fantastic city and has given us some wonderful people…

Dame Judi Dench.

Sir Vince Cable.

And Joseph Rowntree.

I know you’re thinking fruit pastilles again.

I’m not.

You see like Vince and I hope most of us, Rowntree was a fierce champion of social reform.

In the late 1800s when he was building his fortune, in what was a largely Dickensian Victorian  society, he actually looked after his workforce.

They had free education, health care and pensions.

Here was a man who embodied that true British value.

A Liberal British value. Looking out for those more fortunate than yourself.

Theresa May and her Government could do with taking a leaf out of that book.

There is one particular shambles of theirs that I am now working on.

The Department of work and Pensions.

Its difficult to know where to start with them.

It’s the department which those who are most in need, need most.

It’s there to help us through the toughest of times.

And most of us will have those times when what we need is an official shoulder for comfort.

But the reality is, the Department for work isn’t working.

Take the assessments for Personal Independence Payments.

They’re not fit for purpose.

And the Benefits Freeze.

It’s been described as the biggest  cause of Poverty in modern Britain.

That is an outrage.

And as for Universal Credit.

That’s a universal Failure.

And the most annoying thing is that it might have worked, it might actually have simplified things. Got people back into work.

If the Tories hadn’t dipped into the pot and siphoned off 3 Billion pounds.

Yeah in 2015 as soon as we weren’t there any more.

Looking over their shoulder, checking their work

They started fiddling about with the figures.

Oh they’ll say Phil Hammond put half of it back. Yes, half of it.

There is a chink of hope though.

Credit where its due.

Amber Rudd the latest Secretary of State at least acknowledges that Universal Credit has contributed to the distressing growth in the use of foodbanks in this country.

But she is the sixth Work and Pensions Secretary in 8 years. This lot cant even make work pay in their own departments.

None of them. None of them have gotten to grips with the problems in the system.

Late payments. Budgeting problems, compounding the stress for those already suffering. Creating rent arrears and contributing to putting more people on the streets.

You know every Monday when I arrive in parliament, or when I go home at night, I walk past people sleeping rough at the entrance to parliament.

Not so very long ago one of them died.

In the doorway of the mother of parliaments.

In the fifth largest economy in the world.

Oh I know the Tories will say “DWP gets a quarter of all spending”.

And yes that’s the scale of the challenge we face.

But as MPs, or actually just as people who give a damn, we have a duty to be careful with our language, to be sure that the story tell about poverty isn’t one that blames the victims.

That we accept responsibility for people who are homeless and don’t

Somehow make it sound like their own fault.

That we recognise that the whole point of DWP is to help people out of poverty.

To support them into work.

And to provide them with security in their old age.

But conference. That is what current government policy and actions reflect.

No the 5 week waiting time for Universal Credit just reinforces the feeling among claimants that actually the state doesn’t want to help them.

What they see is a delaying tactic.

In my constituency of Edinburgh West we are only just beginning to feel the impact of Universal Credit, and we don’t like it.

Sometimes it seems like it’s just another problem for people to cope with.

And believe me there’s plenty of them already.

And there are thousands of people out there… who are looking to us to fight their corner.

People like a constituent who came to me because she had been told  that she wasn’t entitled to the motobility car she had had for year.

No she didn’t need it because if she could drive, well she could obviously walk.

So she didn’t need the motobility car. The car was specially adapted SPECIFICALLY because of a disability she was born with that affects her legs makes it difficult to walk.

We fought her corner, raised her case with ministers in Parliament and eventually, thankful she was told she could keep her car.

No sorry that she could keep her lifeline.

But now they seem to think that her disability will somehow end and so they’ve put an end date on how long she can claim for.

Amazing powers they have in DWP.

Time and again we see it they can end disabilities at the stroke of a pen.

Well they can’t.

But here’s a suggestion that might work.

And it may be a wee bit radical.

Instead of wasting money on an assessment system that isn’t f it for purpose.

Handing over millions to private companies to make ludicrous decisions.

Decisions that deny people the help they so obviously deserve…

And the majority of which get overturned on appeal.

Invest that money in people.

Bring the assessments in house and make sure they budget is spent where its mean to on helping people.

But perhaps the most important thing the Government could do is 

End the benefits freeze.

He single biggest single driver of poverty in this country could be the biggest single change.

Next month it goes into its final year.

Oh it would have cost money  - 1.4 billion pounds and the most annoying things is that the Government decided to spend that money on giving tax cuts to the highest earners.

How does that decision happen who decides to help those who need it least rather than the people who could benefit most.

Conference it is not now and never could be.

Morally justifiable to balance the books on the backs of the most vulnerable.

You see for me this is also personal.

I have had quite a lucky life.

I know people look at me and see a middle aged, middle class professional woman whose relatively comfortable.

But that’s where I ended up it’s not where I started.

For my first decade and a half I lived in rented accommodation in Clydebank in the heart of shipbuilding country just as the industry was sinking.

My father didn’t work in the sector but my Mum did, part time to make ends meet and eventually paid a heavy price for it.

Her name is on a shiny, stainless steel memorial across the road from where the shipyard used to stand. A memorial to the victims of asbestos poisoning.

My sisters and I were provided for. A comfortable, happy, working class life.

But two things happened in those years which, much later, shaped where I stand today.

First my Dad was made redundant. Thankfully, he was able to get another job, and at the time I didn’t notice any difference.

But now I see all too clearly that there were sacrifices my parents made, the corners that were cut and I am in awe of how they coped without missing a beat and I’m in awe of those facing the same situation today.

But by then they had three girls and every time I think now about the two-child benefit cap I think of those days, what it might have meant for us.

Supposing my Dad hadn’t made ends meet, hadn’t got that job, the government would have only paid for us.

You see, the Tories love to tell us that they are the defenders of the family.

But this immoral, punitive and discriminatory cap shows otherwise. It reveals their true colours.

And even if you do buy into their argument that oh well you should be able to afford a third or fourth child before you think about having one, well I say things change.

Life is uncertain, and your financial situation can be flipped upside down in a heartbeat, just like it did for us.

So what do we say to those people? Your child will have to suffer because you’ve run into some bad luck?

 

From Thatcher to May, we see it time and time and again: families are not safe under the Conservatives.

 

And the other thing that happened to my family. When my sisters were just 13 and 8 my Dad died.

By then my parents had bought their own house and moved out of Clydebank but overnight we went from that increasingly comfortable existence to being a one parent family.

And that’s where my admiration for my mother and every other parent who finds themselves in that position comes from.

Oh technically I’m a single parent myself now but I have never had to cope with worrying how I would feed my girl, keep us warm and make sure I could pay for the roof above our heads.

I look at other single mothers who I aren’t as lucky as me and I know I owe it to them to make this government recognise the support they deserve for their children.

Without it how on earth will we ensure that the next generation get the chance to fulfil their potential.

We are already in the unacceptable situation where 2 thirds of the children living in poverty in this country come from a household where at least one parents is working.

That’s not just unacceptable. That’s failure.

 

A failure by Government to look after those who need its help most.

A Failure by Government to give our children the best start in life.

A Failure to protect the welfare state.

Now we have a responsibility as Liberals.

Those failures by this Tory Government undermine the drive towards a fairer society that this party, our party, The Liberal Party has always held as its most defining principle.

Lloyd George originally laid the foundations and Beveridge laid out the vision of the welfare state.

So today I want to make a special plea to Amber Rudd.

Assuming she’s still in the job.

In the short time she’s been there we have all noticed the step change at DWP but it’s not enough.

While this Secretary of State has at least acknowledged some of the problems with Universal Credit, ESA and PiP, it’s not enough.

Amber you need to fix it.

Stop all those who are finding ways to reduce payments, making it difficult to claim or not recognising that poverty can affect those working too.

Fix it.

Stop the freeze.

Abandon the two child benefit cap.

Help families caught in that ridiculous trap: they find work, but childcare is too expensive to allow that job to actually transform their lives.

Take these families out of poverty.

At least Amber Rudd is acknowledging that there are problems.

I wish that were true of all her colleagues.

Why won’t they acknowledge the skills and talent that asylum seekers bring to us and allow them to work?

Why instead of valuing people who have taken the enormously courageous step of fleeing persecution, leaving everything behind.

why do we rob them of the one thing they have left their dignity.

Instead of helping them to work, to contribute, to feel valued we push them to the margins living on a pittance of a fiver a day.

Conference, these are the things I got into politics to change.

And I know you did too.

If we are going to do these things we need change.

But it isn’t going to happen on its own.

And if we are going to drive it now the way Liberals did 100 years ago we need help.

We need to grow and encourage people to support our movement in the way that is best for them.

And we need to work with anyone out there who yearns for the progressive change this country needs.

If we do that, then maybe, just maybe, we will get that Pink Tax outlawed.

We will get the ban lifted on asylum seekers working and feeling valued.

We’ll end the benefit freeze, stop the immoral cap on benefits for children.

And introduce a better way to help people dependent on disability payments without robbing them of their dignity.

Maybe then we can then restore some humanity to a system we were once so rightly proud of.

And maybe, just maybe, this generation of Liberals can finish the job that previous ones started.

We can stop the Tories dismantling that fairer society, the welfare state those generations worked so hard to build.

Reject the politics of this rudderless, morally indefensible, shambles of a Government.

Conference, we demand Better.

We demand a Liberal Future."

ENDS.

ABC Comment, have your say below:

 

Two new organisations are aiming to help unemployed Brits on their journey towards work.

Fedcap Employment and Fedcap Employment Scotland, recently-formed British companies and part of the experienced American not-for-profit organisation The Fedcap Group, have taken over the delivery of major employability programmes across Britain, securing 130 jobs and the continuous delivery of services for thousands of people.

Fedcap Employment has taken over the delivery of the Links to Work programme, funded by the European Social Fund and Department for Work and Pensions. Fedcap Employment Scotland has secured a 51% share in StartScotland, working alongside The Lennox Partnership, which currently delivers the Fair Start Scotland service on behalf of Scottish Government.

Links to Work is a voluntary programme delivered in six regions across England, providing tailored support for people with multiple barriers to work, including those with disabilities, on their journey towards employment.

StartScotland works in the East and South West of Scotland, helping unemployed people find suitable, sustainable jobs through a personalised service.

Fedcap Employment is led by a team of market leaders with more than 20 years of experience delivering employability programmes in Britain. Locally, its frontline teams are experienced professionals committed to building communities. The organisation will be working with like-minded partners through local supply chain networks to deliver effective solutions.

The wider Fedcap Group have 80 years’ experience in delivering tremendous results to break down barriers to societal inclusion and financial wellbeing, working with more than 320,000 people each year.

Brian Bell, Chief Executive Officer of Fedcap Employment and Fedcap Employment Scotland, said: “We’re delighted to be able to help secure the jobs of many people doing amazing work across Britain as we look to support people back to work, or even into work for the first time. We believe that everything is possible, and we’re looking forward to helping people achieve what they want.

“However, this is just the start – we are extremely ambitious and will be building on the experience and success in America to develop and deliver further programmes of support across Britain. We will innovate and help to transform the lives of as many people as possible.”

Grant Collins, President of Fedcap UK, said: “We’re thrilled to be expanding our operations in Britain to widen our global reach. We look forward to working with Brian and his team as we continue to develop opportunities to create measurable change in the communities in which we work.”

ABC Comment, have your say below:

Do Business & Talk Business on 14th March 2019

Business East is one of the most comprehensive business to business shows in Essex and East Anglia offering networking opportunities, seminar theatre, exhibitors and VIP receptions.

The perfect platform to promote your business, network, develop new partnerships and pick up inspiration from the seminars held throughout the day.

Free to attend for visitors, register in advance to save time on the day

Seminar Theatre

Networking Cafe

Speed Networking

VIP Receptions

The ABC went and met a range of exhibitors and of course the Colchester United Mascot. 

Image: Social farms, therapy chicken meets Simon Collyer, ABC Founder.

You can visit Social Farm AKA, Wellies-On CIC, Butterfly Lodge, Mersea Road, Abberton, Colchester, Essex, CO5 7LG

Website: www.wellieson.com

ABC Comment, have your say below: 

 

DWP staff shortages are causing thousands of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants to be sent home unseen from health assessment appointments.
 
Figures revealed by a DWP minister show that in 2018, 5,700 Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants attended their health assessment, only to be turned away due to the unavailability of a health professional.

 

 
PIP, which replaced the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) has been widely condemned by experts, charities, and front-line services, with some saying the controversial new system shows a “lack of humanity” from the Tory government, and has caused a culture of “inherent distrust” of the welfare system.

ABC Comments, have your say below:

The benefits freeze will not lift'ed in Wednesday’s Spring Statement, Amber Rudd has confirmed in a statement. There is to be no relief despite rising food prices and higher inflation. 

The Work and Pensions Secretary had faced calls from poverty campaigners to scrap the four-year policy, introduced in 2015 by then-Chancellor George Osborne.

Philip Hammond will not axe the freeze in this week’s Budget update, despite inflation seeing benefits claimants paid less in real terms and leaving many trapped in poverty and on the brink of destitution.

Brexit is overshadowing these socio-economic issues say those struggling to make ends meet.

ABC Comment have your say below:

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The Mid-West Careers Fair will take place in the South Court Hotel, Raheen, Limerick on Wednesday 27 March 2019 from 11am to 5.30pm. The careers fair is one of some 80 events taking place around the country during National Jobs Week, which runs from Monday 25 March to Friday 29 March 2019.

Organised in conjunction with the Mid-West Regional Skills Forum, some 30 Employers and 15 Training Providers will attend the Mid-West Careers Fair. Entry is free to all and Jobseekers can register their attendance on the day.

This event will provide an opportunity for Jobseekers, Job Changers and Job Returners to meet with local companies actively recruiting. Local Education and Training Providers will also be exhibiting at the event.Companies attending range from Multi Nationals to small and medium sized enterprises and include, Guidant IRC, OpTech Ltd, General Motors, First Data, WP Engine, Atlantic Aviation, Jaguar Land Rover and Johnson and Johnson.

Image: Regina Doherty, TD.Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection.

Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty, TD, said:“The Mid-West Careers Fair in Limerick is a great opportunity for jobseekers and employers alike. It provides jobseekers with the chance to find employment in a wide range of sectors and employers with the opportunity to actively recruit. It also showcases the excellent advice and support services my Department provides to both jobseekers and employers. This is an event not to be missed by jobseekers looking for work and by employers who are trying to find the most suitable people for their company.”

Jim Lynch, Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection Divisional Manager Mid-West said:“This year we have been overwhelmed with the support from local employers and training institutions.  The Jobs Fair is now an established annual event with a wide variety of jobs on offer.  This contributes to growing a stronger regional economy. We are delighted to partner with the Mid West Regional Skills Forum to offer this great opportunity to both Employers and Jobseekers of the Mid-West Region”.

Many of the Employers are returning to the event for the third and fourth time because they find it to be a very useful facility to source new employees for their company.

Commenting on the event, Joe Leddin, Manager at Mid-West Regional Skills Forum said: “The Mid-West Regional Skills Forum is pleased to once again collaborate with the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection to host the Mid-West Careers Fair. The Mid-West is Ireland's fastest growing region and this year’s event will showcase hundreds of career opportunities across several industry sectors. Attendees can also engage with the education and training providers to avail of upskilling courses delivered on a part time basis”.

A number of local training providers (from Universities, local colleges and training centres) will also attend the event.

There will also be a free career and CV Workshop available at the event.  This experienced professional service will provide advice to Jobseekers on CV and Interview Preparation.

A stand where Jobseekers can get assistance and advice on registering their CV on JobsIreland will be available on the day. JobsIreland.ie provides an online recruitment service to both Employers and Jobseekers at www.jobsireland.ie. We can provide Jobseeker Profiles with a downloadable CV, Advertise Employer Vacancies and using the very latest technology, we also offer a Job-Matching service. The service is free, easy to use and is provided by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.

ABC Comments, have your say below:

A technical article but if Universal Citizens Income interests you this is useful information. 

Kela, the Finnish social insurance agency, has published the first results of the Finland Citizen's Basic Income experiment. 

The Finnish basic income experiment is coming to an end. A recently launched evaluation study is now looking at the income, employment and wellbeing effects of receiving a basic income. Results will become available during 2019 and 2020.

Adopted by Juha Sipilä’s Government as one of its policy initiatives, the basic income experiment was launched in January 2017. Participants in the experiment are paid a monthly basic income of 560 euros for two years. The 2,000 participants were selected from among the 175,000 persons who received basic unemployment allowance or labour market subsidy payments in November 2016 and were between 25 and 58 years of age.

The basic income experiment is an exceptional social experiment both domestically and internationally in that it is set up as a randomised field experiment. In addition, because participation has been mandatory for the selectees, the conclusions that can be drawn are more reliable than has been possible in earlier trials.

The experiment will continue until the end of 2018 and will be followed by an investigation of the effects of receiving a basic income.

The Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has signed an agreement with the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela) on the implementation of the evaluation study. Kela is responsible for organising the evaluation study and will conduct it together with the VATT Institute for Economic Research and other partners.

The study design calls for the evaluation of the effects that the basic income has on employment and wellbeing, drawing on registry, survey and interview data.

Both the experiment itself and the follow-up evaluation are generating considerable international interest.

Effects will be evaluated primarily on the basis of registry data.

The Government is primarily interested in the experiment’s effects on employment.

They can be analysed on the basis of data collected in official registries compiled by Kela, the Finnish Centre for Pensions, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment and the Finnish Tax Administration.

The first results based on registry data will become available in early 2019. Because of the time lag involved in compiling the registry data, these results will focus on the first year of the experiment. Registry data for the entire timespan of the experiment (2017–2018) will not become available before the end of 2019.

The registry-based study will look at the impact of the basic income on employment, taxable earnings, take-up of unemployment benefits paid out by Kela, and enrolment in employment services.

 Other data collection methods

Already when the legislative groundwork for the experiment was laid, it was noted that there are many topics which official registries do not capture but which are relevant to people’s lives. The Parliamentary Committee on Social Affairs and Health therefore proposed that the experiment should also look at the wellbeing outcomes of the experiment.

With that in mind, the research team will carry out a phone survey in late 2018. The structured survey will focus on how the respondents perceive their wellbeing and health, subjective stress, economic security, trust, interactions with government agencies, time-use and social inclusion.

The survey will target both the experimental group of 2,000 persons and a sample of 5,000 members of the control group. The members of the control group received unemployment benefits from Kela in November 2016,  but were not enrolled in the basic income experiment. Contingent on the respondent’s consent, the survey data are combined with data culled from registries.

The survey utilises some of the same batteries of questions as such widely used surveys of wellbeing as the European Social Survey, the International Social Survey Programme, the European Union Survey on Income and Living Conditions, and the Regional Health and Well-being Study (ATH).

In addition to the registry and survey based investigations, the research team will conduct interviews to collect more detailed experiential data. By collecting interview data, the research team hopes to interpret and shed further light on some of the unanswered questions and unexpected results.

The interviews will be conducted early in 2019, at which point the team will have access to preliminary results from the registry and survey-based investigations.

As part of the evaluation study, the research team will also look at popular support for the basic income and the public debate surrounding it.

Reporting of results will proceed in stages

Preliminary results from the registry and survey based investigations for the first year of the experiment will come out in February 2019.

A somewhat more extensive report which will also contain results obtained in the interview study will be published in spring 2019. The main report containing full analyses of the two-year experiment will be completed in late spring of 2020.

Following the completion of the evaluation study, steps will be taken to store the data in accordance with data privacy laws to enable further research use.

Olli Kangas
Professor of Practice, University of Turku

Minna Ylikännö
Senior researcher, Kela – The Social Insurance Institution of Finland

Miska Simanainen
Researcher, Kela – The Social Insurance Institution of Finland

ABC Note, the Citizens Income Trust have said this:

Our comment on the results from Finland

The theory tells us that a Citizen’s Basic Income could have two opposite effects. Because it would not be withdrawn as earned incomes rose, additional earned income would result in more additional disposable income than would be the case with means-tested benefits, which are withdrawn as earned income rises. This should incentivise paid employment. On the other hand: a secure income with no work tests attached might enable some individuals with low living costs to reduce hours of employment. The fact that during its first year the Finnish experiment saw almost no change in paid employment can therefore be interpreted in two different directions: 1. It did not result in the additional employment that we might have expected; 2. It did not result in the reduced employment that we might have expected.

We await with interest the results from the second year of the experiment.

ABC Comment, have your say below:

Growth in the UK private sector remained stagnant in the three months to February as momentum in early 2019 remained subdued, the latest Confederation of British Industry Growth Indicator showed on Sunday. Looking ahead, further decline is anticipated with private sector activity expected to fall slightly, in the quarter to May, with a negative balance of 4%.

Mark Brownridge, Director General of the Enterprise Investment Scheme Association:

“These results reflect the continuing uncertainty that the prospect of a no-deal Brexit is presenting to businesses in the UK, both big and small. It’s madness. Uncertainty breeds fear and that’s what we will see more of with the continued debates and renegotiations. How can any business plan with political backdrop we are currently experiencing? We will now almost certainly see a slow-down in the economy that could have been easily avoided.

 Jenny Tooth OBE, CEO of the UK Business Angel Association:

“There is no greater community affected by uncertainty and the prospect of no-deal than those that live, work and trade in Britain’s regions. With a hugely significant level of funding being ripped from local government grants and various other EU funding pots, an overwhelming degree of financial and infrastructure related support is required to ensure that our flourishing global cities across the UK, in addition to towns in the Midlands and the North, continue to create an environment for new technology and businesses to grow.”

ABC Comment, have your say below:

Today marks the start of , celebrating partnerships forged between businesses, educational institutions, and of course the apprentices themselves across the UK.

Today marks the start of National Apprenticeship Week, celebrating partnerships forged between businesses, educational institutions, and of course the apprentices themselves across the UK.

The 12th annual National Apprenticeship Week, which will run from 4 to 8 March 2019, is a great opportunity to highlight the fantastic opportunities that an apprenticeship brings to employers, individuals and the economy.

The ‘Blaze a Trail’ theme will feature throughout the week to highlight the benefits of apprenticeships to employers, individuals, local communities and the economy.

As in previous years NAW2019 will see a range of activities and events being hosted across the country. We want to change the perceptions people have on what an apprenticeship is and who takes them up to encourage people of all ages and backgrounds to take up an apprenticeship.

The week will also show the number of high quality of apprenticeships opportunities available at all levels around the country in a huge variety of sectors such as aviation engineering, finance and policing.

Apprenticeships and Skills Minister Anne Milton said:

Blazing a trail is what being an apprentice is all about and will be our theme for National Apprenticeship Week 2019. Because that’s what’s happening up and down the country – apprentices and employers blazing a trail.

I want everyone to recognise the change that apprenticeships can bring - for employers blazing a trail to new markets, apprentices to new career opportunities and for colleges and training providers raising the skills levels for everyone.

Keith Smith, director, Education and Skills Funding Agency said:

I want the 12th annual National Apprenticeship Week to be the biggest and most successful, yet.

The theme for this year: Blaze a Trail is at the heart of what apprenticeships are all about. I really hope our partners feel as excited about it as we do and, like previous years, they will can get fully behind the Week.

We want everyone to consider hosting an event or activity so more people get to see and hear about the huge benefits apprenticeships can bring to employers, individuals and local communities.

National Apprenticeship Week 2018 was record-breaking, with 780 events taking place across England. The ambition of delivering a 10,000 talks movement - #10kTalks - to inspire the next generation of apprentices was exceeded, reaching over 33,500 people in over 300 schools across the country.

A further 130 schools hosted teacher-to-teacher talks, reaching an additional 2,300 adults, to support them to talk to their students about apprenticeships. The Big Assembly reached 20,000 young people with a live video stream, showcasing apprentices and employers sharing their apprenticeships stories.

Events also took place to celebrate International Women’s Day, apprenticeships diversity and a launch event with the BBC and Sutton Trust included the announcement of a new ground-breaking apprenticeship programme.

Richard Hamer, Education & Skills Director, BAE Systems added:

We have always supported National Apprenticeship Week. It’s a great, focussed way to showcase the many benefits of apprenticeships. For National Apprenticeship Week 2019 we will be celebrating our apprentices’ achievements through our own internal apprenticeship awards.

We’ve been a ‘trailblazer’ in developing new standards across the engineering sector and were delighted to hear that the theme for this year is ‘Blaze a Trail’. We have 2000 apprentices in learning and for 2019 will be recruiting more advanced, higher and degree apprenticeships across a wide variety of apprenticeship standards.

ABC Comment, have your say below:

Thousands of Universal Credit claimants in the North East have seen their payments stopped or cut since the scheme started.

13,650 people in the North East have seen their payments stopped or reduced at least once since the scheme rolled out, according to official figures as of October 2018.

Experts have warned it means more people are having to use food banks, are being pushed into debt, and are forced to “struggle against the tide of poverty”.

The news comes following Department for Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd’s admission earlier this month that the Universal Credit rollout has been linked to rising food bank usage.

Answering a ministerial question in the House of Commons, she said: “It is absolutely clear that there were challenges with the initial rollout of Universal Credit, and the main issue that led to an increase in food bank use could have been the fact that people had difficulty accessing their money early enough.”

The scheme - first introduced in 2013 - was supposed to be fully rolled out by 2017, but management failures, IT blunders and design faults mean it has already fallen at least six years behind schedule.

Meanwhile in Scotland

The SNP Work and Pensions spokesperson has demanded that the Chancellor end the cruel Tory benefits freeze at the upcoming Spring Statement, as new figures show the cost of basic goods has sky-rocketed.

New figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) show that whilst the 2016 benefits freeze has kept most working-age benefits at the same value as 2015/16, essential items such as sugar and butter have increased by 17% and 23.1% respectively since benefits were frozen.

Neil Gray MP has argued that it is therefore even more imperative that the Chancellor use his Spring Statement to lift the freeze.

The SNP has previously highlighted that the final year of the benefit freeze will cut more than the Government originally intended – more than an extra billion, bringing the total cut up to £4.4bn in the final year alone. This is more than the UK Government are spending on the boost to the Universal Credit Work Allowance they announced in the Budget 2018 in total up to 2022.

Commenting, SNP Work and Pensions spokesperson Neil Gray MP said:

“With the price of the most basic household items increasing steeply in the last few years, many people are struggling to make ends meet due to the punitive Tory benefits freeze - a policy that has held their payments static for over three years.

“As the government continues to prioritise a hard-Brexit, which could see families thousands of pounds even worse off, the Chancellor must finally step up and scrap this utterly punitive benefit freeze at the Spring Statement and help those on the lowest incomes that this government has been so intent on punishing.

“People on low incomes are struggling to make ends meet as prices continue to rise as a result of Brexit uncertainty, and the UK government has done nothing about it. The quickest and easiest way to get money into people’s pockets as soon as possible would be to lift the benefit freeze a year early and boost these benefits by inflation.”

ABC Comment: Government borrowing is going up and Austerity has not worked. Chancellor Phillip Hammond is trying to grow GDP (Gross Domestic Product) so the debt looks smaller in proportion to the means able to repay it. However, benefit claimants are finding themselves sanctioned or simply not paid without reason in order to reduce goverment spending. 

UK Government Spending Amounts in Billion	2018	2019
Central Gov	627.6	643.2
Local Authority	172.8	174.4
Total UK Spending	800.4	817.5

Image courtesy: UK Public Spending

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