Ipswich Unemployed Action.

Campaigning for Unemployed Rights.

The Full Return of Job Centres and Benefit Sanctions.

 

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Benefit Sanctions were reintroduced in July,

The return of benefit sanctions is a risky, painful and dangerous bet by the government

New Statesman.

Against a potential backdrop of mass layoffs, the cruelty of the old system is going to feel a lot sharper.

Benefit sanctions will return to the United Kingdom from 1 July, the government has confirmed. The requirement that people claiming Universal Credit demonstrate they are actively seeking work was suspended during the lockdown, but will resume on Wednesday, when Job Centres reopen and in-person meetings there return.

DWP docked 35,000 people’s benefits at height of coronavirus despite ending sanctions

The Mirror reported on the 20th of August.

More than 35,000 people were losing money to benefit sanctions at the height of coronavirus – despite them being halted.

Thousands were still having their payments docked long after new sanctions were suspended for three months due to the pandemic.

Now the DWP has plans to fully-open Jobs Centres the process looks set to begin against in earnest.

PCS strongly opposes plans to force thousands into work

05 Sep 2020

PCS has reiterated that the safety of members is our priority as we oppose government plans to get 80% of civil servants in England to attend their usual workplace each week by the end of September.

We have been informed that permanent secretaries have been told to greatly increase the number of staff in workplaces. The government claims sending tens of thousands of civil servants back to their buildings by the end of the month would be “hugely beneficial”.

As we understand it, departments which have not staffed offices up to the so-called Covid safe limits must now seek to do so. This must be done in a supposedly Covid-secure way, taking advantage of the return to schools this month and increased public transport availability.

Moreover departments are being strongly encouraged to use staff rota systems to get more staff into the workplace over the week, for example 20% for five days, 30% for three days and 30% for two days.

Departments have been set a target of 80% of staff in England to attend their usual workplace each week by the end of September. Staff elsewhere in the UK are expected to follow local guidance and continue working from home.

We understand the prime minister has asked to see departmental return to the workplace figures on a weekly basis.

 

 

 

Written by Andrew Coates

September 7, 2020 at 10:25 am

Posted in DWP, Sanctions, Universal Credit

Tagged with , , ,

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271 Responses

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  1. Then the PCS should also strongly oppose the re-introduction of Benefit Sanctions!
    As for the Jobcentres, ideally keep them shut permanently, but in light of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic it is certainly not safe to reopen them any time soon.

    trev

    September 7, 2020 at 10:38 am

    • I initially thought, because it was part of the Tweet I posted above, and I hadn’t read that bit closely, that they had!

      Andrew Coates

      September 7, 2020 at 10:42 am

    • If the jobcentre were shut permanently then everyone unemployed would have to turn to do everying they need to do digitally,

      many people wouln’t be happy with that, with not having a computer and can not afford internet access,

      xclausx

      September 7, 2020 at 10:57 am

      • I would also scrap jobsearch conditionality as it is utterly pointless and futile. All people would need is access to the internet once per year for annual signing, or alternatively could simply return a postal form with a signed declaration. Benefits can easily be paid automatically, as they are being at the moment. No need for Jobcentres, no need for Sanctions, no need for Universal Credit, no need for jobsearch conditionality (which in any case is a relatively new demand, didn’t exist in the days of the old Unemployment Office in the 70s or the Jobcentres of the 80s).

        trev

        September 7, 2020 at 11:18 am

      • @Xclausx_ And then they will change the regulations to force people to claim and provide jobsearch details online. Which is what they wanted all along. Originally Universal Credit was supposed to be a totally online system. Much easier to administer for the DWP, with surveillance of claimants, and if necessary sanctions, all online.

        Tom Sutton

        September 7, 2020 at 11:42 am

      • Universal Credit should be scrapped. We need to get over this imagined need to police claimants’ jobsearch, which is pointless and futile, I can sit on my arse all day long clicking ‘apply’ on job sites but it doesn’t make me any more employable.

        trev

        September 7, 2020 at 11:54 am

      • And if they did close the Jobcentres, thousands of DWP staff would have to be made redundant.
        Then they too would be thrown onto Universal Credit.

        Pete

        September 7, 2020 at 11:46 am

      • We won’t be shedding any tears, that’s for sure *pass us an onion* 😀

        The Crocodile Family

        September 7, 2020 at 12:26 pm

      • Sanctions, jobsearch requirements, Workfare and all other aspects of Nudge theory constitute an abuse of power and are nothing less than Class War.

        trev

        September 7, 2020 at 12:45 pm

      • Benefit Sanctions were reintroduced in July,

        I haven’t had an appointment or seen anyone since March and as many others’.The longer the jobcentre stays shut to the unemployed then there will be questions’ about its future role.

        ken

        September 7, 2020 at 5:25 pm

      • @ Ken

        I agree. There certainly ought to be questions about the role and very existence of the Jobcentre if anyone in high places are paying attention. Such as, “why are we paying Billions to keep these places open and employ all these useless idiots if the system can run smoothly without them?”, and “Why are we wasting time and money scrutinizing claimants’ job search activities when those who are able will naturally gravitate into work of their own accord?”

        trev

        September 7, 2020 at 5:37 pm

      • “why are we paying Billions to keep these places open and employ all these useless idiots .

        I wouldn’t say that but it has had a poor image and its services haven’t been the best at times you can’t blame everyone.A replacement thats more user friendly and upbeat that directs people to suitable training and not involving the system thats been marred by previous scandals but all thats for a coronavirus free future and the right outcome that way people are more likely to remain off benefits altogther but nothings certain these days..

        It may be just how I would see it I don’t know if anyone else agrees?

        ken

        September 7, 2020 at 5:52 pm

  2. An unemployment disaster in heading for the UK. We still have the end of the furlough scheme to come.
    And the very real possibility of a No Deal Brexit, with further unemployment on top. But the government won’t face reality. The situation is totally now for the unemployed. At best Universal Credit will provide bits and pieces of temporary employment. Many of these newly unemployed will never see a full-time job again.
    Instead of doing something to help these people, all the DWP and the government can think of is to harass them. Because they are blinded by their neo-liberal ideology and Protestant Work Ethic.
    #LetMyPeopleGo

    Jeff Smith

    September 7, 2020 at 11:37 am

    • There is absolutely no need for the Benefits system to be so punitive and difficult to use. We had a more relaxed Social Security system in the past, in the 70s & 80s, far less stressful, no hoops to constantly jump through to get your dole, no threat of Sanctions, no mention of the unheard of word “jobsearch”, yet most people still preferred to be in work. It is a fallacy and unfounded assumption in the minds of Iain Duncan Smith and his ilk that people wouldn’t work if they had an easily accessible and less punitive Welfare regime, the belief in ‘Nudge theory’ is to blame for this, and that is based upon vindictive hatred of the poor.

      trev

      September 7, 2020 at 11:50 am

  3. They might even make you have a test for convid before they let us in jc again, my friend had one a few weeks ago, he said it was really painful as they stick a 6 inch swab up your nose and down your throat uggghhhh it sounds really brutal.

    Cloverleaf

    September 7, 2020 at 12:18 pm

    • and how are they going to do that if you have a mask on pmsl ill sign on buy post as they dont do bugger all anyway as i sign on and go home all i get asked is any change in circumstances sign this and piss off.

      superted

      September 7, 2020 at 12:34 pm

    • They probably haven’t got enough test kits or the necessary logistics to do that to every claimant, unless it’s done by the G4SS goons but even then I doubt it.

      trev

      September 7, 2020 at 12:38 pm

      • @trev _ But why do they do all that with the naked examinations ? Surely these aliens have seen enough naked redneck Americans, for it to have lost any interest at all. Why travel light years from a distant galaxy to look at the willy of a gas-station attendant ? It does make you wonder if they are not some kind of flying perverts.

        George M.

        September 7, 2020 at 5:28 pm

      • It’s one of life’s mysteries George, some believe it’s got something to do with cross-breeding aliens with humans, who knows? In the Middle Ages it was believed that Goblins could disguise themselves as cows or kettles, though why they would want to do that was never specified. In Victorian times Spring-heeled Jack would pounce out of trees and frighten people before leaping over rooftops and running away, again no one knows why.

        trev

        September 7, 2020 at 5:43 pm

      • They will i imagine plastic screen all the desks and make all but the infirm queue (2 metres apart this time) like the old days.
        God knows how these health and work programmes are going to do it as usually they are such tiny spaces.
        Face it even the supermarkets and shops appear to have stopped enforcing how many go in at any one time and instead once in a while send a security guard/shop worker to do a head count of how many are in the shop.
        10 years of austerity and we still cant bank roll a country for the year without causing a massive national debt.

        Doug

        September 8, 2020 at 8:18 am

    • Alien abductees have a long pointed instrument inserted in every orifice.

      trev

      September 7, 2020 at 12:48 pm

  4. […] The Full Return of Job Centres and Benefit Sanctions. […]

    The Full Return of Job Centres and Benefit Sanctions. | sdbast

    September 7, 2020 at 1:05 pm

  5. Who are they abducted by trev the anunnaki by any chance?👽

    Cloverleaf

    September 7, 2020 at 1:18 pm

    • I’ve really no idea, that is open to debate. Many theories abound, could be ‘people’ from other planets, or from other dimensions, or demons/Watchers, or time travellers, no one knows for sure.

      trev

      September 7, 2020 at 1:26 pm

  6. Reblogged this on Tory Britain!.

    A6er

    September 7, 2020 at 2:07 pm

  7. “My Department knows what it takes to get Britain working, having supported record high employment in this country just a few months ago. And we have a plan for recovery and revival.

    Today I can reveal a central pillar of that plan: ramping up our jobcentre Work Coach capability. We are doubling their number to 27,000 by March, with 4,500 of them due to be in post by October.

    We know how important and effective it is to have a service that is tailored to skills, circumstances and the local jobs market to help people find work. Later this week the Chancellor will reveal further details of our comprehensive package setting Britain on a path back to work.

    Bringing in 13,500 new work coaches dedicated to helping people find work will have a huge impact.

    We will be transforming our service – something my Department has become very good at.

    We have done it once when the outbreak began, redeploying 10,000 staff to process claims so that millions of people plunged into urgent need by this pervasive virus could access financial support quickly.

    Now, we are transforming again – switching our focus from processing claims to supporting people back to work with this new brigade of work coaches.

    They are the people who can see from a CV that someone can pivot from one struggling sector into another thriving one, who can tease out the great skills people have and can be used in a new role or career direction.

    They are the people who can find jobseekers the right training opportunity so they can take the next step…”

    “…

    Work coaches, who were integral to those record employment figures I mentioned, will be at the heart of our renewal. They know what they are doing, they will bring our new recruits up to speed, fast, and I trust them to deliver.

    Doubling their numbers reinforces our frontline as we help Britain get back on its feet and back into work.”

    Therese Coffey

    This article was previously featured in The Telegraph on Sunday 5th July 2020.

    Published 7 July 2020

    https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/its-key-for-jobcentres-to-help-people-back-to-their-feet

    trev

    September 7, 2020 at 2:37 pm

    • The ‘new normal’ aka the same old shit with bells on.

      trev

      September 7, 2020 at 2:39 pm

  8. “Why are Britain’s jobcentres disappearing?”
    May 10, 2018

    https://theconversation.com/why-are-britains-jobcentres-disappearing-91290

    trev

    September 7, 2020 at 2:49 pm

    • It’s all part of the real agenda to put benefits online 24 /7. You don’t need local Jobcentres in an online system. Perhaps just a handful of regional centres where people can call in by appointment.
      This was the original vision for Universal Credit, but so far they have only managed to put part of it together.
      All that is needed is a change in the regulations about jobsearch evidence and DWP access, and they will have every claimant 100% online.

      Jeff Smith

      September 7, 2020 at 5:51 pm

      • There are many places in the country that have very bad internet download speed or no internet at all that will be in trouble.

        Stepping Razor Sound Plate System

        September 7, 2020 at 5:54 pm

      • @ Jeff

        That seems to be the ultimate aim, but the interesting part of that article is the history of Jobcentres and how they became inextricably linked with the claiming of Benefits, when they were originally a separate agency that the Dole Office referred you to, but although the Jobcentres had job boards you could look at they didn’t have any powers because the searching for work and the claiming of Benefits were two separate things. The dole never used to ask if you’d *looked* for work, they simply asked if you’d *done* any work, when you replied “no” you were asked to sign a declaration and that it was it, off you went and your Benefits were in the post. Then Norman Fowler joined the two together and hence the position we’re today, bullied, questioned, harassed, cross examined and scrutinized under the constant threat of Sanctions.

        trev

        September 7, 2020 at 6:11 pm

      • @trev

        The DWP Administration was separate from the Joke Center, now the Joke Center does all the DWP Administration which they have contracted out to the corporate capitalist companies who have won the Government contract put out to tender. The DWP looks like a business that has targets for CEO’s & is desperate for more cash cows to process through the system called The Flag Ship Welfare Reform that is at the heart & foundation of the Capitalist Tories.

        They used to have bullet proof Glass in the old Dole Office, that was to protect the DWP costumers from the DWP staff, now we have G4S doing that service down at the Joke center.

        Stepping Razor Sound Plate System

        September 7, 2020 at 6:32 pm

      • Well yes on the one hand it is all a big money-making machine for the third party Providers, the private companies riding the once highly lucrative welfare-to-work gravy train, yet on the other hand they waste massive amounts of public money doing so. Billions down the drain on developing and implementing UC, Billions on keeping the Jobcentres running, many Millions on Court cases they can’t win. It’s insanity and the British Taxpayers ought to be very angry about it, except they have been duped into thinking it’s money well spent on sorting out Society’s scroungers.

        trev

        September 7, 2020 at 7:14 pm

  9. Pertinent information for those of you planning to escape from the Benefits system and the clutches of the DWP by cashing-in a Private Pension. At the moment you can access a Private Pension at age 55, but in 2028 that changes to 57, though what business it is of the Government is beyond me.

    https://www.ftadviser.com/pensions/2020/09/03/govt-confirms-pension-freedom-age-hike-to-57/

    trev

    September 7, 2020 at 4:03 pm

  10. Universal Credit is the Sanction Policy. Universal Credit can’t survive without the Sanctions Policy. Because everyone is so greedy & desperate with the pressers of life, mainly caused by the DWP, people forget they voted for the Work For Your Benefit policy which includes sanctions. Why when people voted for a policy do they only moan about when it effects them. The greediness & the moaning means no one gets anything, because to whole DWP department can’t cope. With the cost pf Universal Credit reaching over £100 Billion for the past 10 years, it makes you wonder can the Tax Payer keep paying to support the DWP. The DWP are always in court using tax payers to defend the DWP sanctions & abuses. Take the hole out of the sive & we are all at Eton again getting tax payer to foot the bill. Bully for you at the Bullingdon Club jolly dictatorship.

    Stepping Razor Sound Plate System

    September 7, 2020 at 4:03 pm

    • Trev, I’m responding to this because you know I don’t troll on here under multiple names. Not am I a Tory or a Covid denier. But you do not have to be either of these to question the narrative of lockdowns, social distancing, etc. The fact is, whatever happens there cannot be another lockdown. The damage to livelihoods, civil liberties, children’s education- it is too great. If that makes me a Covid denier then you are a reality denier for thinking we can just lockdown at the drop of a hat. There is nothing inherently right wing about opposing lockdowns at all.

      All the focus on infections is wrong. The r rate is largely irrelevant. What matters is hospitalisations and deaths, both of which currently remain low. The death toll (which I notice you incorrectly refer to as the ‘death rate’) is not increasing fast, and the actual death rate (The percentage of deaths per 1000 people who test positive for the virus) is not increasing in line with the infection rate. To refer to someone as a ‘Tory troll’ for referring to these obvious, accepted and important facts is ridiculous. They have got to find a way to protect those who want to be protected through isolation or whatever and allow the young and healthy to get on with their lives. This is damaging people’s livelihoods, mental health and future prospects and it is unnaceptable when we were told the aim of lockdown was to ‘protect the NHS’, an aim long since achieved.

      KJ

      September 11, 2020 at 6:32 am

  11. The schools are back and social distancing is now impossible on public transport and cases of the virus look like they are going to hit the roof again.If theres an outbreak anywhere there wil be a closure.Its back to square one.

    ken

    September 7, 2020 at 4:04 pm

  12. Thousands of young people in Bradford targeted for work scheme

    https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/18699328.thousands-young-people-bradford-targeted-work-scheme/

    trev

    September 7, 2020 at 4:12 pm

    • And what about all the other unemployed ? People in their 40s, 50s and 60s made redundant in this pandemic. Is there going to be a special scheme for them ?

      Jake

      September 7, 2020 at 5:39 pm

      • @ Jake

        I bloody well hope not! We’ll be written off and left alone with a bit of luck.

        trev

        September 7, 2020 at 5:45 pm

  13. How about getting ATOS to sort out the IT System at the DWP like they did with the Civil Service. Then Government Departments can run smoothly. ATOS already runs a perfect service down the WCA medical.

    Stepping Razor Sound Plate System

    September 7, 2020 at 4:12 pm

  14. What a day when the DWP was the cause of the fall of capitalism.

    Stepping Razor Sound Plate System

    September 7, 2020 at 4:13 pm

    • Flag Ship Welfare Reform.

      Stepping Razor Sound Plate System

      September 7, 2020 at 4:14 pm

  15. Benefits Sanctions are a Human Rights Beech of the Human Rights Act 2010.

    Stepping Razor Sound Plate System

    September 7, 2020 at 4:16 pm

    • The beeching cuts of the Human Rights Act 2010 is breech the real Human Rights Act – the United Nations have damning report & the DWP have ignored & got worse.

      Stepping Razor Sound Plate System

      September 7, 2020 at 4:18 pm

  16. Mike Mansfield QC the Human Rights Lawyer is working for the other side Boris & The Dictatorship, so Mike Mansfield needs bring down as a Human Rights Abuser.

    Stepping Razor Sound Plate System

    September 7, 2020 at 4:20 pm

    • Barristers don’t have sides for crying out loud. We perform roles, take briefs, hold appointments. Personally, I have both prosecuted and defended. I have represented benefit claimants but by the same token I have also represented the Department for Works and Pensions as Standing Counsel. Doing the same sort of work is frankly boring, tedious, and dull. It is all about variety, seeking out new challenges, self development. No matter the role is about doing your very best to represent your client; clearly articulating their arguments; putting their position forward. I wish Mike Mansfield all the very best in his new role.

      QC

      September 7, 2020 at 4:52 pm

      • The point is you are missing the point of the Disabled Human Rights plight.

        Stepping Razor Sound Plate System

        September 7, 2020 at 4:53 pm

      • I am not au failt with the “Disabled Human Rights plight”. I was merely making the point that there is nothing untoward, irregular or unprofessional about Mike Mansfield representing the Department for Works and Pensions. Good day to you, Sir or Madam!

        QC

        September 7, 2020 at 5:03 pm

      • So you do agree Mike Mansfield QC works for DWP !!

        Stepping Razor Sound Plate System

        September 7, 2020 at 5:25 pm

      • As usual Stepping has got to the heart of the matter, with some profound insights.

        Tristan Quincy-Jonville

        September 7, 2020 at 5:54 pm

  17. The truth hurts Tories. Now send your paid trolls out.

    Stepping Razor Sound Plate System

    September 7, 2020 at 4:21 pm

    • @Tristan Quincy-Jonville : Indeed, and one cannot help but admire his rhetorical skill, the persuasive use of metaphor and symbolic allusion.While engaging a powerful sense of dramatic oration, which expresses through articulation and careful emphasis, the full sense of the text being conveyed.

      Edward Topham-Burnley

      September 8, 2020 at 11:35 am

    • Zen or shite? Ponder and decide. And yet where does the light go when the light goes out. Answer the koan silently and satori beckons. Kwatz!

      真実を知っている者

      September 8, 2020 at 4:24 pm

      • @真実を知っている者

        Koan 117

        Master: ”When the light has appeared, where does the darkness go ? ”

        Answer : ” When it becomes light, the lantern is put into the closet, and the mattress is folded away on the shelf.”

        From: The Sound Of The One Hand – Yoel Hoffman

        Zendo

        September 8, 2020 at 8:57 pm

  18. I hate to say this but the people who want a harsh sanctions regime are a very large number of the general public, most probably a majority of the public, because they have been deceived into believing that benefit claimants are leeches, spongers and fraudsters who need crackdowns and harsh treatment to “encourage” them into work. The Tories developed and fed this appetite during the Cameron-Osborne years and now it has turned into a feedback loop where the public demand red meat, insofar as benefit claimants are concerned, and the more the government gives to them the more gluttonous and carnivorous they become.

    Most on here know that benefit claimants, in the main, are people forced to seek help from the state because of random circumstances, e.g., illness, infirmity, maturity, geography, economy, you name it, but this isn’t the general view amongst the unaffected in society who believe that claimants are out to rinse the system for all it’s worth. After the Cameron-Osborne era it’s going to be very difficult and dangerous politically for any government to appear to be softer on things like benefit sanctions.

    That’s the truth.

    A majority of the public actually approve of benefit claimants being treated roughly, demand it actually.

    Crystal

    September 7, 2020 at 4:57 pm

    • It goes back further than Cameron, even further back than Blair, back to Norman Fowler who brought the Jobcentres back under the auspices of DHS and integrated job-finding with Benefit claiming, and introduced a stricter regime beginning with the ‘Restart’ interviews. Blair took it further with the New Deal, the rest is history.

      trev

      September 7, 2020 at 5:03 pm

      • The infamous ‘Restart’ interviews were only once every six months. Prior to that there was something called the ‘unemployment review officer’, but that was once in a blue moon, like every 50 odd years. But like the boiling frog the ‘Restart’ interview was when the burner on the unemployed opened until it was cranked up to gas mark 6.

        Boiling Frog

        September 7, 2020 at 5:09 pm

      • There was a joke in a TV programme The Cops: Criminal: “I’ve got a Restart interview”. Copper: “Things must be looking up then”. That is how ingrained in popular culture the ‘Restart’ interview was.

        On the Box

        September 7, 2020 at 5:13 pm

  19. National living wage could be frozen amid Covid uncertainty

    Low Pay Commission warns planned rises may be ‘unaffordable’ for employers in a recession but TUC urges government not to ‘renege on its commitment’

    https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/news/articles/national-living-wage-could-be-frozen-amid-covid-uncertainty

    ken

    September 7, 2020 at 5:18 pm

    • The min wage is but only one part of the problem. Work hours a week and micro management are the others.

      Doug

      September 8, 2020 at 9:24 am

  20. I notice Sunak is now clutching his cash-box like an anxious miser. Now it seems there is going to be no rise in the Minimum Wage, and no particular taxes on corporations or the billionaires. So once again as in 2008, a crash caused by the total greed of the bankers, the poorest are going to bear the brunt of things in the coming recession. Next we will have Austerity 2: Dark Fate
    As a wise man once said , The more things change, the more they remain the same…

    Jeff Smith

    September 7, 2020 at 6:05 pm

    • @Jeff Smith. Yeah, Dark Fate is about right Jeff !

      Deke

      September 8, 2020 at 4:46 pm

  22. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains; let him who is on the housetop not go down to get the things out that are in his house; and let him who is in the field not turn back to get his cloak. But woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse babes in those days! But pray that your flight may not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath;—Matthew 24:16-20

    Jeronimus

    September 8, 2020 at 11:06 am

  23. The Tories have got no intention of paying the £20 a week extra to the legacy claimants. The legacy JSA in particular ( average age 49 ), are seen as older long-term claimants, who simply don’t want to transfer to Universal Credit. And the government is not going to reward this stubborn refusal, by giving them extra money.

    George Mortimer

    September 8, 2020 at 11:11 am

  24. Oh Therese,
    Who art in Caxton House
    Give us our twenty pounds
    And forgive us being Legacy Claimants
    As we forgive those on Universal Credit
    For ever and ever
    Amen

    Reverend Green

    September 8, 2020 at 11:20 am

    • @Reverend Green – The longer the DWP refuse this money, the more they are going to regret it later on.
      Much better to pay it now, than have some no-fee lawyer win a case against them, and then have to pay out months of backpay as well.

      Malcolm

      September 8, 2020 at 4:40 pm

      • @reverend green: They are only kidding themselves by not paying it. No-one is going to allow them to run a two-level benefit system like this, on a permanent basis.

        David Russell

        September 8, 2020 at 4:53 pm

  25. It seems the Cabinet Office’s new wonderful Disability Unit has disappeared after the big fan fare in July 2020 with the big Cabinet Opening. Stephen Crabb our lovely 2nd time around Disabled Minister will listen to disability & the help disabled people need. Stephen Crabb is still so mentally scared from the last time he was Disability Minister that his fears have now resurfaced & is scared of disability again. Oh dear what ever happened to the Tory Government Cabinet Disability Unit.

    Stepping Razor Sound Plate System

    September 8, 2020 at 12:17 pm

    • Is that REALLY true?

      TVonics Freeview Personal Video Recorder

      September 8, 2020 at 2:14 pm

  26. DWP called on to ‘act urgently’ on benefit cap problems – over 84,000 households affected

    https://www.express.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/1332907/dwp-benefit-cap-problems-coronavirus-response

    superted

    September 8, 2020 at 3:40 pm

  27. ⛧ D̸̗͚̣̺̰̈̕e̶͙̾̉̎̋̀ạ̶͆̐͝t̴̬̱͈̦̎̆̽͂h̴̖̜͖̔̋͑̿ ̸̦͚̱̐͝b̶̢͕̙͓̬̂̅͘e̶͙͉̬͗͝ ̷̛̛̖̦̙̙̝̀́ư̸̭̞͚p̸̻͗̒̚͠o̵̤̱̥̚̚n̶̨͎̅̕ ̷̦̗̦̦̈́͛ṭ̷̨̥̤̈́̌̚̚h̸̳̄͝ͅẹ̴̛̐̈͜ ̷͙̫͆͒̿̃h̸̦͍̺͛ė̷̟̀͘ẩ̵͖͖̋̄̚ḑ̵̖̜͉͙͐̽̄̈s̸͓̒̍ ̶̪̗̄ỏ̴͓͍̥f̶̧̭̩̹̬̍͝ ̵̢͆̌̿̇͒t̷̙̤̞̀̈́̚͝ͅh̴̟̙͂͒͠ọ̶̱̏̈́̔s̷͉͛̽e̸̼̪̹̺̓̒ ̵̨̛̟̬͋̽̇͠w̴̙̙̲̆͑̚͜͜͝h̵̨̡̗̟̟̔̽̽o̷̻̳̻̲̽̚͜ ̶͍̮͌̈́̅̉̚s̴̨̽̆̊͛͘e̸͖͙͙͊̃̕ẹ̵̥̓̆̉̑k̴̢͙̔̽̅͝ ̷̨͍̫̥͊͌̚͘t̸̟̀̓͊o̴̤̤͓̰̓̏͠ ̵̡̧̯͎̯̾̄̊́̓p̶̞͚͛͆̋̂e̷̺͇̒ṟ̵̞̣̲͌̽̌̄s̸̫̒̐̐é̴̛̹̦̳̻̌͒͝c̶͙̠̀̓̔̔ư̸͓͈̖̹̻͝ţ̶̳̣͇̃͐ȩ̵̣̱̰̣̿͌̈͑ ̸̡̖̤̯̹̈́͂͝t̵̰͉̝͊́ḫ̵̪̊̏̊͝e̶͎̦̦̩̘̊͛̕ ̶̦̔̀̇͜͠p̴̱̬̰̪͒͜o̸̮͑ò̸̤̽r̷̰͂̉͐̕͝.̶͎̮̯̮̑ ̴͍̇̑͊S̴̩͕̫̬͆̿̈́ͅó̵̢̪́̈́̎͘ ̴̥̞͛m̴̭̼̹̾́̓͋̚o̷͚̗̽̔́ţ̷̧̮̆̆̇͝ë̴̡́ ̵̗̪͓̮͐i̵̲̙͛͋̚t̴̡̡̖̳͛̆͜͠͝ ̷̲̩͔́̿b̸̧̙͖̈́͌͗͋͝ę̴́̋.̸̡̘̰̲͉̓ ⛧

    Radiant Darkness

    September 8, 2020 at 4:18 pm

    • Ordo Ab Chao.

      Callistes

      September 8, 2020 at 4:50 pm

      • Let those upon the sacred path be watchful, and consider what is upon the Right Hand.

        Saadah

        September 8, 2020 at 5:01 pm

  28. Don’t be complacent about Covid

    LONDON (Reuters) – British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Tuesday he was concerned about a sudden jump in the number of new coronavirus infections over the past two days, urging the public not to become complacent about social distancing.

    “It is so important … that people take their responsibilities seriously and people don’t become relaxed about this virus,” Hancock told a parliamentary committee

    https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-britain-hancock/dont-be-complacent-about-covid-british-health-minister-says-idUSKBN25Z1M5

    trev

    September 8, 2020 at 5:13 pm

    • No need to worry Matt because there’s been no corresponding uptick in hospitalisations or deaths. In fact, there were only two Covid deaths in the whole of the UK yesterday, according to the Government’s coronavirus dashboard.

      Nothing to see here folks, move on…

      Trev Handtocock

      September 8, 2020 at 5:57 pm

      • Bolton lockdown restrictions tightened as coronavirus cases surge

        https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/bolton-lockdown-coronavirus-pubs-takeaways-new-cases-covid-19-b417804.html

        trev

        September 8, 2020 at 6:37 pm

      • No corresponding uptick in hospitalisations or deaths in Birmingham,Liverpool,Leeds and Bolton.

        FirePants

        September 8, 2020 at 9:23 pm

      • @ FirePants

        Not yet, but the potential exists if lockdown measures aren’t put in place and either adhered to or enforced.

        trev

        September 8, 2020 at 9:32 pm

      • I would remind the blog, that Honourable Members must employ the correct form of address when posting.
        It is inappropriate and discourteous to the Honorable Member concerned when others use informal and unsuitable titles in this manner.

        Speaker Of The Blog

        September 8, 2020 at 9:56 pm

      • https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-54081131

        Coronavirus: Social gatherings above six banned in England from 14 September

        cases go up as the more ppl are tested yet the death rate plummets it just makes them look even more stupid.

        this is being done on purpose it has nothing to do with science as the ons data proves this!

        tho imo this means no jcp will open this year!

        i went to the dentist today and had 2 fillings replaced they even used a drill OMG and never wore a face mask as no fooker was even in there so went straight in and even said there sick of all this msm bs and costing them a fortune in ppe and they can only treat 4 ppll every 2hrs as got to clean after every appointment.

        i could not make a follow up appointment as might not be a viable business in the next 6 months esp for nhs patients.

        superted

        September 8, 2020 at 10:03 pm

      • “◾The rule does not apply to schools and workplaces”

        Why not?

        trev

        September 8, 2020 at 10:50 pm

      • dont make sense does it trev because it is all bollocks 60 million test positive for cov19. yet 10 die!

        there taking the piss!

        superted

        September 8, 2020 at 11:07 pm

      • It doesn’t make sense that people are still expected to go to work and attend school.

        trev

        September 8, 2020 at 11:12 pm

    • Glad you admit there is not and will not be any second wave.

      Toby Young

      September 10, 2020 at 10:31 am

    • Why are rules as per Covid-19 different in the wokrplace and schools than elsewhere?

      Because employers are supposed to make workplaces safe and local authorities and school staff supposed to do the same insofar as schools are concerned. The same can’t be said for other venues. Hence the risk of acquiring coronavirus is supposedly low enough in schools and workplaces for people to associate more safely than other places, e.g., homes and domestic premises, which are not inspected and have no rules insofar as health and safety are concerned.

      Q.E.D

      Pizz Poor

      September 10, 2020 at 10:51 am

  29. Food banks demand Universal Credit reform as emergency parcels double

    Independent aid groups revealed a 108% increase in food parcels across Scotland.

    The growing trend led to fresh calls on the UK Government to loosen benefits. In a list of demands, the Independent Food Aid Network called for:

    Permanent £20 uplift to Universal Credit

    Removal of the benefit cap

    Scrap the two-child limit

    Abolish the sanctions regime

    https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/food-banks-demand-universal-credit-22643606

    ken

    September 8, 2020 at 5:22 pm

    • I absolutely agree but what chance is there of the Tories listening? They won’t take a blind bit of notice, they don’t care that people are living in poverty, the Tories created the poverty! They don’t care that people are unable to afford food, it doesn’t affect them personally so they do not give a fuck and never will. Thank the great British Public for voting Tory like turkeys voting for Xmas.

      trev

      September 8, 2020 at 5:58 pm

      • the dwp death rate is going to sky rocket the food banks wont have enough to go round and it has not even started yet.

        the longer the jcp office is closed the worse it is going to be when they do open up the doors like a hit squad adviser like you got at the end of the first work programme but this time it will be all of them.

        you wont be going for a chat and a cup of tea thats for sure.

        superted

        September 8, 2020 at 6:12 pm

      • Sanctions all round and off to the foodbank we go…but like old Mother Hubbard the cupboard was bare. Do the Tories care? Nope.

        trev

        September 8, 2020 at 6:21 pm

      • @trev – Is there any chance of help from the advanced beings of the 4th Dimension ?

        Darren

        September 8, 2020 at 9:01 pm

      • @ Darren

        I don’t think they are permitted to directly interfere in earthly matters of that sort.

        trev

        September 8, 2020 at 9:27 pm

      • @ trev

        Well I got a decent income tax cut and capital gains cut under the Tories, plus my stock and shares paid bigger dividends before the Covid-19 contagion spoiled things, so it isn’t true that voting Conservative has proven detrimental to everybody. Based on past experience, with my future and the future of my family on the line, I will continue to vote Conservative in future.

        Darroch Young-Hares

        September 9, 2020 at 10:30 am

      • @ Darroch Young-Hares

        Of course you will, Conservative policies appeal to those of a selfish ‘me-first’ nature.

        trev

        September 9, 2020 at 11:33 am

    • i do not consent to using the uc journal, i will not give them a email address and i will not make a uc claim online pmsl.

      A Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) allows your loved ones to take care of you and your finances if you become unable to do so yourself.

      https://willassociates.co.uk/services/lasting-power-of-attorney?gtm_source=google&gtm_medium=cpc&gtm_campaign=895860406-43269908525&gtm_term=legal%20power%20of%20attorney&gtm_content=419639985064&gclid=CjwKCAjw19z6BRAYEiwAmo64LWxF-XOXox-21eE6zApibkMOLtyOJmWo8x0giQ2plbsWzL5C-evPjhoCXxUQAvD_BwE

      if you get lpa the dwp can not do jack shit my mum had it for her brother and he never attended the jcp in 10 years.

      everything the dwp sent out had to me in my mums name even his benefits was paid in to her bank account.

      superted

      September 8, 2020 at 7:35 pm

      • @superted: Mr.Superted you will have to give us your email address, and we will be expecting you to make an online claim. I’m sorry but this nonsense has gone on long enough in the case of your claim.

        Jobcentre Manager

        September 8, 2020 at 9:04 pm

      • dont you bother to read your own rules and regulations as a uc claim can be made with no email address!

        this is personal data and must be given of free will you cant force anyone for this information using threats!

        https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/non_digital_uc_claim

        id stop posting as your making yourself like like a right brain dead moron that has the iq of a plant root, we have known this for years now and i will not give them a phone number either!

        DSC_0004

        superted

        September 8, 2020 at 9:30 pm

      • @superted: My colleague is quite correct, Mr Superted must provide an email address, and he will be required to make an online claim. I would remind him to moderate his language, and of the incident in Gloucester Jobcentre in 2016, when we were obliged to eject him from the premises, and issue an Unacceptable Customer Behaviour letter.

        Jobcentre Area Manager

        September 8, 2020 at 10:01 pm

      • i have never been ejected from any jcp office im not that stupid 😉

        superted

        September 8, 2020 at 10:10 pm

      • @superted

        ‘Claimants should be advised to contact the Universal Credit Service Centre number and an appointment will be booked for the claim to be taken over the phone.’

        Do you know what is the Universal Credit Service Number, please?

        legacy guy

        September 9, 2020 at 4:38 pm

      • @superted

        Thanks for that mate. I am currently on JSA and have been for several years. Coachy told me at the beginning of this year that I would be migrated over to UC some time within the next eighteen months. He said that I would have to do it online. No mention was made of being able to make a claim by phone and so avoid having to use the accursed journal which I am dreading.

        legacy guy

        September 9, 2020 at 7:22 pm

      • as ever do not listen to a word they say as the managed migration has been paused atm so could be a few more years yet b4 it happens as it needs to be passed buy parliament first.

        the problem with the journal is the claimant commitment as it is digital anyone at the dwp will have access to it.

        if a cc is changed you have 7 days to accept it on line or the hole uc claim gets shut down so i see this as a easy sanction weapon.

        you also do not need to use the journal for job search proof as this is your data and you can provide it any way you like.

        superted

        September 9, 2020 at 7:35 pm

    • is essential for many claimants. Some would simply not be able to navigate their way around an often complex benefit landscape without that support.

      Thats saying something.

      ken

      September 9, 2020 at 7:45 pm

      • the thing is also when you have a digital uc claim you need the internet as if a cc is changed and you have also been sanctioned or just can not log in to check the journal because your internet has been cut off it can mean the end of the claim.

        and all the dwp will say is well you did do it online so gave them permission to process your personnel data in this way so it is your fault!

        i can walk to a jcp office yet i need money to pay for the internet and to use the uc digital service so 1 4 week sanction could mean i loose access to that service as cant pay for the internet.

        not that long ago you could go to a jcp office and use the phones for free to make a claim or sort out any problems and not pay for the calls.

        what did the dwp do remove all the free phones and make you pay as was not free back then!

        also they removed the job search touch screens so you could print out the jobs you wanted to apply for and get a print out as proof.

        so if they want a online benefit system there is no need for any jcp offices and imo could sack 80% of there staff as would be no longer needed.

        if they want to be the bitch be the hole bitch as thats where this is going and the days of a work coach ect in a dwp office are coming to a end as the more uc is claimed and managed on line means the end of there jobs.

        superted

        September 9, 2020 at 10:09 pm

      • all the dwp will say is well you did do it online so gave them permission

        Its the same with the claiment commitment they will say you signed it,I dont think its a good idea either.

        ken

        September 9, 2020 at 11:09 pm

  31. HMRC crack down on furlough.

    HMRC investigating 27,000 furlough claims that may have been wrong or fraudulent

    https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/hmrc-investigating-27000-furlough-claims-22648908

    xclausx

    September 8, 2020 at 7:42 pm

    • The big joke about that is that all the businesses furloughing staff did it to only lower their costs and protect against the uncertainty of when business would all start again and how their financial landscape would look.

      Even government let alone the public know businesses would have been letting staff go like it was going out of fashion if the furlough hadnt been put in place.
      The furlough scheme should have covered every person who was working immediately prior to the outbreak who lacked the earnings levels and or assets that would put them in the top 50% of tax payers.

      Doug

      September 9, 2020 at 8:15 am

  32. I do notice the posts of @superted are at best semi-literate. With arguably the worst spelling and grammar on this blog. I wonder if when the Jobcentre re-opens at Commercial Road, he might benefit from undertaking a course in Basic Literacy ? I shall bring this matter up at the case conference in November.

    Jobcentre Manager

    September 8, 2020 at 10:06 pm

    • i will not sign any 3rd party contract for profit so you are screwed on that one and taken them to tribunal over this and won.

      if i do not consent you have no power over anyone! it is my data and i am in control of it 😉

      superted

      September 8, 2020 at 10:16 pm

    • Yeah, good luck with that as most peoples posts who use a mobile to type end up with the wrong predicted text and or misspells when speed typing.

      Doug

      September 9, 2020 at 8:04 am

  33. BuildBackBetter

    September 8, 2020 at 11:34 pm

    • @PCS Union _ ‘ Six Point Plan (6PP) If members have a claimant on the phone who is threatening suicide or self-harm, then the 6PP needs to be invoked.In the office the call handler needs to raise their red card. Their team leader needs to support them through this process and arrange any appropriate help whilst maintaining social distancing. ‘ It shows how cruel the benefits system is, that this even exists. And even more so, that the DWP expect to have to use it.
      How about a Two Point Plan, where everyone is treated with compassion and dignity ?

      Tom Sutton

      September 9, 2020 at 1:31 pm

  35. @Darroch Young Hares: I’m suprised to see you on this blog Darroch. Weren’t you at Lord Faversham’s shoot back in August ? You remember, when young Tristan Bartley-Whitford took two birds with one shot,
    using his father’s Purdey.
    Do Give my regards to your dear Mother when you see her.

    Rupert Jessington-Harvey

    September 9, 2020 at 1:13 pm

    • @Rupert jessington-Harvey. Fine guns Purdeys. I remember my grandfather telling me about a tiger-hunt that he was on, after the war. Suddenly a big male Bengal came charging at them from the jungle. My grandfather fired his rifle, but it jammed. And the beast was just about to leap onto the elephant, the native handler shouting in terror, when my grandfather remembered his Purdey. He only carried it for birds. Grabbed hold of it, and gave the tiger both barrels, point blank. Killed it outright, and for years he had that tiger-skin as a rug in his house in Surrey. Always said the Purdey saved his life.

      Gerald Manley-Villiers

      September 9, 2020 at 1:43 pm

  36. Covid crisis risks the return of 1980s-style mass unemployment unless government takes swift action – Alistair Darling

    As the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus outbreak continues, the UK Government must do all in its power to avoid a return to the days of mass unemployment and life on the dole for many people, writes former Chancellor Alistair Darling.

    https://www.scotsman.com/news/opinion/columnists/covid-crisis-risks-return-1980s-style-mass-unemployment-unless-government-takes-swift-action-alistair-darling-2964953

    ken

    September 9, 2020 at 1:16 pm

    • If they don’t extend the furlough scheme, as Germany and France are doing, the Tories will only have themselves to blame when we have 80s style mass unemployment once again.

      Jeff Smith

      September 9, 2020 at 1:21 pm

  37. Personally, I wish Nicola Sturgeon were the Prime Minister. She’s been very effective in the pandemic, and conducts herself with dignity and intelligence. Unlike some other people you could mention.

    George Mortimer

    September 9, 2020 at 1:18 pm

  38. Revealed: How rogue employment agencies are exploiting the COVID crisis.

    Scams and exploitation from UK employment agencies have increased by two thirds during lockdown, yet the government is failing to take action.

    Victoria Noble

    But according to SAFERjobs, a charity that assists flexible economy workers, the spike in unemployment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is being capitalised on by criminals. The charity has seen a 66% increase in complaints about scams and exploitation from employment agencies since the UK entered lockdown.

    Rachel Keane, 25, became unemployed at the beginning of lockdown after a job offer was withdrawn. She immediately uploaded her CV online and applied to over 50 roles, from kitchen porter to cleaner and store assistant.

    “I was just so stressed at the prospect of not knowing where my money was going to be coming in from,” she told openDemocracy. “I was panicking about how I was going to survive and pay my rent.”

    In response to an application, she was contacted by Steve from a company called ‘Happy Nurses’, who offered her a job as a key worker, giving non-medical bedside care during the pandemic. It seemed like the perfect opportunity.

    “I was really keen to help in the crisis,” she said. “I consider myself to be someone who is good-willed and it really appealed to me to do something to help and ease the pressure.”

    Steve told Keane that she could start immediately but she would have to pay for a police check, known as a DBS, which would be reimbursed on the first day of training. After Keane paid him £50 over Paypal, he stopped returning her calls. She then contacted CV-Library, who said Steve’s account had been removed for suspicious activity. Her bank was unable to refund the money.

    “I was thinking things were going to pick up and it would be ok and this happened,” she said. “It’s disgusting that people would use this time when you’re stressed and not looking out for the signals that you would usually.”

    A £50 loss was significant for Keane when she was struggling financially but she said that CV-Library were “rude” and made her feel “very small” when she tried to complain.

    “When it’s from a recognised job board, you trust that they’ve done enough on their side,” she added. “CV-Library call themselves the UK’s leading job board – how can you say that when they clearly can’t put the correct measures in place to prevent this?”

    Neil Grogan, Head of Customer Service at CV-Library, told openDemocracy that they operate “a strict vetting process” for companies who advertise jobs on their website. They also partner with SAFERjobs.

    The company said: “In this particular case, we accept that ‘Happy Nurses’ did advertise a job on our site for a limited amount of time. As soon as it became apparent that this was a suspicious account it was swiftly removed from the site and the company was blocked from using our services. We then contacted all candidates who had applied for the role to remind them not to make any payments or provide personal information.”

    SAFERjobs revealed that they had received three separate reports about ‘Happy Nurses’ and believed it was connected to another scam which had four other cases. They suspect this is the tip of the iceberg, estimating they are only aware of 5% of the criminal activity that occurs. Once they receive a report, they provide free advice and then pass on cases to the relevant authorities, such as the government or Metropolitan Police.

    The vulnerability of this sector has always been overwhelming. SAFERjobs’ Chair, Keith Rosser, said that part of the problem is the complexity of different employment models being used: “There’s well-known ones – zero hours, agency workers – then there’s things like umbrella, limited company, contractor, direct engagement.”

    The sectors most targeted are low-paid professions where workers might be desperate for employment or have less awareness of their rights. Rosser said that fraudsters “don’t want any barriers for people to apply” so most of the scams take place at “entry level” in sectors like warehousing, construction and healthcare.

    An incredibly complex system coupled with vulnerable, low-paid workers creates a labour market rife with criminal activity.

    “I’ve got some of the best minds in labour market policy working on this and we’re struggling to tie it down,” Rosser explained. “How can the average worker have any chance of working this out?”

    https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/oureconomy/revealed-how-rogue-employment-agencies-are-exploiting-covid-crisis/

    Andrew Coates

    September 9, 2020 at 3:20 pm

    • That’s terrible. I wouldn’t have paid the £50 myself though, in my opinion it’s the employer’s responsibility if they want to check my criminal background they can pay for it themselves, either that or stick your job.

      trev

      September 9, 2020 at 3:53 pm

      • @trev

        Most do in the care industry and schools or ask you to obtain it and they pay back the fee if your offered the job. In cases where it the latter they usually get you to sit in an interview prior to to make sure your a fit for the job. A person knows their own criminal history so its a stupid choice to get the check if you do have a criminal past.
        To be honest though they are expecting already in the field care workers or cleaners who have it already looking for some extra cash rather than a fresh faced applicant. Its only coming ontop now because of the virus.

        Weve spoken much on this topic before along with guarding personal data on CVs, jobsites and of course CV Library themselves.
        Sadly your always going to get someone who does not know, someone who expects others to do the heavy carrying for them and or place themselves in the hands of blind faith and assumptions.

        Back street agencies are and have been a problem for ages and why just like businesses people need to research them on the company house website which will easily aid them with the knowledge of how long they have been operating as PER OWNER (one con is to acquire an old business so as to give the air they have been operating longer than what they actually have).

        Lastly also be careful where the employer initially covers the cost. Ask the question whether or not they intend to take it back out of your wages even if they claim they will return it after a given time of employment.

        Doug

        September 10, 2020 at 6:46 am

      • Yep. And be careful about giving your bank details to people posing as “employers” purportedly about to offer you a job. Seriously, folks. Be really, really careful about divulging your bank details to anybody unless you are sure that they are kosher.

        Belgarion

        September 10, 2020 at 10:43 am

    • THIS IS A WARNING!

      It’s kind of dangerous to post you CV on CV Library and make it viewable, which it is by default I believe, or anywhere else for that matter where you personal data can be harvested. I did this and soon afterwards was bombarded by suspicious nuisance calls and spam emails, so much so that I had to change my mobile phone number and abandon an email address. Keep you personal data PRIVATE! If you don’t who knows where it will end up or what it will be used for.

      Wang Hung Lo

      September 9, 2020 at 5:27 pm

      • @ Wang Hung Lo

        I concur. I haven’t set my CV to public view on any of those job sites, nor selected “make your CV searchable by employers”. I used to get lots of nuisance phone calls but they have stopped since I removed my phone number from my CV. If an employer or agency want to contact me they can do so either by email or post.

        trev

        September 9, 2020 at 5:38 pm

      • I remember when Universal Jobsearch came out that the DWP tried to make people post a public CV by threatening them with a sanction. The threat was ambiguous saying that anybody refusing to post a public CV “might” end up on the wrong end of a sanction. This was bullshit because in fact nobody could be forced to do such a thing coercively and, as far as I know, nobody who had the balls to refuse to be intimidated into posting a public CV on UJM ever suffered a penalty.

        This was during the days when Iain Duncan Smith and that twat David Freud were in charge.

        What a waste of skin those two were.

        Xander

        September 10, 2020 at 4:49 pm

      • DSC_0269_03

        superted

        September 10, 2020 at 5:27 pm

  39. msg to the dwp! what happens when suuperted has to sign on 😉

    superted

    September 10, 2020 at 12:01 am

    • @ I would remind Mr.Superted that firearms are not permitted in the Jobcentre.

      Jobcentre Manager

      September 10, 2020 at 12:50 am

  40. Lot of emails about Urgent Cleaners Wanted coming through. Some from agencies I haven’t heard from in years. This is all zero-hour stuff, but they still expect the DBS and prefer own transport. Misery on a stick.

    David Russell

    September 10, 2020 at 12:46 am

    • Yep.

      An hour here… 8 mile journey…. and hour there… 10 mile journey… 1.5 hours somewhere else…

      One of those nomadic jobs where you have to travel all over the place, to different locations, to carry out paid work. No wages between jobs when commuting from place to place. On the minimum wage, especially if you’re trying to earn some scratch by part-time cleaning, while on Universal Credit, where you lose 63% of your wages if you earn less that 35 hours on the minimum wage for any given week in the month.

      Crap jobs like this aren’t got for the people that do them or for the country needing revenues.

      Albert Bellwether

      September 10, 2020 at 10:34 am

  41. @trev – You’ve really got to be crawling-over-broken-glass-desperate to want to do some of these jobs. The sad thing is, so many people are. And the agencies know it. They are the vultures of employment.

    Tom Sutton

    September 10, 2020 at 12:54 am

  42. The Goverment is to create millions of ‘Covid Marshal’ jobs. Get your applications in you lazy lot.

    Work Coach

    September 10, 2020 at 7:02 am

    • What a crap role thats liable to get you punched in the face not to mention numerous accusations made against you to try to get you sacked.
      I wonder if they will be afford body cams as i wouldnt want to do that job without some form of assurances.
      Lets not forget also a DBS will be needed for dealing with vulnerable people.

      Considering currently the groups age range your liable to encounter, your risks of catching the infection are high so i would ask about danger/risk money and or extensive insurances not only to look after you in ill health but also compensation in the event of and towards any employee with a family if you die as a result of an infection contradicted.

      Lastly i think its safe to say considering the risks, it would not be wise to hire anyone above the age of 40.

      Doug

      September 10, 2020 at 11:11 am

      • Sorry meant contracted, not contradicted.

        Doug

        September 10, 2020 at 11:13 am

  43. Perfect job for Trev. He acts like Marshal Stalin on here.

    Kolchak

    September 10, 2020 at 10:27 am

  44. Joseph was quite a hottie when young.

    Just goes to show that it isn’t just ugly people like Therese Coffey that grow up to be c*nts.

    Paparazi

    September 10, 2020 at 10:37 am

    • Cor! I would. Oh, yes, I’d be in there if I could even though he’s a touch left-wing.

      Therese Coffey MP PhD (Ann Widdecombe mk2)

      September 10, 2020 at 2:21 pm

  45. That scarf is just SO trev’s colour.

    Gok Wan

    September 10, 2020 at 11:22 am

    • I do have a scarf very similar to that actually, a sort of Palestinian one.

      trev

      September 10, 2020 at 2:19 pm

    • In my opinion monochrome scarves are very slimming for short, stout people with fat necks.

      Trinny Woodall

      September 10, 2020 at 4:36 pm

  46. I hear trev has a pair of Rupert the Bear trousers in the same style.

    Lavrentiy Beria

    September 10, 2020 at 11:28 am

  47. This is starting to get silly again isn’t it ? All these comments against @trev. But I can tell you now, it won’t stop Trev from posting on here. And how welcome it will be, to see his common-sense, practical advice once again.

    George Mortimer

    September 10, 2020 at 12:41 pm

    • Most of them have probably been made by trev himself. He is a bit of an attention seeker don’t you know?

      Poppy Petal Emma Elizabeth Deveraux Donahue Montgomery Smith

      September 10, 2020 at 4:43 pm

      • How very dare you.

        verT

        September 11, 2020 at 10:11 am

  48. Former PM Gordon Brown is launching a radical UK-wide campaign to stop the coronavirus fallout triggering massive unemployment.

    Amid warnings the jobless total could surge from less than 1.4 million to as high as 4.1 million by the end of the year, the Labour stalwart is heading a new national jobs coalition.

    The Alliance for Full Employment is backed by leading politicians across the country, trade unions while the drive to reboot the economy is supported by the Mirror’s Keep Britain Working campaign which makes four key demands on the Government

    https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/gordon-brown-launches-radical-campaign-22657300

    xclausx

    September 10, 2020 at 1:35 pm

  49. “I have never been hurt by anything I didn’t say.”

    — Calvin Coolidge

    Thought for the Day

    September 10, 2020 at 1:56 pm

    • “I have never been hurt by anything I didn’t say in the Jobcentre.”

      — A Claimant

      A Claimant

      September 10, 2020 at 1:58 pm

  50. Boris Johnson puts millions into DWP ‘work coach’ scheme to get Britons back in employment

    The plan is part of a commitment made by the government department to double the number of Work Coaches to 27,000 by March 2021

    https://www.express.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/1333732/DWP-work-coach-scheme-Boris-Johnson-employment-UK-2020

    id say we wont be back signing until march next year esp us lot on jsa ect. and the funny thing is i did ask to sign on once a year b4 Christmas, they never said yes but did not say no either.

    and i will have my 48 page job search ready to go for them to look over, not going to happen is it pmsl 😉

    superted

    September 10, 2020 at 2:03 pm

  51. I received an email today from the Jobcentre, sent by a Work Coach that I don’t know:

    “An advert has gone onto the Civil Service Jobs website today.

    For a work coach –

    Search Civil Service Jobs.

    In the area –

    Mileage can be taken down to 10 miles.

    Click on search.

    There are 145 posts available across the district and the closing date is 16/09/2020 at 11:55pm.

    Should be one of the first jobs that come up.

    Good luck”

    trev

    September 10, 2020 at 2:16 pm

    • Go for it, trev! At least you would be a lenient WC… that’s “Work Coach” of course not “Water Closet”!

      Limp Richard

      September 10, 2020 at 2:19 pm

    • Me too!

      trev

      September 10, 2020 at 2:30 pm

      • Its the same here.

        ken

        September 10, 2020 at 4:36 pm

      • While a criminal past does not help, its im afraid not grounds to not apply if your work coach sent it/gave it for a claimant to apply to.
        Equal opportunities bars any employer from not allowing a person with a criminal past to apply and dependent on criminal history may not effect your application.
        Sorry guys, having a criminal past/record is not reasonable grounds to justify not applying.

        If you cant find other reasonable grounds bring it up with your work coach asap and leave it for them to decide whether or not you apply.

        Doug

        September 11, 2020 at 7:56 am

  53. Activist Charlotte Hughes is still struggling to overcome the long-term after effects of Coronavirus.

    The Poor Side of Life:

    https://thepoorsideof.life/2020/09/10/dwp-increases-its-spending-on-fighting-pip-and-esa-appeals/

    trev

    September 10, 2020 at 2:29 pm

  54. Ancient Confucian saying,
    In ancient days, a witch doctor might perform a rain dance on Tuesday, and claim credit when it rains on Wednesday. Lockdowns are increasingly looking like the modern equivalent of a rain dance.

    Jack Ulayte

    September 10, 2020 at 3:43 pm

    • Confucian? When witch doctors come from Africa? I doubt that 孔子 (Kung Tzu) aka Confucius ever said such a thing.

      老子。(Lao Tzu)

      September 10, 2020 at 4:41 pm

      • Don’t be so insolent.

        Chiang Kai-shek

        September 10, 2020 at 6:19 pm

  55. Sunak urged to stump up £15bn to protect 1m from unemployment

    Chancellor must use autumn budget to create new roles for workers after furlough scheme ends, says thinktank.

    https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/sep/10/rishi-sunak-urged-to-stump-up-15bn-to-create-1m-uk-jobs-covid-19

    ken

    September 10, 2020 at 4:38 pm

    • The Resolution Foundation said the government needed to extend a £20-per-week boost to universal credit into next year to support millions of households at risk of rising job losses this autumn. Not doing so would risk 6 million households seeing their income fall by over £1,000 from next April – at a time when unemployment is forecast to be at its highest level in a generation.

      yet again jsa does not exist! we have been left for dead!

      superted

      September 10, 2020 at 4:45 pm

      • You don’t miss what you’ve never had… or so the saying goes.

        Maxim

        September 10, 2020 at 4:50 pm

  56. Benefit Sanctions suspended for Work and Health Programme on 15 July 2020
    https://mrfrankzola.wordpress.com/2020/07/15/whp-benefitsanctions-suspended/

    superted

    September 10, 2020 at 4:49 pm

  57. They expect people to pay for PPE theres tension over this and theres no end in sight.

    Brexit: meat exports and thousands of jobs threatened

    Inadequate Brexit preparations threaten more than £1bn
    of annual meat exports and thousands of jobs in the
    meat and livestock sector, according to the British Meat
    Processors Association (BMPA).

    https://www.foodmanufacture.co.uk/Article/2020/09/08/Brexit-meat-export-preparations-criticised

    ken

    September 10, 2020 at 4:53 pm

    • What has PPE got to do with the link you supplied ?

      Doug

      September 11, 2020 at 8:04 am

  59. “Universal Credit increase must be made permanent and extended to legacy benefits”

    https://welfareweekly.com/universal-credit-increase-must-be-made-permanent-and-extended-to-legacy-benefits/

    trev

    September 10, 2020 at 6:27 pm

    • Unfortunately Welfare Weekly are the government, they are not saying any of this. Those who are on Universal Credit might well find they are £20 per week down in April 2021.

      Jack Reid

      September 10, 2020 at 7:02 pm

      • @ Jack Reid

        “Unfortunately Welfare Weekly are the government, they are not saying any of this”

        Sorry Jack, I don’t understand what that means.

        trev

        September 10, 2020 at 7:07 pm

      • @ jack Reid – Jack, I think there is an amusing typo in there somewhere. If only Welfare Weekly was the government, perhaps things would be much improved for benefit claimants.

        Jeff Smith

        September 10, 2020 at 7:14 pm

      • Insert a “not” between “are” and “the” and swap “who” for “they” in the first sentence makes sense.

        Paronomaniac

        September 11, 2020 at 10:45 am

      • And swapping “in” for “and” in your sentence makes IT make sense.

        Laconic Lexicographer

        September 11, 2020 at 10:58 am

  60. I think it is high time, in view of his many contributions over the past few years, that @trev was confirmed as
    Father Of The Blog. A position where he can continue to encourage and influence, the highest standards of debate and discussion.

    Speaker Of The Blog

    September 10, 2020 at 7:11 pm

    • Father of the Bog more like.

      Beast of Bolsover

      September 10, 2020 at 7:35 pm

    • Many comments on this Blog get quoted by people: it was here, I am pretty sure, that we were the first to go on about the was legacy benefits have not been raised as UC payments have been (I think somebody noticed the very day itself), then about Jobcentre closures and now there’s comments about public CVs and Universal Job Search…..

      Andrew Coates

      September 10, 2020 at 7:36 pm

      • Ages ago we covered public CVs and jobsites, even gave advice on how to protect ones CV data from both the sites and DWP.
        We also gave advice on how to not have to sign up to DWPs jobsite and a lot more.

        Sadly what with this site not being itemized, they aren’t easily relocatable for the public.

        Doug

        September 11, 2020 at 8:19 am

    • If trev is elected Father of the Blog would he be getting any remuneration for it and would he have to declare it to the DWP ?

      Billy Boyne

      September 10, 2020 at 7:48 pm

      • i have not received a penny in the last ten years i have been posting so id not get your hopes up pmsl.

        coats fire up the google adds this place is going to get a hammering hits wise 😉

        superted

        September 10, 2020 at 7:55 pm

  61. Trev certainly has my vote for the position of Father Of The Blog.

    Pete

    September 10, 2020 at 7:16 pm

    • I vote yes as well. We need Trev to keep things sensible and relevant.

      David Russell

      September 10, 2020 at 7:18 pm

  62. I vote yes for @trev.

    Darren

    September 10, 2020 at 7:19 pm

    • Like voting in any dictatorship there seems to be only one candidate standing. What a sh1t show.

      Sadam

      September 11, 2020 at 7:49 am

  63. About time @trev has some recognition for his hard work. I vote yes.

    Dave Blunt

    September 10, 2020 at 7:21 pm

    • trev

      September 10, 2020 at 7:34 pm

  64. Vote No

    Ian Paisley

    September 10, 2020 at 7:36 pm

    • And here am I, the descendant of good Ulster folk from Belfast as well.

      trev

      September 10, 2020 at 7:44 pm

  65. So. it’s official: The ayes have it. And @trev is hereby voted Father Of The Blog. Many congratulations Trev, and I hope the blog will continue to benefit from your wisdom and advice .

    The Speaker

    September 10, 2020 at 8:20 pm

  66. Just shows to what extent JSA is being ignored by the media as well as the Government, a Google search under News for “JSA” returns results for the Japan Sumo Association !

    trev

    September 10, 2020 at 8:21 pm

    • So what would it have said pre virus then trev ?

      Considering a few are touting you as the proposed godfather of the blog, i find in this instance that your journalistic integrity is called into question.

      1: Search engine results present what they do based various browser settings and actions.
      2: Its never wise to use acronyms when searching for things on the internet.

      Only a person lacking online user based skills wouldn’t know this so either way (integrity or knowledge), your not off to a good start.

      Doug

      September 11, 2020 at 8:34 am

      • I totally agree Doug, trev’s integrity has always been suspect. He should be mandated to attend an ‘online user based skills’ course at a 3rd party provider for at least 6 months. That should hopefully get him to buck up his ideas and prepare him for the world of work.

        Billy Boyne

        September 11, 2020 at 10:02 am

      • @Billy Boyne

        With all due respect, the choices trev makes is his own and i disagree that DWP should have any hand in such matters beyond “have you ever considered or would you be interested in”.

        Im strongly against mandating and ineffectual work programmes that only serve to enrich the pockets of providers offering weak courses both colleges and councils already offer for free without the need to use force.

        Doug

        September 11, 2020 at 12:24 pm

  67. DWP silent over whistle-blower’s disability job adviser claims

    The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is refusing to confirm that it is about to announce controversial plans to remove staff from their roles as specialist disability employment advisers (DEAs) and move them into mainstream positions.

    https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/dwp-silent-over-whistle-blowers-disability-job-adviser-claims/

    dwp cure all disability during a pandemic as no need for these jobs anymore and back to being a normal a work coach and dump them down the nearest provider asap.

    then it will be a 6 month stint on work fair as a 2m mobile social distancing sign post aka a traffic cone.

    superted

    September 10, 2020 at 9:27 pm

  68. It’s now over 6 years since UK Benefits were ruled to be “manifestly inadequate”, and for those of us on JSA they still are.

    “The level of UK benefits paid in pensions, jobseeker’s allowance and incapacity benefit is “manifestly inadequate” because it falls below 40% of the median income of European states, according to the Council of Europe in Strasbourg.”

    https://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/jan/29/uk-benefits-inadequate-council-of-europe

    At the time a furious Iain Duncan Smith responded by saying:

    “This government has made great strides in fixing the welfare system so that spending is brought under control. It’s lunacy for the Council of Europe to suggest welfare payments need to increase…
    Whether for short-term needs or longer-term support, millions of people find that the welfare system provides a valuable and fair safety net when they need it most.”

    Six years on and nothing has changed. Poverty and foodbank use has increased. Sanctions still exist. People on JSA struggle to survive.

    trev

    September 10, 2020 at 10:22 pm

    • @trev- UK unemployment benefits have always been inadequate by design. And when you think they were deliberately held down for 4 years at a derisory £1.25 a year increase ! It comes back to the Tory fear, that if you provide a reasonable level of income on benefits, then many people will simply drop out and take it easy. Duncan Smith, along with Norman Tebbit, were both staunch believers in the evils of paying too much in benefits.

      Jeff Smith

      September 11, 2020 at 12:37 am

      • The Tories fail to see, or simply don’t care, about the knock-on effects of poverty on Society as a whole; more homelessness, more begging, more crime, more suicides, and if it weren’t for the foodbanks there would be mass starvation. Meanwhile, MPs salaries have increased to 85K + expenses, and the Lords get their £320 per day. Universal Credit has temporarily increased to £94 p/w, i.e. the amount it should have been 6 years ago. By now a single person’s unemployment benefit realistically should be £100 per week, not £94, and not £74.

        trev

        September 11, 2020 at 7:27 am

    • Youve got to laugh when you consider Iain Dummkopf Smiths suggestion in light of the virus fallout.

      People until the virus forced a government mandated shut down who have worked have had nothing but problems, most notably the amount offered when considering out goings.

      Those people with or without families and or disabilities have had to join the foodbank queue.

      Government said ” make work pay”

      It was even put ” The rationale behind for UC is that it will ensure that work always pays more than being on benefits”.

      Yet many employed/self employed people were left out of the furlough scheme and plunged into financial crisis, stabbed in the back by a government who effectively said would see they were rewarded for their efforts to work.

      And if i wasnt already laughing, i would have at the glaring fact practically the majority on this and other welfare sites base little to zero time on the working who make less than is necessary to be sustainable dependent on circumstance.
      Welfare with regards employment/unemployment is shoe stringed on the basis of the low earning.
      To not be inclusive of this group, to fail to understand taxes and contribution of be they employee or employer is precisely why this site isnt as more well known as it rightly should be.

      Get out of the fish bowl your swimming in otherwise it will be forever circumstance and not you that changes anything.

      Doug

      September 11, 2020 at 9:09 am

      • @Doug – This is another word-salad Doug. Are you using some kind of algorithm to write these ?

        Karl G.

        September 11, 2020 at 6:15 pm

  69. Now is the time to ask for volunteers to take early retirement. Any claimant over 60 should now be given the option of Universal Credit, or retiring. It is just pointless to carry on with the charade that these people are going to get full-time jobs.

    Patrick H.

    September 11, 2020 at 12:47 am

    • @ Patrick

      I agree. Lower it to 60 for both men and women, or as you say make it an option at least.

      trev

      September 11, 2020 at 7:31 am

      • If you equalise the retirement age with the school leaving age unemployment would vanish forever

        Mazikeen

        September 11, 2020 at 10:53 am

  70. Andrew Coates

    September 11, 2020 at 5:30 am

    • An extra £20 would certainly make a difference.

      trev

      September 11, 2020 at 7:34 am

      • @trev – I don’t understand why this has not had more publicity. Excluding this blog of course. How is it that the DWP can get away with just blanking out 2 million ESA / JSA claimants ? Not only do we seem to have been written out of history, but we’re not getting the £20 weekly increase either. Equal pay is a basic principle, in or out of work. If this was a case of people being discriminated against because of sex, race or religion, there would soon be enough said. But for the legacy claimants it seems to be acceptable to just ignore them.

        Jeff Smith

        September 11, 2020 at 5:59 pm

      • @ Jeff

        I know, it’s enough to make a person feel paranoid, as though there’s some sort of conspiracy against JSA claimants! It is odd how even the media never mention JSA, and Labour don’t either. If there is any reference then the term “legacy benefits” is used or ESA mentioned, but no one dare utter those three little letters; J..S..A . If I was one to believe in conspiracy theories I’d say it’s all the behest of the Rosicrucians, secretly whispering in powerful ears. Only those not in the loop dare to speak out, such as Stephen Crabb.

        trev

        September 11, 2020 at 6:22 pm

      • Time for you guys to stop grizzling like children and grow a pair. It’s an extra £20 a week on UC or £20 less on JSA. You choose. If you choose the latter for goodness’ sake cut out the incessant whingeing and whining and try to act like adults who make choices, own the outcomes which spring from those choices, and live with the results afterwards.

        Scout

        September 11, 2020 at 7:03 pm

      • @ Scout

        “It’s an extra £20 a week on UC or £20 less on JSA”

        So where is the equality in this situation? Are you saying that inequality is perfectly acceptable? Perhaps you think that women should be paid lower wages than men, or BAME people should be discriminated against in the job market. Inequality is just that, unfair, unjust, and therefore we have the right to be disgruntled.

        trev

        September 11, 2020 at 7:28 pm

    • All you moaning minnies have to do is transfer onto Universal Credit and be £80.00 a month better off. You keep going on and on about being hard done by when a solution is already in your own hands. And why? Because you think that you get an easier ride when unemployed on JSA than UC! Honest to God! Pathetic!

      Truther

      September 11, 2020 at 6:57 pm

      • @Truther _ The only pathetic thing is your spiteful little post. Somehow it reminds me of our old friend Tigerlily ? People are naturally concerned about transferring to Universal Credit. You seem to be one of a number of unpleasant individuals, who have nothing useful to say. And who hang around this blog waiting to post another random piece of petty spite and aggression.

        Jeff Smith

        September 11, 2020 at 7:14 pm

      • @ Truther

        Little wonder when UC is guaranteed to put you into debt right from the start, and is a sure-fire way to end up Sanctioned. Either that or be forced to accept the absolute shitiest job available for any hours possible, even zero contract, possibly miles away and for min. wage. Insecure low-paid work is the best you can hope for on UC, a Sanction is the inevitable alternative, not to mention the completely unrealistic target of 35 hours per week jobsearch. And you wonder why no one in their right mind would voluntarily transfer to UC. Sod that for a game of soldiers.

        trev

        September 11, 2020 at 7:18 pm

      • @scout: Some unpleasant characters on here tonight Jeff. But I totally agree with you and Trev.
        The way in which the legacy claimants have been treated is very wrong. Not only in withholding the £20 per week increase, but also this mysterious attempt to pretend the legacy claimants don’t exist.
        It needs to be taken up by the Labour Party, and not just quietly ignored.

        Tom Sutton

        September 11, 2020 at 7:23 pm

      • if you are on say jsa and also get child tax credits and then just end the jsa claim to get us you will be worse off as you will loose the ctc where as if you are migrated you wont loose them.

        Coronavirus: ‘One click and we were worse off’ after universal credit claim
        https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52675084

        maybe if you bother to look first for some ppl it is not as easy to just stop jsa and make a uc claim as will be worse off!

        the dwp will not get away with this as it is only a matter of time and i wont miss what i dont have in the first pllace.

        superted

        September 11, 2020 at 7:26 pm

      • While Truthers tone could do with an adjustment, they are not actually wrong about ripping off the band-aid at this current juncture.
        That extra money they are awarding UC claimants will give legacy claimants the funds that are non returnable to easily cover any loan repayments they occur during the transition if done now or at least starting your claim in October.
        Yes that still means your living off £73.10 a week but its a far better case scenario than it was pre virus as regards UC.

        As for the rules, your already living them which i can attest to personally what with having to go back on benefits for a while under UC. The only change is when you get paid, the draconian practices are the same.
        Where UC does fall down however which is laughable considering why it was designed in the first place is if your working or coming in and out of work. I wont get into this aspect now but do strongly urge legacy claimants to consider what i have said here.

        Doug

        September 12, 2020 at 7:11 am

  71. MP Chloe Smith North Norwich is standing down after her husbands mental illness episode, also Chloe is getting a divorce.

    Stepping Razor Sound Plate System

    September 11, 2020 at 11:43 am

    • MP Chloe Smith responds to criticism of her husband calling coronavirus a ‘mental illness’

      Eastern Daily Press – 10th Sep 2020

      This newspaper reported last week how the husband of Norwich North MP Chloe Smith described coronavirus as a “mental illness”, attended a mass protest against facemasks alongside thousands more without wearing the necessary facial protection and spread Covid conspiracy theories online.

      In response the MP said the views expressed were not her own and that, as a private citizen, her husband, Sandy McFadzean was entitled to his own opinions.

      Mr McFadzean later apologised for what he’d said.

      However, this newspaper believes there are still a series of questions which remain unanswered and today we print in full the questions we have sent to the MP – and her response.

      •Our questions to Chloe Smith

      -Your job involves meeting lots of members of the public, visiting schools and government departments. Is your household following the Government’s social distancing guidelines/wearing facemasks etc. when your husband believes coronavirus is fake and is pictured at a mass protest not wearing a mask?

      -If further lockdowns are required, will your household adhere to them, given the views your husband has expressed?

      -Your husband attended an illegal march with up to 10,000 other people not wearing a facemask. In your previous statement you appeared to defend your husband’s decision to attend this mass gathering, stating “everyone’s entitled to their own view, and to debate”. Can you please clarify whether you are suggesting that people have a right to attend mass gatherings at the moment?

      -What message does it send to the public that you have failed to condemn his attendance at a mass gathering more than a week after this march?

      -Will you also condemn the messages your husband either posted or retweeted on Twitter, including, swearing at the DHSC for asking people to wear facemasks, describing Boris Johnson as a “fat *****” who didn’t have a “brush with death” and describing public health officials as “fascists”?

      -What message does your husband’s actions send to the wider public about whether they should bother following coronavirus restrictions?

      -Your husband described coronavirus as a “mental illness”. This is deeply damaging, especially for the thousands of families who have lost their loved ones to coronavirus. Will you publicly challenge this view?

      -Since lockdown measures were introduced in March, has your husband adhered to them? Did he stick to one outdoor trip per day, avoid social contact with anyone except his household, and does he wear a mask in shops, etc?

      -Do you feel that the inconsistency of views about coronavirus in your own household will have a impact on your standing with your constituents?

      •Chloe Smith’s response

      The EDP is wrong to have a go at a politician for their family, as they have done recently. It’s me, the MP, who is accountable – for my own views, and for my own actions and behaviour. I’ve already been clear that in this case, I don’t agree with my own husband.

      Debate and opinions should be welcome in this democracy. If things go too far, good people apologise – which my husband has done, unreservedly. I would now ask this paper to leave my family alone.

      It’s more important that we focus on our country’s recovery, and people’s lives and livelihoods in Norfolk.

      Since the beginning of the pandemic I’ve urged everyone to stay safe by following the government’s guidance. I repeat this now because, understandably, with the examples of some cases reported at a large city centre shop as well as elsewhere in Norfolk, people may well be worried about the virus in Norwich.

      We should all wash our hands, keep a social distance, wear a mask when required, and get tested and isolate if we have any symptoms. I do this, and have since the spring, and I take special care because I have a public responsibility.

      When I’m meeting constituents, I aim to help them stay safe by personally following these rules as well as any other guidelines that a meeting-place might ask.

      This has been an incredibly hard time for so many people, and my heart goes out particularly to those who’ve lost loved ones.

      We will face more challenges over the next few months as we must still deal with this virus. I encourage everyone once again to keep up our efforts and stay safe.

      Stepping Razor Sound Plate System

      September 11, 2020 at 11:49 am

      • Chloe Smith’s response

        “””The EDP is wrong to have a go at a politician for their family, as they have done recently.”””””

        Thick O Chloe.

        Stepping Razor Sound Plate System

        September 11, 2020 at 11:52 am

  72. https://brandnewtube.com/@DrVernonColeman

    superted

    September 11, 2020 at 12:11 pm

  73. Trev and Mhairi Who’d wear the trousers ?

    Frank MacAvennie

    September 11, 2020 at 12:22 pm

    • My money would always be on wee Mhairi coming out on top.

      Spork

      September 11, 2020 at 2:54 pm

    • I think a man like trev could turn her.

      Flipper

      September 11, 2020 at 4:24 pm

  74. Why doesn’t he just use Bitchute ?

    Billy Boyne

    September 11, 2020 at 12:26 pm

    • no idea never even heard of it b4

      superted

      September 11, 2020 at 12:39 pm

      • Seriously Superted ?

        Its a website that allows content the likes of Youtube wouldn’t.

        I would visit it once in a while as who knows what videos you may find about UC and welfare when if not already Google clamps down on that.

        Doug

        September 12, 2020 at 7:26 am

  75. DWP breaches health and safety law at office with ‘insufficient’ social distancing

    Staff at the office in Leeds were given a narrow walkway and were spotted congregating round a computer screen, according to the Health and Safety Executive

    https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/dwp-breaches-health-safety-law-22665882

    superted

    September 11, 2020 at 1:01 pm

    • Well that not a surprise.
      f
      Keep the job centres shut, and keep all 3rd party training providers close for good

      my_final_username

      September 11, 2020 at 1:46 pm

      • Name and shame TFL buses upstairs packed with academy students in Herts there were complaints from a member of the public behind some had no masks at all and motorists looked on horrified at junctions either laughing or thats disgusting could be made out,their buses are filling up and students and even another bus company driver was looking slowing.Pity theres not a class on this before theres another full lockdown.It looks like public transport’s becoming unsafe again.This needs to stop and quick.

        Its not safe to gather and needs to be inforced.

        ken

        September 11, 2020 at 6:12 pm

      • superted

        September 11, 2020 at 6:18 pm

  76. What the World Needs Now Is Love – Jackie DeShannon

    What the world needs now is love, sweet love
    It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of
    What the world needs now is love, sweet love,
    No not just for some but for everyone.

    John Sandford

    September 11, 2020 at 5:48 pm

  77. Does that include trev and Mhairi ?

    Sweet Pea

    September 11, 2020 at 5:51 pm

  78. I see there is some childish jealousy regarding @trev, The Father Of The Blog.
    Rise above it Trev, you have more supporters on this blog than you realise.

    George Mortimer

    September 11, 2020 at 6:11 pm

    • I doubt trev has enough go in him to father anything.

      Marco Snhnabel

      September 11, 2020 at 7:05 pm

      • @marco snhnabel : Now you see what people are complaining about ? Why must you be so nasty ?

        Helen

        September 11, 2020 at 7:26 pm

      • @ Marco

        “I doubt trev has enough go in him to father anything”

        I have no ‘go’ in me this evening as I am absolutely knackered after walking 8 miles in the last two days and spending 8 hours on my feet lifting heavy boxes of tinned food and pasta whilst doing voluntary work in the warehouse of a large foodbank. What’s your excuse?

        trev

        September 11, 2020 at 7:35 pm

      • Andrew will be along presently with his blue pencil to clean things up. Fear not. Worse things happen at sea.

        Rudyard Lake

        September 11, 2020 at 7:46 pm

      • 4 miles a day and lifting some boxes what a hero

        Rupert Bear

        September 11, 2020 at 8:32 pm

  79. Your comment comes across as homophobic. I think that could be illegal, i.e. Hate Speech.

    trev

    September 11, 2020 at 7:21 pm

    • Hate? What hate? Where’s the hate? Where’s the insult? Some exegesis please. Explain yourself.

      Hymnself

      September 11, 2020 at 7:50 pm

      • @ Hymnself

        The use of the word “Lezzer” for a start off.

        trev

        September 11, 2020 at 8:09 pm

    • I’m gay and call my gay friends bent, queers, queens, lesbos, lezzies, lezzers, lipstick lesbians, dykes and such like all the time, all of which are colloquial slang for homosexual. These terms are used teasingly and affectionately not as insults or to be hateful to anybody. Since when did the word “lezzer” become taboo in the same way that “n*gger” has? Many of my lesbian friends use the term, one to the other, all the while. Hate speech? What an anally retentive and prissy little left-winger you are to be sure, trev. You must have led a very uneventful, boring and sheltered life to have ended up such a thin-skinned sexagenarian, who seems to fancy himself a peripatetic member of the thought police.

      Relax that sphincter and grow up for fuck’s sake!

      Wilde

      September 12, 2020 at 7:12 am

      • @ Wilde

        Whilst I do not believe your claim to be gay for one second, I am able to inform you that the word “Lezzer” is not a term of endearment as you claim, it is a derogatory and offensive slang expression for a Lesbian.

        trev

        September 12, 2020 at 8:41 am

  80. @rupert bear : Yes, he is a hero to all of us at Nutwood.

    Algernon

    September 11, 2020 at 10:26 pm

  81. Oh, Rupert, Rupert the Bear
    Everyone sing his name
    Rupert, Rupert the Bear
    Everyone come and join in all of his games

    There is Badger Bill
    Little Tiger Lilly too
    And a whole lot more
    They are Rupert’s friends
    And they’re waiting here for you
    So, unlock the door
    There’s a magic land not far away
    And they call it Nutwood!
    Where you’ll meet a little teddy bear
    If you are good….

    Raggety

    September 11, 2020 at 11:16 pm


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