Abs, couldn't you relocate? I know this crap will be hitting pretty much right across the country, but isn't the cost of living higher in London?

'universal credit'..lol!!!

I wonder why local authorities are struggling?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-19681437

Fer fucking fuck sake and these contracts are negotiated by people we trust to teach kiddies!!!?

Gilly wrote:
I'd love to Gilly, but at present it's 'complicated'.

Money, or significant lack thereof, being the main obstacle.

@ Feather - How could they let that happen!?! And where's the FSA when you need them to look at outrageous mark-up! Too many people are just out to rip everybody off. Tar and feather the bastards! Fucking hell - the government and even councils are so busy sticking their noses into things that don't concern them. Why the blazes haven't they put some kind of vetting procedure into these kinds of purchases!?!

@ Abs - people get trapped by the short & curlys one way or another. I hope you can find a way to manage.

Do they know there will be families breaking apart with the financial burden of this going on while the price of basic commodities carry on soaring. There's be homeless, starving people right here in Great Britain by the time they've finished cocking everything up.

There already are a fair few, Gilly. Thank goodness we'll have the government (and their privately owned subsidiaries) to step in and look after us all.

Gilly wrote:

A plan going on since 1976
www.chomsky.info/books/priorities01.htm

universal credit is going to be the killer for many - the plan is that all benefits will be amalgamated into one payment - with a housing element, job seeker element, child element and a disability element - benefits will be paid monthly and direct housing payments to landlords will cease which will be a nightmare for many - add to that the proposed figure of no more then £400 a week in benefits to be given to anyone (unless the council decides to give a discretionary increase) and most will find themselves struggling. Disability elements will only be paid to those who currently receive dla - leaving many who currently receive extra cash in recognition of the increased costs associated with their disability with less money.

The government want work to always be a more profitable venture but rather then raising minimum wage they are reducing benefits - those on benefits will be expected to manage their 'welfare account' online - however the infrastructure for that is admittedly not tested or reliable and many of those on state benefits - in particular the elderly do not have internet access at home - to combat this the government will install terminals on the highstreet and in job centres for those without internet access in order to manage their accounts.

HMRC will now be charged with letting the benefits service know of any changes in circumstances and benefits will be calculated in much the same way as tax credits were - this means that benefit will be calculated on your income for the previous year and any over payments clawed back the year after - meaning someone could find themselves in a position where for an entire year they are overpayed - the following year not only are their benefits going to be reduced but the overpayment repayment will be removed at source.

Those on benefits will have to sign an agreement which will outline their 'responsibilities' and what they are expected to do in order to receive payments - parents will be expected to return to work once a child is a year old and if a job in your field of expertise can be found for you in another area you will be expected to move if offered it or lose benefits.

Countless charities have replied to the consultation on these proposals saying that they will plunge people into poverty and that it is unworkable but I have yet to read any amendments in light of the condemnation.

I truly worry for those dependent on benefits - particularly those who are vulnerable - and i expect riots which is all a bit eeek.

@ Ab

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Well there's no excuse for anybody, right now, to be starving in this country.

My daughter's had a Saturday job at Gregg's bakers whilst studying, and did you know it's their policy to throw food away every single day? I wonder how many other companies behave so stupidly.

It's because they used to let staff take left over goods home at the end of the day, till they found cases of staff baking surplus trays of pasties, knowing they wouldn't sell, so they'd get to take them home. So, to put a stop to that, they just bin everything at the day's close, and nobody's allowed to take a damned thing.

They could give that food to the needy, but would rather tip it. It makes my blood boil.

thoreau wrote:
I'm seriously considering not even trying to pay my arrears once they cut me off again, tbh. Fuck the lot of 'em. I've only held onto it this long because it's useful for job searches.

Gilly wrote:
This is very true of most places these days, Gilly. I had an interesting conversation with the manager of a bakery a while ago, and she confirmed that there would be a bin full of baked goods out back at about six. All baked in store that day but had to be chucked for the reasons you've already stated. She was quite happy for me to come and help myself, too.

Step away from the trash please sir! You're not even getting that.

Dumpster Diver Arrested & Handcuffed for Taking Food From Trash

From the emoware.org site ....
UK
In the United Kingdom, while dumpster diving in England and Wales may qualify as theft within the Theft Act 1968 or as common-law theft in Scotland, there is very little enforcement in practice (see below). In England and Wales, despite the prevalence of notices asserting that "trespassers will be prosecuted", unless the trespass is aggravated in some way, it will only be a civil wrong (unless you're on Ministry of Defence property, in which case it's a criminal offence, but only a complete fool would try dumpster diving the MoD)

However, police work on some sort of (ridiculous) points system, where arresting and prosecuting a dumpster diver for theft is worth just as much as apprehending a murderer, as one woman found out when salvaging a set of plastic garden chairs (police were called after she refused to return the chairs to the dumpster, then after refusing a caution she was arrested, photographed, DNA'd and fingerprinted, bailed four times, and asked to take part in an identity parade, with a potential charge under section 1 of the above mentioned Theft Act).

WTF are we becoming eh?
Just WTF!?

It's pathetic that people should be left in desperation to raid bins and risk prosecution (and food poisoning - bins are not exactly kept rat & bacteria free) while others think it's OK to dump food. That's the kind of thing I wouldn't mind seeing new laws being introduced to protect against.

Gilly wrote:
They stopped it because of staff greed? I thought it might have been a health and safety issue, you know, someone might take a pastie home and choke on it or drop it and slip over on it and break their hair or something... and the bakery get a law suit on their hands.

And the risk of food poisoning too of course!

Who changed my comment to 'daisy' ffs!

No, definitely staff greed. But to me, that's like the company saying it doesn't trust any of its employees - they don't trust the managers there to put a stop to it, and would rather throw stuff away than let anybody get any benefit from it.

I hope the upper echelons all slip and break their hair.

Sarah told me it's not possible to calculate accurately how much of any product will be needed before close of business, so consequently, it's very common to have lots of full trays of perfectly edible food going in the bin on a daily basis. They just couldn't bear the thought of anyone getting a free meal out of them, the despicable wankers.

Come the implementation of these benefit reductions, together with rising prices and job shortages, we'll be there fighting to get to the bins first!

silvershine wrote:
You've been hacked!

Er as for who did it i wouldnt know

Some shifty admin I would assume.

You can imagine the mayhem when people can't afford to live in their homes anymore because of increase in council taxes and other costs. The property ads will look something like this:

WANTED: 1 bedroom property for family of 8 must have large sized living room but most importantly MUST BE IN THE VICINITY OF A GREGGS BAKERY!

Gilly wrote:
You are overlooking those new electronic bins that won't let you in without ID, Gilly. It's all coming together now, see?

Bastards!

Prestonians will destroy them just for sport, even without the incentive of food being inside.