The UK today

THE UK TODAY

 

So it is that time of year again, when Gideon Osborne, goes to the House of Commons and delivers his budget.

 

The UK national debt is growing at £5,170 per second, yes that is per second.

 

The average household in the UK has non-mortgage borrowing of Close to £10,000, I myself am over £18,000 in debt built up of Loans and Credit Cards that total over £11,000, plus repayments to DWP and store cards.

 

It will be interesting to see what Gideon will do Wednesday, but there is one thing for sure the poor are going to get poorer.

 

Mr Osborne has stated he has to make £4 Billion worth of savings, not satisfied helping his mate and I use that in the looses of terms Iain Duncan Smith to cut Sick and Disabled peoples benefits by £30 per week, only today I read about a young woman who was going to have her mobility car taken away from her, her only link to the outside world.

 

Mr Osborne has stated he is going to crack down on Tax avoidance a loophole that allows TV stars to be paid off the books, yet he is claiming TAX payers money for expenses.

 

He is going to make cuts to public sector Budgets and this will cause more problems to the country as a story that broke only last weekend when it came to light that David Cameron's own mother had lost her own voluntary job because of the cuts being made, not a good sign.

 

What I am finding with this government is that they will quite gladly allow the rich to keep more of their money by increasing the threshold they have to earn before they pay tax, but cut the benefits to the sick and needy within society, Britain is gradually becoming a third world country run by a dictatorship.

 

The country is falling apart at the seems, so here is a radical plan for you, instead of spending the Billions the country does on needless wars all over the world pump the money back into the country and the people that need it most and not one person would be left out, instead of the MP's getting a pay rise, they should look at helping the sick and needy, poverty in the UK is a growing problem.

 

Children are starving and food banks are opening all over the country, this should never be not in this day and age, you have the slime Ball Iain Duncan Smith cheering in the chamber when Gideon announces the living wage will increase yet he is the man sanctioning people through his department, telling the sick and needy are going to lose £30 per week and over 6,000 deaths because of the sanctions and reduction in the ESA, these are the people who this country should be helping, not punishing within society.

 

This is going back to 1930's Germany when the sick, disabled and venerable were persecuted and driven out of there homes.

 

Lets look at what is happening with the junior Doctors, people her the phrase Junior and think they are 20 something's, yet a majority are in their 30's and 40's and have studied for over 5 years just to get to where they are today and if they want to get to the next level they would have to study another 4 years, yet the government are going to impose a new unworkable contract on them, which will make working conditions worse and unsafe for the patient.

 

What I ask is why, did the people of the UK vote this Government in knowing what they were going to do, or was it better the devil you know, than the devil you don't, yet the country is going to nose dive into an even deeper state and more and more people will get poorer, yet only time will tell.

 



Going through Debt and the effects it has on you mental health.

Debt an it's effect on your mental health

 

This is a blog I have thought about doing for some time now, but have been to afraid to do it as I thought the response I would get is that it is your own fault you done wrong now you have to pay for it and as you read you will understand what I mean by this.

 

14 years ago I pleaded guilty of benefit fraud, stupid I know but it happened, I served 3 months in prison for this and as they say you do the crime, you do the time, and in my case this happened, you then have to pay the money back, not a problem and I was, in fact when I found employment I was paying it back at an amount I could afford (I'm not going to go into how much at this stage but I there was an agreement in place).

 

I worked for nearly 10 years for the same firm until the summer of 2013 when due to a mental illness and being bullied I was dismissed from my job and became unemployed, even though I was claiming Jobseeker Allowance, the agreement I had was still in place with no problem what so ever with it that was until May 2015 when the agreement I had was scrapped.

 

This is where my problems started and this government, well lets put it this way are screwing who ever they can the rob the poor to pay the rich so to speak.

 

From the time I lost my job up until May 2015 nearly 2 years I was receiving £73.10 per week, £292.40 per month, plus my housing benefit of £300 per month, by the time I had paid all my bills and other out going in was left with about £1.75 per day to live on. 

 

So to my shock and horror in April 2015 I received a letter from DWP stating they were going to be taking £29.60 per week from my JSA a sum total of £118.40 per month (I know some people reading this will say well serves you right you defrauded the government) well to them let me say this before I go any further, I had an agreement in place was paying the money back at a rate I could afford, never missed a payment and was always on time with the payments). This left me with about £2.10 to live on per week, I tell you this you try and live on £2.10 per week and tell me your opinions and how you cope with it.

 

So I went to the CAB and was advised to do a mandatory reconsideration stating financial hardship and is it possible to reduce the repayment rate, this I did, then I received a reply stating the following "Due to a ministerial announcement on 3rd November 2014 stated the department would no longer reduce deduction's rates of recovery of overpayment and Financial Hardship was not an adequate reason for reducing the deductions" I guess this Minister is Mr Iain Duncan-Smith the man who pays £30 for a breakfast and then says people can live on £3 per day (What a knob, Sorry but he is), This is the same Minister who is reducing some sick benefits by £30 per week really and this country put these idiots in charge of our country.

 

I was sent a speech that The then Minister for the Cabinet Office Francis Maude gave at a Dobs Conference on Debt, in it he stated the following:-

 

"There are people who genuinely cannot pay and need our support - and what they don't need if different arms of government chasing them, we need to be chasing the won't payers and not the can't payers who can pay a bit"

 

My question to this Tory Government is what happened to this idea, why was it not taken on board.

 

What I will point out at this moment is this "I HAVE NO RIGHT TO APPEAL THIS DECISION MADE" so this means that the government have got you over a barrel and you basically have no rights in this country, well that's what I thought so I made a complaint to the European Courts For Human Rights, article 22 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights act 1948 states everyone has the right to affordable housing, medicine, education, child care and "ENOUGH MONEY TO LIVE ON", AND medical help if we are ill. My complaint was unsuccessful, so thus this means that this government can basically do what every the hell they like and get away with it.

The effect this is now having on my mental health is very profound and I have some days where I feel what the hell am I on this earth for as I have bills coming in and have no money to pay them and the pressure is getting more and more profound, so much so it has come to the point I don't sleep at night and have no energy, I go some days where I don't have anything to eat which is no good for you state of mind or your body, (THERE WILL BE MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE READING THIS AND SAY WELL YOU ONLY HAVE YOURSELF TO BLAME), to them I say this yes I realise what you are saying and understand where you are coming from, but and this is a big but I have done my time and now 14 years later I am still paying for it, is this right who knows but it there is one thing I am is a fighter and I don't give in.

To Mr Iain Duncan-Smith in his £1500 suits who cheers in Parliament take a good long hard look at yourself and tell us the people of the country the real figures of the people who have gone on and taken their own lives because of "YOUR" policies, that I have no doubt will send this country at some point in the future anarchy.

I will leave you with this.

"Failure isn't about falling down, failure is staying down"

POWER TO THE PEOPLE  



The DWP's new legislation on fraud repayments

                                The DWP's new legislation on fraud repayments

 

Some of you may not know the predicament that I am in at the moment, 13 years ago I was convicted of Benefit fraud, done my time and have been paying the money back ever since at a rate I am able to afford and have never missed a paymentor so I thought so?

 

On May 5th this year I received a letter and it stated that from 16th May 2015 I would be deducted £29.60 per week 40% of my Benefits, yes you are reading right per week, not per month, so I went to the CAB and sought help and advice over this matter and was told, sorry advised to ask for a mandatory reconsideration of this decision siting Financial Hardship as the reason, which I dually did and sent off afore mentioned form.

 

I then on 29th May received a reply from the Department for Work and Pensions and this is what they "As the Overpayment was due to Fraud and further to a ministerial statement on 3rd November 2014, Financial Hardship can not be taken into account for a Mandatory Reconsideration and The Decision has no right to appeal"

 

So Financial Hardship is not a reason for a Mandatory Reconsideration so what is the definition of Financial Hardship "a condition  or Conditions that is difficult to endure; suffering; deprivation; oppression". So I am left with a decision weather to eat or pay my bills, how can that be right.

 

Since all of this started I have been going through a bout of Depression brought on by the Worry of what decision I am going to make do I eat or Do pay my bills, this is something I have to do daily and some days I do not eat at all as I can't afford to, there we are now you have it "Financial Hardship" having to make a choice because you can't afford to eat.

 

It was also stated no right to appeal, really no right to appeal, so after taking a bit of advice from a family member, they stated look at The Human Rights act, this I did and guess what I found, well I found the following from the Universal Declaration of Human Right act 1948 and it is and act adopted by The UN and The European Union and as Britain are part of The EU at the moment shouldn't it apply to us, section 22 states this "Social Security. We all have the right to affordable housing, medicine, education, and childcare, enough money to live on and medical help if we are ill or old" 

 

So as you can see and I never knew this it is a fundamental human right to have enough money to live on, really so this current government are in breach of my human right by not giving me enough money to live on by taking £29.60 per Week, The state says the minimum you should get to live on is £73.10 per week, so you take the £29.60 per week off then I am left with £43.50 per week to pay my bills and feed myself, So now I have a reason to appeal against the decision they have made, they are in breach of my human right by not allowing me enough money to live on.

 

So this would also state that the new legislation and come to that the old legislation is fundamentally floored and thus illegal, but the Tory Government won't care that you are suffering Financial Hardship, just as long as they screw you for every penny they can get out of you.

 

Today I have filled in and sent off an SSCS1 with the very aim of appealing the decision the DWP or more importantly Mr Iain Duncan-Smith who lets be fare has never done a hard days work in his life telling them they are in breach of my fundamental human right of having enough money to live on.

 

I will also be looking into how I go about getting a judicial review on this legislation because it has surely not be looked through and the damaging effects it can have on a persons mental and physical health.

 

They say that poverty will go down under this government, but I am afraid to say it will go up and I am also afraid to say the suicide rate will, until someone makes this shithole of a Tory Government sit up and take note of what they are doing to the poor in this country. 

 

Should emplyee's whistleblow and expose companies who allow work place bullying

Well if you are asking me, as a person who has been bullied I would say yes, tell whoever will listen.

Write to the head office, speak to your local MP or someone close to you expose these firms.

That is exactly what I am going to do here and I am willing to face the consequences, should it happen.

IKEA WALES, I was bullied while in work by a fellow member who I respected and trusted, yet they still physiologically bullied me not speaking to me, ignoring me and well mucking my work up so I would get into trouble and I have found out in the last few months that this came from the top, yes you heard me senior management.

You see 3 years ago I had a nervous breakdown and went through it while working the night shift, with no one else there, I was saying I was doing certain tasks and signing to say I had done them, yet I was not.

I my own mind I was doing them and it was not until I had a look at some CCTV footage I realised, I was not doing them and it was frightening, to see myself doing this, if this was happening what else was happening, I do vaguely remember having a file note for not doing these checks and breaking down in tears in front of my manager and since I have been told that this was me crying out for help, yet none was forth coming.

Since this time, pressure was put on me to do this wrong, so to give the company a reason to get rid off me, they used my Mental Health Issues against me and I am sure there is a law against it, but it is hard to prove.

So the company eventually got what they wanted me to make a mistake, the pressure had so much, I was suffering with work related stress, because of the way I was being treated by my fellow co-worker and also my supervisor and another co-worker within my department and was told it was all my own fault by my supervisor and the HR Manager.

The people I trusted and respected I turned to yet they did nothing, they are not the one's out of a job now, but me.

They know the bullying happens and yet they just want to brush it under the carpet.

I urge any employee who is being bullied expose, the company for allowing it to happen and the co-worker who is doing it to you and always REMEBER YOU ARE NOT A COWARD FOR ALLOWING IT TO HAPPEN AND YOU ARE NOT A BULLY FOR EXPOSING THE BULLY.

I ask am I able to sue for the stress and mental health issues this has caused me  

NHS staff are unable to drink tea or coffee in Public areas.

Yes read right, NHS staff in 3 Leicester Hospitals have been told they can not drink tea/coffee or hot chocolate in public areas.

 

3 Hospitals in Leicester Royal Infirmary, Glenfeild General Hospital and Leicester General Hospital, This has come about as their has been alleged complaints that having a hot drink in front of patients gives the impressions staff and slacking off.

 

Staff were informed of this ban via e-mail.

 

A spokesperson said the sight of staff enjoying a cup of tea or coffee "Clearly this activity has given the wrong impression to the public that clinic staff are not as hard working as they might be".

 

Well I look at this as member of the public is what the hell is going on, stopping staff going for a cup of tea or coffee in their break time to a café, they could be meeting up with a relative or a friend for a chat.

 

This is management gone mad if you ask me, what will happen next that you wont be allowed to go to the toilet.

 

I wonder if any staff have looked into the fact that this is an invasion of privacy or a breach of their human rights.

 

This correctness gone mad.

One Voice, My Voice, One View, My View.

Stay Strong and Believe

 

 

IKEA the not so family freindly company to work for

IKEA the Swedish furniture store that prides itself on being the quote "Family Friendly Store to Work for" in my experience what a load of bullshit, Family Friendly my arse, they say they put family first yet, pressure their co-workers into working the hours that suit IKEA.

 

Yes that's right to suit IKEA, I should know I worked for them for nearly 10 years and all they are interested in is working their co-workers to the bone, some don't even get a pay rise, you see, they do it performance related, so if your not up to scratch you DON'T GET ONE.

 

I should know, I never had one for the last 3 years I was with IKEA, they don't give you a cost of living pay rise, they give you a performance related one, so in my case because of one thing and another I never got one, yet my household bills were going, up and up and up, so much so I had to take a loan out to pay them, putting myself in even more debt.

 

They also use scare tactics as well, like for in my instance I had been off on the sick with tendonitis in my Achilles for 7 weeks, had planned my weekends, as I knew which one's I had off, how wrong was I, I came back after this time off on the sick to find out that my weekends had been changed, no consultation.

 

When I queried it I was told "We saw an opportunity to change the weekends so we took it", we I asked why I had not been consulted I was told "We don't have to, if you don't like it you know what you can do", In other words I was told "Like it or lump it, I you don't like it find another job".

 

If they had just taken the time to at least phone me to say "we are changing your weekend, sorry for the inconvenience, but we need to do it" I probably would have been OK with the whole situation.

 

IKEA the company who makes you work a late shift and finish at 9.30pm and have you back in work for 6.30pm, yet you are supposed to have 11 hours between shifts, you complain and your told the same again "If you don't like it, you know what you can do".

 

IKEA in breach of the European time directive.

 

From my understanding and from reading my contract, they are supposed to hold a 30 day consultation period with you before doing any changes, they used the excuse they were just changing the rota, yet it was a total change of shift pattern.

 

I no of cases where this has happened to mothers, who all they want is to spend some time with their children, yet they have their shifts changed willy, inly, IKEA the company that is supposed to hold family values very high, they say we are all one big happy family, yet they think they can walk all over you.

 

This a company who say they have an anti-bullying policy and take bullying seriously, yet it is only if a manager does it, but not if it is a fellow co-worker.

 

IKEA standing for I KEEP EMPLOYEE AGERY, yes those Swedes.

 

Come on co-workers strand up for your right to be heard.

 

One Voice, My Voice, One View, My View.

 

Stay Strong and Believe.

 

 



Work Place bulling and it's effects in the UK

Work place bullying is becoming a big issue within the UK and it is an issue that in my opinion needs to be sorted out and soon.

 

8 out of 10 workers in the UK have suffered work place bullying 1 in 4 are going through it now, it is an issue that can cause my problem for the economy and employers alike.

 

83% of UK employers do have an ant-bullying policy and 90% of them are in the public sector, yet this issue seems to be getting worse, I thought the firm I used to work for IKEA said they had an anti-bullying policy yet they don't really want to tackle the issue, they would rather sweep it under the carpet, than deal with it head on.

 

The cost of to the UK economy per year is £2 billion pounds and a total 19 million sick days, so as you can see it is a very big issue in the UK today.

 

The effects on the person can be very profound and last a very long time if not a life time, it can cause depression and anxiety.

 

You will be asked if your firm has be asked to see an Occupational Health Advisor, I was asked to when I was going through what I went through and to be honest all the are interested is making sure the firm is OK not yourself, when I saw one, I was told I was boarder line depressed and Boarder Line Anxiety, I stupidly enough agreed to have an investigation done in to me allegedly losing a set of store keys, this meant the company had me where they wanted me and thus agreeing to the investigation, I had to go through with the Disciplinary.

The OHA Report stated this "Mark is fit enough to do the investigation, as long as it is at a neutral venue, with breaks and accompanied by a colleague" at not time did this state I was fit enough for the disciplinary, On a sick note, from my doctor it stated not fit enough for meeting on Thursday, I also stated this to The HR manager, their reply I find this some what confusing as the OHA said your were fit enough to go through the procedure, ultimately leading to me losing my job.

Well that's a lie what he said was "fit enough for the investigation"

some of the effects that work place bullying can have on the employee going through it are, Anxiety, Stress, depression, work phobia, physical sickness ect.

It got to the point with me that I did not want to go to work when a co-worker I was working with by the name of Alan was working, he was the one bullying me, not physically or even name calling but psychologically bullying, not speaking to me, ignoring me, dropping me in it, changing things I had done to make me look bad this sort of stuff, the reason I was afraid to say anything was because he is an ex-police officer and well respected within the store.

Out of the 8 in 10 employee suffering this, 1 in 6 will at some point suffer mental health issues and 1 in 3 may at sometime feel like taking their own life, I know I did.

A few months ago, I posted on facebook what had happened to me, it was year to the day that I had lost my job, for me this was my way of letting my feelings out, I now wish I had not done it as it became open season for a group of Cricketer's from a rival club in my area to well, cyber Bullying me on facebook, by say things like what I was saying was not true  and I hadn't been bullied, this set me back in my recovery even more, this group saw what they were doing as banter, yet I never saw it that way.

Some people ask me how do you deal with work place bullying, well I would go to your HR department or your line manager, baring that go to Citizen Advice and ask for their help, I wish I had and maybe I would still have been in a job, if I had been stronger and not a Coward I have no doubt I would still be working for IKEA.

So I would say be strong, don't be a coward.

Stand up and be brave.

One Voice, My Voice, One View, My View

Stay Strong and Believe.