Steven Gaal Posted July 5, 2015 Author Share Posted July 5, 2015 Number of young homeless people in Britain is 'more than three times the official figures' The true number of young people who are homeless far exceeds government figures, according to a major new study by housing experts at Cambridge University being released on Monday. Some 83,000 homeless young people have had to rely on councils and charities for a roof over their heads during the past year – more than three times the 26,852 young people recorded in homeless figures released by the Department for Communities and Local Government. And there are about 35,000 young people in homeless accommodation at any one time across Britain. The “worryingly high” levels of young people using homelessness services across Britain is “a minimum estimate and it is likely that in reality more homeless young people access support across the UK”, the research said. The study, by Cambridge University’s Centre for Housing and Planning Research, was commissioned by the homeless charity Centrepoint and provides the most comprehensive picture of youth homelessness to date. It draws on official figures in conjunction with examinations of 40 local authorities and a national poll of more than 2,000 16- to 25-year-olds. The research looked at homelessness during the course of a year, including rough sleeping, staying in hostels and “sofa-surfing”. Government figures do not capture those who do not meet narrow criteria for being homeless which would force councils to help them. Many homeless people do not come into contact with their local authority, and those that do are often considered to be “intentionally homeless” or not in a “priority need” category such as being under 18 or pregnant, the study says. More than one in seven young people (17 per cent) have slept rough, including in places such as cars or squats, during the past year, according to a ComRes survey done for the study. “When the poll data was scaled up to reflect the wider population, an estimated 1.3 million young people aged 16 to 24 have slept rough during the past year,” said the research. Collecting “coherent national data on youth homelessness” is essential if the true scale of the problem is to be understood and funded accordingly so that young people receive the support they urgently need, the research concluded. “Successive governments have been making policy in the dark as they have failed to grasp the sheer scale of youth homelessness in the UK,” said Balbir Chatrik, policy director of Centrepoint. “We’re seeing the consequences of funding decisions based on this lack of knowledge which have placed extreme pressure on charities and local authorities, with the majority of hostels full or oversubscribed. “Young people typically find themselves facing homelessness through no fault of their own. As a society, we owe them a national safety net devised from more than just guesswork.” Responding to the findings, Campbell Robb, the chief executive of Shelter, said: “This research paints a grim picture of youth homelessness in the UK and demonstrates that the Government’s current plan to cut housing benefit for 18- to 21-year-olds could be nothing short of catastrophic – as it’s this which helps to pay for the hostel beds that keep young people off the streets. “If the Government really wants to help young people, its first priority should be to invest in the safe, secure and genuinely affordable homes that are so desperately needed, rather than stripping away the threadbare safety net they have at the moment.” This comes amid warnings in recent weeks that Britain is heading for a housing crisis, with the numbers of households in temporary accommodation at almost 65,000 – the highest since 2008. Communities Secretary Greg Clark, speaking at the Local Government Association’s annual conference on Friday, admitted that young people are being “exiled” from the places they come from to “find a home that they can afford”. In a statement, a government spokesman said: “Since 2010, we have increased spending to prevent homelessness, making over £500m available to local authorities and voluntary sector.” Other initiatives to help young homeless people include £14m to support 10,000 vulnerable individuals in privately rented homes, £15m to turn around the lives of 1,600 vulnerable homeless, and £40m shared among projects to support young people to work and study and hostel accommodation to get them off sleeping on the streets. Mo Ibrahim, 22, from London, came to Britain five years ago and in 2013 was thrown out of the family home. “I used to sleep at the back of my mum’s house in a park on a bench and it was really horrible. I was lucky that it was summer. I would go to the shelter to have something to eat. When I used to sleep over there I’d worry that someone would something to me. Source:http://www.independent.co.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Gaal Posted July 7, 2015 Author Share Posted July 7, 2015 (edited) Terminally ill benefit claimants asked when they expect to die, MP says http://unreportedtoday.com/category/middle-east Terminally ill welfare claimants are being asked by benefit assessors when precisely they are expected to die, according to evidence seen by Frank Field, the newly elected chairman of the work and pensions select committee. Field has written to the work and pensions secretary, Iain Duncan Smith, asking for an explanation. He told the Guardian: “There is absolutely no need for this level of intrusive and painful questioning by DWP officials. If I have had two such cases in my constituency in recent weeks; I dread to think how often this is happening around the country.” The Labour MP for Birkenhead said one of the complaints had come to him from a vicar on behalf of his sister. The two individuals were claiming for a personal independence payment (PIP) under the “special rules terminally ill” procedure. Both had submitted DS 1500 forms signed by their doctor – forms that need to be signed if the patients is regarded as suffering from a terminal illness. The DS 1500 asks for factual information and does not require the doctor to give a prognosis. It should contain details of the diagnosis, including whether the patient is aware of their condition and, if unaware, the name and address of the patient’s representative. It should also set out the current and proposed treatment, and brief details of clinical findings. A doctor is expected to believe that the patient is likely to die within six months, but once the form is submitted the Department for Work and… Edited July 7, 2015 by Steven Gaal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Gaal Posted July 9, 2015 Author Share Posted July 9, 2015 The Budget: '13m Families To Lose Average Of £260' The Institute for Fiscal Studies says benefit cuts will leave three million families an average of £1,000 worse off every year. ============================= http://news.sky.com/story/1515743/the-budget-13m-families-to-lose-average-of-260 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Gaal Posted July 17, 2015 Author Share Posted July 17, 2015 HANG THE BANKERS SITE +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Welfare cheat Prince Philip once again shows disdain for humanity Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, who once expressed his wish to come back as a virulent disease and decimate humanity, has again revealed his contempt for the lower classes in Britain.During a visit to a Dagenham, east London community center the longest-serving consort of a reigning British monarch asked a group of women “who do you sponge off?” An aide feebly attempted to backtrack, saying there was “context” to the remark. He said the insult was in regard to sponge cake The royals are usually circumspect and do not openly display their contempt for the commoners, but Philip, now 94, as of late has let it all hang out. Less than a week ago he told a lowly photographer “just take the f—— picture” during a photo session for the Battle of Britain anniversary. The royals have shown their true colors numerous times. Philip may want to look into his own sponging before berating the commoners. The Windsors grab $300 million a year (£180 million) out of the British public coffer. Queen Elizabeth II is the owner of around 6,600 million acres of land, one sixth of the earth’s non ocean surface, making her the largest landowner on the planet. The value of this mammoth estate is estimated to be approximately £17,600,000,000,000 or $33,000,000,000,000. She is said to be personally worth half a billion dollars. The wealth comes from “property holdings including Balmoral Castle in the Scottish Highlands, stud farms, a fruit farm and marine land throughout the U.K.; extensive art and fine jewelry; and one of the world’s largest stamp collections built by her grandfather,” notes Forbes. Not included are those assets belonging to the Crown Estate, which she gets to enjoy as Queen, such as $10 billion worth of real estate, Buckingham Palace (estimated to be worth another $5 billion), the Royal Art collection, and unmarked swans on stretches of the Thames. The Crown has claimed ownership of these birds since the 12th century when swan meat was considered a delicacy; they are no longer eaten. The Queen also receives an annual government stipend of $12.9 million. ======== SOURCE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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