PUBLIC SERVICE CUTS

[Tizer]

Why is it that so many of my responses this morning are to suggest incompetence? Could it be that I am somewhere near the truth?

You'll probably recall that I've been ranting about incompetence in our politicians, business people and others probably since my first day on OG. The decline seems to have matched the rise in the Internet, Web and social media. Good management and leadership often seem to be either absent or not fit for purpose. No wonder we're in a mess.

[Whyperion]

news from HMRC emerges in PE. They have had a major success in producing at very short notice a computer programme to deal with distributing the furlough money and administering the scheme. Grudging tribute has been paid even by critics, it has been remarkably efficient. According to PE this was built and commissioned by their own in-house IT specialists and not an outside consultant. Could this have been cheaper, faster and more successful than going outside and employing 'experts'?

They have been building the 'real-time' paye employees on and off payroll for some time now to ensure they get the money in correctly. Having the employer reference and the employee reference date matched and most of the normal pay means a reverse calculation is a probably four stage (verify, calculate, check reasonableness and pay) is straightforward, the system overall hs to be adaptable with constant annual budget changes.

[Stanley]

I have Tiz. All part of the evidence I have that we are on the same page of the hymn book!
I particularly like your reference to social media. Too easy and isn't it instructive to see what can happen after a couple of glasses too many and a late night tweet! Doesn't apply to Trump of course, he doesn't drink, his gaffes are solely because he is a moron and certifiable to boot.

[Tizer]

The care home business was in trouble before the pandemic and now they've got this to cope with...
`Care homes face staffing 'black hole' with new immigration bill' LINK

[Stanley]

I can't understand why those workers aren't classed as essential Tiz. Same applies to all health staff down to cleaners and porters. Politics getting in the way of common sense.
Better still, pay them a proper wage so they qualify on the income clause!
We splash money on so many vanity projects (Think Crossrail, HS2, Hinkley, aircraft carriers and planes) that will bring profit to Party funders. How about a bit for the essentials?

[Whyperion]

Anyone want to explain Sunak's funding of £10 off an eat -in meal in August when there was going to be no funding for food vouchers for kids for a weeks basics ?

[Tripps]

Anyone want to explain Sunak's funding of £10 off an eat -in meal in August when there was going to be no funding for food vouchers for kids for a weeks basics ?

Well spotted - you're ahead of the media here. The press of course found people (in Hull Asda I think ) who were spending the vouchers on fags and booze. Of course there will be no such sharp practice on this scheme will there?

[Whyperion]

Retailers should not have accepted them for that. (do they feel under pressure). Plenty of Blackberries up now for picking, Apples should be ready from next week and plums by mid august, all free if you are tall enough.

[Stanley]

I won't bore you with my views on cuts to public service, you all know what they are. Governance in the UK has forgotten that their primary duty is to look after the population, and some are worse off than others. Disgraceful.
(How many politicians went to bed hungry last night?)

[Stanley]

Please take a few minutes to read THIS article from BMJOpinion.
"A fair distribution of health and wellbeing have to be at the heart of building back fairer, say Michael Marmot and colleagues"
"Our new report, Build Back Fairer: The COVID-19 Marmot Review revisits our 10 Years On report. We felt a need to revisit this now, for three reasons. Firstly, the pandemic and associated societal response amplified social and economic inequalities in all the domains that we analysed in 10 Years On—early childhood, education, employment, having enough money to live on, housing and communities. It also showed even steeper social gradients in mortality rates and strikingly high mortality rates among people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups. Much of this excess can be attributed to deprivation."
Michael Marmot has gone public to try to get more attention paid to the effects of poverty because he and his colleagues can see that the increases in deprivation they have already identified are going to get much worse.

[Stanley]

I was shocked to discover this morning that the old benefit of Sick Pay no longer exists. If you have any capital at all like buying or owning your own house you do not get it. Instead there is a weasel named Employment and Support grant. I am so angry as this is directly affecting someone close to me. In 'the bad old days' there was no question. The doctor signed you off as unfit to work and you got sick benefit. That's now a forgotten corner.

[Big Kev]

Is Statutory Sick Pay not paid anymore?

https://www.gov.uk/statutory-sick-pay

[Tripps]

I asked that question and looked at that site. I find that what I've always known as a 'sick note' now must be called a 'fit note'.'

As the genius George Orwell said

" O'Brien mentions that he saw two obsolete words in one of Winston's recent articles. He tells Winston that he must be using the 9th edition of Newspeak, and those words are not used anymore."

[Stanley]

I described it badly David. It's means tested now and if you exceed a certain amount of capital, in this case being a house owner, you are automatically barred from getting it.

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC account of the report issued by the education select committee.
"It's nothing short of a scandal" how white working class pupils in England have been "let down and neglected" by the education system for decades, says a hard-hitting report from MPs. Robert Halfon, education select committee chairman, dismissed "divisive concepts like 'white privilege' that pit one group against another". Poorer white pupils are falling behind "every step of the way", he warned.
I don't think anyone who has studied the history of education will be surprised by this revelation. I'm sure you can all remember the way I have banged on about this for years. The Department for Education say they are 'investing in levelling up', these are weasel words and indicate that once again the subject is being kicked down the road.

[Stanley]

See THIS Report on the rise in rough sleeping and the increase in local government spending on bed and breakfast for homeless families.
Keep an eye on this, numbers could go up in the next three months as treasury support measures taper off and the ban on evictions ends.

[Stanley]

It's a while since I posted here but public service cuts are having an increasing effect and the gap between the rich and poor continues to increase.
See THIS for an article highlighting the current problems. When taxed on the subject the government always responds that it is helping people to get back into work. This of course avoids the fact that some people can't work like single mothers with children and even if work is obtained it is not necessarily a living wage.
This becomes more important as we near the cut-off point where the £20 weekly increase in Universal Credit introduced to cushion the effects of Covid is removed. This callous and vicious act will send many families into debt, rent arrears and eventually eviction. Spin and press releases about getting back to work are cruel jokes.

[Stanley]

The evictions have started, see THIS BBC report on evictions and particularly on the breaking of the promise that nobody would lose their home because of Covid.
Expect the number of evictions to rise as other factors take effect like the £20 a week drop in Universal Credit.
If you can stand more bad news have a look at the letter from the Care Homes to the government on staff shortages greater than any they have ever seen before.

[Stanley]

THIS Article in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph persuaded me to revisit this topic. I think we need it at the moment!
BLACKBURN foodbank has seen the number of emergency food parcels delivered in the six months from April 1 to September 30 rise from 6,434 in 2021 to 10,542 this year.
Does anyone imagine this total will be falling any time soon?