Any family breakdown is a difficult time for a family and one of the most contentious issues is often the financial arrangements to be agreed. Families need to be aware that the statutory system for ensuring child maintenance is paid is undergoing radical reform. The DWP is now responsible for administering this scheme and has […]
I mean, what have you got to lose You know, you come from nothing, you’re going back to nothing What have you lost? Nothing! Part of Always Look on the Bright Side of Life (Monty Python) Citizens Advice is concerned that an increasing number of people who have very little are being left with nothing […]
“The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it” Albert Einstein While you might think ‘evil’ is a bit strong to describe the activities of con men and scammers the effect their activities can have on their […]
‘Sun forces charity to ditch rip-off helplines’‘(headline on the Sun newspaper website 07 April 2014). Do they mean Citizens Advice?. Well, yes it seems they do. Imagine a 63 year old man – let’s call him Jim (an entirely fictitious character, so any resemblance to anyone alive or dead is coincidental) – calling a bureau […]
How do you feel about growing old? Do you agree with the French philosopher Pierre Teilhard de Chardin who said: “Growing old is like being increasingly punished for a crime you haven’t committed”. How old is old anyway (especially if as some say sixty is the new forty?) However old you may feel, the state […]
The deaf American actress Marlee Martin once said she hoped she could…”change attitudes on deafness and prove we really can do everything except hear.” Stephanie Beacham, another actress spoke about the way in which hearing difficulty isolated her. “I loathe parties. I attend, smile and leave”. The number of profoundly deaf people in Surrey is […]
The expression “a pound of flesh” has been defined as something to which someone is strictly entitled though which it is ruthless to demand. This might ring a bell if you have had dealings with a logbook lender. Aggressive behaviour, sexual harassment and death threats are just some of the brutish tactics logbook lenders used […]
Do you know how much holiday you are entitled to? Most workers have a right to a minimum amount of paid holiday from work (statutory holiday). This includes full-time, part-time, agency and casual workers. The rules apply regardless of how long you have worked for your employer and how old you are, unless you are […]
Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine. When Lord Byron first offered this advice he could not have imagined the scale and cost of medicines prescribed in England 200 years later (which are certainly no laughing matter). According to government figures, published by the Health and Social Care Information Centre there were just […]
Mark Twain once remarked, “Climate is what we expect, weather is what we get”. Well, we have got a lot of weather during the last few weeks and if you have been affected by it the following information might be helpful. Many of you will have insurance policies which cover buildings, gardens and home contents […]