It has been a long time since the wise men made their epic trip to deliver three simple gifts and it was a long time before that when Hippocrates, another wise man observed, ‘Whenever a doctor cannot do good, he must be kept from doing harm’. In July 1945 the founders of […]
As scientists push back the boundaries of their knowledge of complex issues like the origins of life and the universe it sometimes seems that as many new questions result from this knowledge as there are old ones answered. Take Father Christmas. Physicists believe that because he travels at speeds very close to the speed of […]
CHRISTMAS IS COMING AND WE ARE BUYING PRESENTS VIA THE INTERNET, TELEVISION, MAIL ORDER, PHONE OR FAX. THESE METHODS ARE KNOWN AS DISTANCE SELLING BECAUSE YOU DO NOT HAVE FACE TO FACE CONTACT WITH THE PERSON YOU ARE BUYING FROM What happens if you get the statement for your payment card and there is an […]
Careless driving puts innocent people’s lives at risk. In 2011 excess speed contributed to 213 deaths and using a mobile phone while driving contributed to 374 road casualties. After consultation, in August 2013 the Government introduced some new offences and made some changes to existing penalties, most of which had not been reviewed since 2000. […]
Bernard Manning claimed that the bigotry of which he was sometimes accused did not reflect his real character. Whatever the truth, there is no denying his wit. In the interests of a low cost Christmas he once provided batteries for his children as gifts, each with a card which read ‘Toys Not Included’. By the […]
Stating the obvious. Most of the people who volunteer for Citizens Advice do so because they want to help people – by giving advice (the name is a bit of a giveaway). I joined Citizens Advice to work on Social Policy. This is the bit of Citizens Advice which is not as well known by […]
Someone once observed that if all the cars in this country were placed end to end it would probably be a Bank Holiday weekend. As many as 7 million of them would have been bought and sold second-hand during 2012. Buying a second-hand car can be a risky business although it doesn’t have to […]
The rules for challenging or appealing against a benefit decision for most benefits paid by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) changed on 28 October 2013. The new rules already apply to Universal Credit (UC) and Personal Independence Payment (PIP). What’s changed? If you disagree with a decision about your benefit that is dated […]
Whether you live in an old house or a new one, are a tenant or a homeowner you may well feel that it is becoming more and more of a financial burden. Rent or mortgage repayments, Council Tax and heating and lighting bills all mount up to form a significant part of what we spend. […]
ARE YOU FINDING IT DIFFICULT TO GET COMPENSATION FROM A TRADER? YOU MAY WANT TO CONSIDER TAKING THEM TO A SMALL CLAIMS COURT The most common types of small claims are: Compensation for faulty services provided e.g. by buildrs, dry cleaners,garages etc. Compensation for faulty goods e.g. televisions or washing machines that go wrong Disputes […]