Tag: brand uk

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Huge Rise In People Rehoming Pets

The charity the Dogs Trust has reported a huge rise in the number of people trying to rehome their pets.

The RSPCA have also seen that animal shelters and rehoming organisations have also seen a massive rise in animal rehoming saying that they are ‘drowning’ in animals as the cost of living and energy crisis continues to hit hard.

According to figures given by the Dogs Trust the number of pet owners attempting to rehome their dogs had risen hugely last year and continues to do so. Many shelters are now experiencing long waiting lists. Also seen is an increase in setting up pet food banks to help prevent people from having to re-home their pets.

Between 1 January 2022 and 31 October 2022 the Dogs Trust received 42,000 inquiries from dog owners about rehoming which is a rise of almost 50% on the same period in 2021. Sadly these figures show no sign of decreasing.

Amanda Sands, centre manager at Dogs Trust Leeds, said she had never seen such high demand in three decades of working at the shelter.

There’s people bringing in their dogs that at one time would’ve said: ‘I will never give my dog up.’ And they meant it,” she said. “And now they’re faced with the situation where they have no choice. To have to say goodbye to your friend, it’s unbearable. It’s unthinkable.”



The Association of Dogs and Cats Homes (ADCH), in conjunction with ITV’s Tonight programme, surveyed more than 60 animal shelters across the country about how they were responding to the cost of living crisis.

The figures showed 92% of shelters were seeing more people wanting to hand over a dog compared with pre-pandemic levels, and 88% were seeing more people wanting to hand over cats.

More than half were planning on opening pet food banks to respond to the crisis, and 30% were thinking about providing low-cost or free veterinary care.

Sadly these numbers are increasing as people can no longer afford to buy food for their pets. They are also finding it near impossible to pay for any vet bills that may occur.

The RSPCA also reported in 2022 a 24% increase in pets being rehomed as shelters report that they can’t keep up with rehoming requests.

Also back in 2022 75 families were using a food bank at the Blue Cross Animal Hospital in Grimsby every week.


Mark had been using the food bank for several months to help pay for specialist dog food for his staffordshire bull terrier Roxy. This has helped him save £60 a month on food. “She’s part of the family. We’d sooner go without ourselves then give Roxy up,” he told the Tonight programme.


Meanwhile a YouGov and Dogs Trust poll that was made in conjunction with the Tonight programme found that 48% of dog owners were saying they now are now finding it more difficult to provide their pets everything that they need because of the cost of living crisis.

Understandably vet bills topped the list of concerns which was followed by the rising cost of dog food and pet insurance costs.

Roll forward to 2023 I can only imagine that these figures are rising. It’s difficult to find a foodbank that provides dog and cat food although there are some that do.

No one wants to rehome their pets, it’s a decision that is usually made when they’ve exhausted all other means of providing the essentials for their pets.

As the cost of living and energy cost crisis continues there’s no doubt that the most vulnerable will undoubtedly pay the highest price.

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A huge thanks to everyone that shares and has supported my blog throughout the years I’ve been writing.

Financially it’s a huge struggle for me this week I’ve had £5 to last me and my daughter a week after paying my bills.

If you want to donate to help and can afford to there’s a donate button at the top and side of this blog post..

Thank you.

Ashton Under lyne, baby, benefit repayments,, Black Isle Media, Boris Johnson, Brighthouse, confidence, Cookery, coronavirus, cost of living, covid 19, Decision maker, dignity pre paid funerals,, DLA, domestic violence, domestic violence,, DPAC, DWP blog,, dwp debt, Elderly, energy poverty,, ESA, eugenics, Family, feminism, Food, Food bank, food poverty, Free, frugal, fuel poverty, funeral plans,, G4S, government, Green Party, Housing, hunger, Hygiene Poverty,, International Women's Day, Ireland,, Jeremy Corbyn, Jobcentre, Ken Loach, liz truss, loose women, love island, Mandatory reconsideration, Money saving tips, New Charter Housing, NHS, NHS dentist, Northern resisters, Payday loan, PIP, PIP claim, poverty, pre paid funeral plans,, pre paid funerals,, prepaid energy, prepaid energy metres, public transport, Republic Ireland budget 2023, Republic of Ireland,, safe hands,, sanctions, Steven Crabb, suicide, targets, Tax credits, television, Television Licence, Television Licence fines, Teresa May, The Big Issue, The Labour Party, The Poor Side Of Life, Theresa May, trade union movement, Uncategorized, Universal credit, womens rights, Workfare, Workprogramme, young people

PIP Appeal Rates Rise By 119%

It has recently been revealed by Benefits And Work that PIP (Personal Independence Payments) appeal figures have risen by 119% in 2022, this is compared to the same quarter in 2021.

The rate of UC (Universal Credit) appeals has also risen by 28% the latest official figures show.

The number of cases that were dealt increased by only 18% in the same time period compared to figures from 2021.


Figures show that there were 63,000 outstanding cases by the end of September 2021 which adds to an annual increase of 96%.



The average wait time for an appeal averaged at 31 weeks. This shows that it is 8 weeks down from 2021 figures , but is likely to increase over the coming quarters as the backlog rises inexorably.

The success rate for PIP appeals remains unchanged at 68%. This shows that the vast majority of those who appeal are correct in their decision to appeal however the wait time for appeals to be heard continues to rise.



For UC claimants it is revealed that the appeal success rates are now at 49% which is an increase of 7% on the previous year.

DLA (Disability Living Allowance) success rates are now at 61% which is down 6%.

Meanwhile ESA (Employment and Support Allowance success rates are now 53%, down on the previous year at 1%

Appealing against any DWP (Department of Work and Pensions) decision is always daunting and extremely stressful. Not only is the appeal process hard to navigate, the waiting times for appeals and tribunals to be heard is increasing.

The success rate shows that those making the decision to appeal have made the right decision in doing so.

Sadly many people that are entitled to appeal fail to do so because they can’t afford to wait a long time for their appeal to be heard and also can’t cope with the stress involved, many having no support network to rely upon.

I don’t need to tell you that the downright discrimination and hatred given to disabled and unemployed people is totally unfair and discriminatory.

This cruelty combined with the increasing cost of living and energy prices is making life extremely difficult for those that are most in need of financial help.

In an ideal world this wouldn’t be happening at all but there won’t be any positive changes made to the system whilst there’s a Tory government in power.

The conservative party is doing what they do best, punishing the most vulnerable and poor for their very existence, they need to be stopped and soon before more people suffer and die as a result of their actions.

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Please read, share and tweet this article and my others to increase awareness. It makes a massive difference and I can’t thank everyone that does enough.

A huge thanks to all of my subscribers and readers for the help and support that you have given in the previous year. I really couldn’t do this without you.

I don’t get paid for any of the work that I do and it’s a massive struggle.

If you can afford to and would like to donate to keeping this blog and campaign going there’s a donate button at the top and side of this blog post.

Thank you!

Ashton Under lyne, baby, Black Isle Media, Boris Johnson, Brighthouse, cost of living, covid 19, Decision maker, dignity pre paid funerals,, DLA, domestic violence, DPAC, DWP blog,, Elderly, energy poverty,, ESA, eugenics, Family, Food, Food bank, food poverty, Free, frugal, fuel poverty, funeral plans,, G4S, government, Housing, hunger, Hygiene Poverty,, International Women's Day, Ireland,, Jeremy Corbyn, Jobcentre, Ken Loach, liz truss, Mandatory reconsideration, Money saving tips, New Charter Housing, NHS, NHS dentist, Northern resisters, Payday loan, PIP, PIP claim, poverty, pre paid funeral plans,, pre paid funerals,, prepaid energy, prepaid energy metres, public transport, Republic Ireland budget 2023, Republic of Ireland,, safe hands,, sanctions, suicide, targets, Tax credits, television, Television Licence, Television Licence fines, Teresa May, The Big Issue, The Labour Party, The Poor Side Of Life, Theresa May, trade union movement, Uncategorized, Universal credit, womens rights, Workfare, Workprogramme, young people

Universal Credit Sanctions Back With A Vengence


It was recently announced during a Commons debate in parliament that Universal Credit sanctions (UC) are “back with a vengeance”. This comes after the figures for the last quarter have been revealed.


According to the released figures the sanction rates are now 250% higher than they were for the three months before the pandemic.


It’s extremely worrying that the figures have risen so much in such a short amount of time makes me very concerned about the welfare of UC claimants.

The huge increase allows for the ever increasing number of UC claimants. In layman’s terms it amounts to 2.5% of UC claimants being sanctioned each month which is almost double the amount when compared to 1.4% before the pandemic.


Let’s not forget that in June 2022 £34 million was taken away from claimants as a result of being sanctioned. This was followed in July 2022 by £34.9 million and then in August taking the total to over £36 million.

When you do the maths this totals to £100 million which has literally been taken from vulnerable claimants that were already struggling to pay for basic necessities.


Upon questioning these figures Guy Opperman minister for employment speaking on behalf repeatedly avoided answering a question which asked why the number of sanctions had increased so rapidly.

The only other possibility being that the DWP may have changed its policy on applying sanctions but neglecting to inform everyone that would be affected by this. After all it’s not the first time that they’ve done this.

The only answer that Opperman eventually gave was “The hon. Gentleman asked specifically about the rise in the number of sanctions. Some 98.2% of sanctions are for missing a meeting with a work coach.”


Opperman declined to give an explanation as to why twice as many claimants are now supposedly choosing to miss appointments with their DWP advisor.

Of course this makes no sense because claimants are desperate to receive their UC payments. Methinks Opperman’s not being honest which comes as no surprise at all.



However Anne McLaughlin, SNP MP for Glasgow North East didn’t hold back from being honest in informing the commons the advice that she gives every UC claimant that has come to her after being sanctioned.

She went on to say;

“If you have your benefits sanctioned, do not take it lying down. Contact me and I will fight this for you, because this is wrong and nobody should have to live on less than the minimum income.”

This is of course correct, everyone that finds themselves in this position should fight it. The reality is that many don’t because they don’t have the strength to do so.

I have spoken to many people that had taken the decision to stop claiming UC because they can’t cope with it leaving them with little or no income to live on.

More MPs need to speak up about this in parliament but I won’t hold my breath. Only a few MPs including Debbie Abrahams actually speak up about this but others need to follow.

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A huge thanks to everyone that has and does support my blog and campaign. I don’t receive any payment for the work that I do and every penny enables me to continue with my work.

Ashton Under lyne, baby, Black Isle Media, Boris Johnson, Brighthouse, confidence, Cookery, coronavirus, cost of living, covid 19, Decision maker, dignity pre paid funerals,, DLA, domestic violence, domestic violence,, DPAC, DWP blog,, Elderly, energy poverty,, ESA, eugenics, Family, feminism, Food, Food bank, food poverty, Free, frugal, fuel poverty, funeral plans,, G4S, government, Green Party, Housing, hunger, International Women's Day, Ireland,, Jeremy Corbyn, Jobcentre, Ken Loach, liz truss, loose women, love island, Mandatory reconsideration, Money saving tips, New Charter Housing, NHS, NHS dentist, Northern resisters, Payday loan, PIP, PIP claim, poverty, pre paid funeral plans,, pre paid funerals,, prepaid energy, prepaid energy metres, Republic Ireland budget 2023, Republic of Ireland,, safe hands,, sanctions, Steven Crabb, suicide, targets, Tax credits, television, Television Licence, Television Licence fines, Teresa May, The Big Issue, The Labour Party, The Poor Side Of Life, Theresa May, trade union movement, Uncategorized, Universal credit, womens rights, Workfare, Workprogramme, young people

Less Than 4 In 10 Claims For PIP Successful

At last the DWP (Department of Work and Pensions) have published the statistics for PIP (Personal Independence Payments) for the time period from August 2017 to July 2022.

Revealed in the report is that just 39% of PIP claims in England and Wales have resulted in successfully receiving an award.

Also included are the statistics for all planned award reviews for the same time period.

These figures reveal that the possibility of being awarded a higher amount once it has been reviewed are only 18%, however the chances of being financially worse off are much higher at 32%.

It’s clear to see that for both new claims and reviews all details and evidence should be acted upon accurately taking both into account.

The evidence proves otherwise and often claimants are at the whim of an assessor or reviewer that may not take available evidence and details into account.

Not only is the application process stressful, the appeal process is even more so, taking into account the lengthy time period to take an appeal to tribunal which results in many applicants giving up with their appeal.

However once taken to an appeal tribunal there’s a much higher possibility that it will result in a favourable outcome.

It’s always worth taking a case to appeal and then tribunal, but with the process being stressful and lengthy many don’t do so therefore resulting in the DWP to benefit financially.

A huge thanks to everyone that subscribes, reads, and shares my blog posts. It’s extremely important to raise awareness and it helps so much!

Thanks also to my subscribers!

I don’t receive any payment for my work and as many of you know it’s a struggle.

If you can afford to and would like to donate to keep this blog and campaign going there’s a donate button at the top and side of this blog post.

The fees to keep this website going are approaching quickly and I’ve no idea how I’m going to pay them. Every penny will help me to continue to blog and help people.

I really don’t want to leave this blog platform as it does everything that I need and is easy for me to use.

Thank you!

It’s also my 8 year anniversary for this blog, time has passed far too quickly!


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Ashton Under lyne, baby, Black Isle Media, Boris Johnson, confidence, Cookery, coronavirus, cost of living, covid 19, Decision maker, dignity pre paid funerals,, DLA, domestic violence, domestic violence,, DPAC, DWP blog,, Elderly, energy poverty,, ESA, eugenics, Family, feminism, Food, Food bank, food poverty, Free, frugal, fuel poverty, funeral plans,, G4S, government, Housing, hunger, International Women's Day, Ireland,, Jeremy Corbyn, Jobcentre, Ken Loach, liz truss, Mandatory reconsideration, Money saving tips, New Charter Housing, NHS, NHS dentist, Northern resisters, Payday loan, PIP, poverty, pre paid funeral plans,, pre paid funerals,, prepaid energy, prepaid energy metres, Republic of Ireland,, safe hands,, sanctions, Steven Crabb, suicide, targets, Tax credits, television, Television Licence, Television Licence fines, Teresa May, The Big Issue, The Labour Party, The Poor Side Of Life, Theresa May, trade union movement, Uncategorized, Universal credit, womens rights, Workfare, Workprogramme, young people

Ireland 2023 Budget A Budget That Puts Its Citizens First

Imagine a budget that would benefit those that are worse off, a budget that puts both its citizens and the economy first.

Look no more, the Republic of Ireland have done just that.

Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has announced the new Republic of Irelands 2023 budget and it’s a joy to see.

Coverage of the budget can be found on RTÉ One, RTÉ Radio One and RTÉ News Now via catch-up.

Social Welfare

Also announced was a payment of child benefit which will be paid before the end of the year.

Carers and people with disabilities are expected to receive a one-off €500 payment.

Other social welfare recipients will receive a double welfare payment in the weeks after this budget has been announced. A Christmas bonus payment will also be paid in December.

Pensioners will be receiving one-off payments of up to €1,100 before the end of the year.

A double payment of the €253 per week state pension will be paid twice, once soon after the Budget announcement and another in December.

Pensioners that are in receipt of the Living Alone allowance will also receive a separate €200 payment. Those claiming a Fuel Allowance are also in line for a single €400 lump sum on top of their usual payments.

Energy crisis

All households in the republic will receive a €600 electricity bill credit, this will be paid in either two or three instalments. Energy bills will not be capped.

The already existing Fuel Allowance scheme will now be extended to up to 80,000 people who currently did not qualify for payments.

This will ensure that approximatley 450,000 people will now be able to claim for the Fuel Allowance over the coming months.

Childcare

Children’s Minister Roderic O’Gorman announced that he has secured significant funding which will provide a State subvention for creche costs. This could save families up to around €170 a month.

Housing

Under the budget changes there will be the re-introduction of a tax credit for citizens that rent their homes. This will bring the total of amounts given to €1,000.

Ministers have are also implementing two credits of €500, one of which will apply this year and the second next year.

Also included are a two year extension of the Help to Buy scheme that gives a tax rebate of €30,000 to first-time buyers.

Health Budget.

Whilst the Republic doesn’t have the NHS, the government does recognise the need for everyone to be able to access their GP

As it stands half of the Republics population will already have access to a free GP visit card or medical card. This has now been expanded by the Health Minister Stephen Donnelly.

Donnelly has successfully secured Budget funding to expand the free GP visit card to an additional 430,000 people.

This will result in around 2.5 million extra citizens, thus enabling the new recipient’s access to free GP services.

Also announced in Tuesday’s Budget are plans to abolish hospital charges for all adults.

Included in the budget also are plans to abolish hospital charges for children under 16 making it a much fairer system and assessable to all.

Tax Changes.

The higher tax rate of 40% will now apply only to earned income of over €40,000. This move will put an estimated €800 into the pocket of a single earner and €1,600 for a couple. Proving to be one of the biggest tax cuts in recent years.

The second USC band will also be increased to €10,908 from €9,283 keeping in mind the increase in the minimum wage for workers.

Meanwhile, personal tax credits for carers will also increase by €100 to €1,700.

Business

Businesses haven’t been forgotten in their budget either.

Some businesses will get up to €10,000 a month paid in their electricity or gas bills as part of the €1bn scheme to be announced in todays Budget.

Small to medium enterprises will have 40% of their energy cost increases in electricity or gas bills and will be paid up to a maximum of €10,000 per month.

The Temporary Business Energy Support Scheme (TBESS) will also be backdated to Septembe and ran until February. This will be administered by Revenue Commissioners.

A separate €200m scheme has also been announced, this scheme will see businesses being able to receive up to €2m in financial aid.

The Enterprise Ireland scheme will be aimed at companies that are involved in exporting and manufacturing.

To receive this help businesses will have to produce a business plan that shows clearly how they will get through the crisis and control their energy costs.

The two new schemes will also be backed up a low-cost loan.

Inheritance tax

No changes will be made to the inheritance tax ceiling.

There will also be no changes to Capital Gains Tax arrangement, rates and rules.

Gardaí

Extra funding will be funding for 1,000 new gardaí to begin training in Templemore next year.

There will also be 400 new Garda staff to be employed which will help free up frontline gardaí for core policing duties. Also included will be an increase in overtime to help gardaí tackle crime and anti-social behaviour.

Hospitality

The VAT rate for the hospitality industry will increase from the pandemic reduced rate of 9pc to 13.5pc at the end of February which will be significant blow for pubs, restaurants and hotels.

Students

Students will see their fees cut, they will also see an increase in their grants.

 Third-level fees are to be cut by €1,000 this year, with a once-off double payment of the student grant also included in this Budget.

This will mean that no one will pay more than €2,000 to attend third-level education for the coming term. 

Those studying for PHDs will get a once-off cost-of-living payment before Christmas.

There will also be a new free schoolbook scheme for children in primary school is to be introduced. Student/teacher class ratios will also be reduced.

Irish colleges

An extra €2.5m to support the Irish summer colleges sector.

This will include a 10% increase in the subsidy per child for mná tí, who provide meals and accommodation for Irish students.

Public transport

The 20% reduction in public transport fares will continue until the end of 2023.

Whilst it’s difficult to compare the UK to the Republic of Ireland’s government, it’s clear to see that they have recognised the need for extra financial help for its citizens.

This budget announcement shows that the Republic acknowledges that for a country to grow economically and is going to invest in it’s citizens. Not only are they investing financially, they’re also investing in the well-being of the population.

Although this might not appear a lot to some it will help those worse off financially to access medical help. This can only be a good thing.

A country that fails to invest in its citizens like the UK will ultimately end up failing financially. A good healthy economy is needed to ensure the smooth running of everything, and to do that financial help is needed for those worse off especially during the cost of living crisis and beyond.

The reputation of Brand UK has been permanently tarnished, leaving investors forced to move away and look to countries such as the Republic of Ireland as a safer bet.

The UK deserves better than this.

If you would like to donate to keep this blog and campaign going and can afford to, you can find a donate button at the top and side of this blog post.

Thank you!

Ashton Under lyne, baby, Black Isle Media, Boris Johnson, confidence, cost of living, covid 19, DPAC, DWP blog,, Elderly, energy poverty,, ESA, eugenics, Family, feminism, Food, Food bank, food poverty, Free, frugal, fuel poverty, funeral plans,, G4S, government, Housing, hunger, International Women's Day, Ireland,, Jeremy Corbyn, Jobcentre, Ken Loach, liz truss, New Charter Housing, NHS, NHS dentist, Northern resisters, Payday loan, PIP, poverty, pre paid funeral plans,, pre paid funerals,, prepaid energy, prepaid energy metres, Republic Ireland budget 2023, Republic of Ireland,, safe hands,, sanctions, Steven Crabb, suicide, targets, Tax credits, television, Television Licence, Television Licence fines, Teresa May, The Big Issue, The Labour Party, The Poor Side Of Life, Theresa May, trade union movement, Uncategorized, Universal credit, womens rights, Workfare, Workprogramme, young people

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