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A man was shocked to be given just £7 in Universal Credit to get him through Christmas. Richard Williams, 35, opened his online welfare entitlement 'portal' to find he had been allocated £7 to last until January - on top of a separate sum of 20p that went into his bank account. He now has no idea how he will manage over the festive period - or keep a roof over his head as he is already in rent arrears. Distraught Richard revealed he has had to rely on a freebie electricity 'voucher' to keep the lights on in his flat in Plymouth, Devon. Richard has also had to turn to his severely ill mum for meals and feels ashamed about using a food bank. He said: "I have got all of £7.20 and that has got to last me until January 11 because of their silly assessment period." The DWP confirmed Richard had been handed less than his usual allowance - because he had earned £800 in wages from a previous job. Are you a struggling parent? Contact us on [email protected] Richard … [Read more...] about Man given just £7 in Universal Credit to get him through Christmas period

The sector that, more than any other, wanted a different result in the EU referendum could now be at the heart of what we might call an international rescue mission. The creative industries, for nearly a decade the fastest-growing part of the economy, are Brand Britain. They play exactly into the prime minister’s stated three priorities – a new industrial strategy, greater social cohesion, and negotiating positives from Brexit. Their response to last June’s result demonstrates their resilience and ability to deal with everything thrown in their way. In the early summer they were clear about the country’s future. Indeed, so much so that, when the final figures for the Creative Industries Federation’s members survey came in, I feared it looked a bit North Korean. The UK’s TV and film companies, video games, digital creative, designers, fashion, publishers, great museums and galleries, architects, advertisers and universities had voted 96% to … [Read more...] about Creative industries are key to UK economy

Philip Hammond has said there will be no "real terms" increase in public spending apart from on the NHS.The chancellor used his Budget on Monday to say that austerity was coming to an end. But Labour's shadow chancellor John McDonnell rejected his claims, saying more welfare cuts were coming and spending was still being squeezed.Mr Hammond chose to spend a windfall from better tax receipts on the NHS, universal credit and income tax cuts.Prime Minister Theresa May said bringing austerity to an end was "not just about more money into our public services, it is about more money in people's pockets as well". Budget a bit of a gamble, says IFS LIVE: MPs debate the Budget Budget calculator 2018 - what it means for you At-a-glance summary: Budget key points She said Monday's Budget had put more money into the NHS without raising taxes, adding: "Indeed, we have cut taxes for 32 million people - the message of yesterday's Budget is that the hard work of the British people has paid-off."But the … [Read more...] about Hammond v McDonnell on Budget ‘end of austerity’ claim

TODAY Sun Money asks readers to visit shops – real shops – for last-minute Christmas gifts, to help boost our ailing High Streets. Around 16 shops are closing daily as we spend online instead, with Oddbins, LK Bennett, Karen Millen and Mothercare among the latest to fail. Using stores lets you handle products and get personal service, so instead of clicking for those festive orders, here are five reasons to head to the shops.Bungled MANY online shoppers have reported delayed or damaged deliveries in the past few weeks. Delivery firm Hermes this week admitted it had faced unprecedented demand over the Black Friday weekend after some customers complained of waiting weeks for items to arrive. But it insisted it is not buckling under the pressure. Sun Money has also seen hundreds of complaints on social media about rushing couriers chucking items over fences, into bins or leaving them out in the wind and rain. One complained to Hermes: “Twice in the space of a week I have … [Read more...] about Five reasons why you should shop in person to give our High Streets the boost they desperately need

The Friends of Friendless Churches (FoFC) is a small charity that works to save places of worship across England and Wales, many of which face abandonment and ruin as a result of shrinking populations in rural areas. Founded in 1957 by Welsh journalist and former MP Ivor Bulmer-Thomas – a leading layman in the Church of England – the charity aims to preserve beautiful churches as public monuments that should be rightly recognised as “dispersed world heritage sites” and important components of our cultural legacy. The founding members included politician Roy Jenkins, artist John Piper, poet TS Eliot, and poet and conservation campaigner John Betjeman. According to Friends director Rachel Morley, through his vociferous campaigning Bulmer-Thomas “almost singlehandedly changed the fate of parish churches”. Having witnessed the demolition of St Peter the Less Church in Chichester in 1960, he vowed to prevent similar acts of cultural vandalism from … [Read more...] about Divine inspiration: rescuing run-down churches – a photo essay