ong

This was in the news a couple of years ago, but I haven't read anything on it since: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1194741/Families-water-flow-homes-cut-trickle.html

Talking of top salaries in the council, from the end of last year: http://www.doncasterfreepress.co.uk/news/doncaster-news/chief_executive_of_council_appointed_1_3927153

Over halfway now (50,405)

Surely "volume of transactions" is an important component of this debate, but yet it is hardly mentioned

Good article on the economics of solar in the Telegraph here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/7684155/Solar-panels-a-tax-free-return-of-10pc-pa.html

Or MEWing

If they mean what they say, what consequences for the EU bailouts?

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/index/life/debt/debt_relief_orders.htm

Is there any explanation of where this extra private debt is coming from? If it does not materialise presumably that will have significant knock - on effects on other OBR forecasts.

Vote is this evening according to this: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/portugal-government-faces-key-austerity-vote-2011-03-23?reflink=MW_news_stmp

I think that Merv was also alluding to the general cynicism banks display towards their customer. For example I have an internet account attached to my main current account which pays 2% - ish interest, but only for a year when the interest reduces to somewhere near negligible. The only way to fix this is to shut the account and open a new one, to get the bonus back, BUT although you can open the account on - line you have to go to a branch to close it. This bank has had my custom for over 30 years and yet they make me jump through all these hoops just to maintain a very modest return on my savings - shameful.

I work as an advisor at the CAB and so have some experience in this. At the moment if you are from one of the A8 countries (East European) you have to have a year in work before you can claim out - of -work benefits (mainly JobSeekers allowance). You can claim in - work benefits (Tax credits child benefit etc) as soon as you start work. This change will mean that A8 nationals will be able to claim JSA under the same rules as people from France, Germany etc( and for that matter, people born in the UK), that is you will have to pass the habitual residence test, ie you will have to show you have some permanent intention to be in the UK and seek work. JSA comes in two types, income and contribution based, you get the latter for 6 months if you have paid the right NI in the last two years. The income - based JSA is means - tested over the whole family's income so generally if your partner is in -work you won't get it. If you get income - based JSA you can also get the interest paid on your mortgage and other benefits, NOTE FOR NIT - PICKERS this is a quick summary. I know there are yet more rules!

I'm a CAB adviser and I have never come across somebody being refused SMI because their house is too big. Reading on in the document quoted I can see why (partial summary): 23548 No restriction should be made....if it is not reasonable to expect the claimant to seek alternative cheaper accom Examples of relevant factors are: 21 Age / state of health 22 Employment prospects of claimant 23 Where change of home may affect (children's) education 3 Where people cannot sell their home or have neg equity etc etc I wonder if the poster who gave the reference can say how many people are actually refused SMI/

I see the quote there, can you give a link to the original doc? Thanks

I work in a Citizens Advice Bureau. I see many people on minimum hours contracts (ie they are only guaranteed X hours a week). Many of these would be equivalent to a days work per week but they have to turn up to just do maybe a couple of hours a day. Even worse are the people who "work" for agencies where they are not guaranteed anything and just have to hope the phone rings. These tend to be minimum wage jobs. So th pigeon and cat have met already for many people in this poor part of a run- down industrial city