Ashton Jobcentre, New Charter Housing and Tameside Council, join forces to bully single mothers on benefits!

You really couldn't make this up. But in the delusional world of Tory welfare reform, anything is possible. It seems from a recent report that Ashton-under-Lyne, Jobcentre, are now targeting single mothers and re-branding them as 'troubled families', in order to get  people people off benefits or into work.

Under this bizarre scheme, which came to light when a single-parent jobseeker told protesters outside Ashton Jobcentre that she'd been assigned a social worker, because it was claimed she'd not done enough to find work, she was referred to a scheme called 'Troubled Families Wave 2 Joint Investment Agreement' being run by Tameside Labour Council in Greater Manchester. The scheme which is a joint effort between Tameside Council, Ashton Jobcentre, and New Charter Housing, assigns to single mothers, a social worker and key worker, who watch and monitor them until they find work.

Seemingly, Tameside Council have agreed to work with a minimum of 1,750 'troubled families'. In return the government provides a £1,000 fee per family. In addition, a further £800 result fee is provided to an agency which is to be 'New Charter Housing Ltd'. It is understood that tenders were not invited as no other outside agency was allowed to apply.

Nowadays, there is no shortage of tricks being used by Jobcentre staff as they are forced to hit 'targets' set by the government. In jobcentre parlance it is known as 'spinning plates'. However, using social workers to monitor and watch single-mothers now designated 'troubled families', seems to have worrying connotations. As social workers have 'statutory powers', we could see single-parents having their kids took off them if they don't do enough to find work.

For more about this story see above link.

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New Charter Housing call on police to evict Bedroom Tax protestors!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Saturday 21st September 2013 'Tameside Stop the Bedroom Tax & the Cuts' engaged in a peaceful protest demonstrating against the scandalous Bedroom Tax outside the Headquarters of New Charter Housing Trust Limited in Ashton-under-Lyne. The company are by far the biggest social landlord in Tameside, and being the biggest, they ought to be leading the fight against the Bedroom Tax, working alongside tenants in opposition to it which they have signally failed to do so far.

 

On  Saturday, New Charter held their annual 'jewel in the crown' Resident Showcase event. This was an ideal opportunity to reach out to tenants especially the 1,700 New Charter tenants that are affected by the Bedroom Tax. New Charter say they are opposed to the Bedroom Tax, but seem unwilling to join with tenants to oppose it? Actions speak louder than words!  New Charter haven't shown any real opposition to the Bedroom Tax even though housing boss, Ian Munro, declared it to be 'unfair and incompetent'. They have also declined to reclassify bedrooms to circumvent the tax in order to help tenants to remain in their homes and are pursuing legal action, against their tenants for Bedroom Tax arrears. 

 

The protestors  arrived outside the front entrance of New Charter H.Q. at 10:30 and set themselves up without obstructing entry. Shortly after tenants began to arrive, New Charter staff came out in force to form a  'cordon sanitaire', with three or four of them standing in a line with their backs towards the protestors trying to confine them to the wall area thereby blocking access to passing tenants. As tenants were guided into the building, they were told to ignore the protestors. 

 

New Charter staff initially refused to take any leaflets but one was seen to snatch a copy at the side entrance, which he tore in half as he angrily scrunched it up. As a protestor with his megaphone, called on New Charter to adopt a Bedroom Tax no evictions policy, a prominent New Charter tenant representative, Belinda Jeffrey, was seen to give  'the finger' to protestors from inside the building.  It is also understood that one female tenant, who was attending the event, asked if she could use the megaphone, then called  the protestors 'wankers'!  

An hour into the protest, the police arrived after being summoned by New Charter. The Bedroom Tax protestors were told that there had been a report that people had felt harassed and intimidated. After being reassured by protestors that this was  peaceful demonstration on the International Day of Peace,  the officer left, much to the chagrin of New Charter Housing staff.

 

The very purpose of the annual Residents Showcase event is for tenants to SHOWCASE what THEY are doing for tenants and the wider community as long as this doesn't involve campaigning against the Bedroom Tax, or treading on New Charter's big corns.

 

Steve (Starlord) Fisher, a protest organiser, told NV blog:  

 

"We had a very successful day and great fun was had by all. We had a wonderful time and would like to thank New Charter for the kindness they  have so far shown to everyone affected by this atrocious Bedroom Tax, brought-in by this wretched Tory-led government that is cutting taxes for the rich while introducing punitive taxation, for the most vulnerable people in society.

 

While it is excellent news to hear that Labour if elected, have pledged to repeal the Bedroom Tax, social landlords and council's, should in the meantime adopt a no evictions policy and cease pressuring tenants to leave their homes to move to smaller properties. We expect Tameside Labour to come off the fence and support the campaign against this iniquitous tax. We will also continue to protest and work in the best interests of tenants."  

EX BNP candidate jailed for harassing German next-door neighbour. Everybody needs good neighbour's!

A former BNP candidate who stood four times for election in Dukinfield, has been jailed for 14 weeks for harassing his German-born next-door neighbour.

Roy Kevin West (48), of Glenmore Grove, Dukinfield, was found guilty of breaching a restraining order which prevented him from "making direct or indirect contact" with Mr. Bernd Kugow and Susan Holt, his next-door neighbour's. The order also prevented him from mentioning or making reference to them on the "internet, via social networking, blogging and discussion forums."

Last year, West was given a 12-week jail sentence, suspended for 12 months and subjected to a curfew order, after he subjected Mr. Kugow to verbal abuse calling him a 'Kraut', after he confronted him about a display of union flags and poppies which West had erected to face his neighbour's home.

In 2009, West pleaded guilty to racially aggravated public order offences against Mr. Kugow. The court heard that West, who had three St George's flags and a Cornish flag in his back garden, had attempted to put up a Union Jack by attaching it to Mr Kugow's shed. And when Mr Kugow objected, West flew into a rage, calling his neighbour a 'Kraut *******' and telling him to '**** off back to Krautland' before adding 'kill some more Jews'. West also told his neighbour to 'remember Dunkirk' during the 10-minute tirade.

West originally pleaded not guilty to racial abuse but shortly before he was due to take the witness stand for his trial at Tameside Magistrates' Court, he dramatically changed his mind and admitted the charge. His solicitor said West felt under pressure to deny the charge because of his position in the party.

After his arrest, the BNP leadership complained that he was the victim of a 'malicious prosecution' and tried to organise a demonstration to protest against the arrest. But the protest was called off when West said he wanted the case to remain a private matter.

 Mr Kugow said his neighbour later apologised over the incident and came to his house with a box of chocolates and a handwritten letter. He said West sat crying in his kitchen as he admitted his guilt.
West was later fined £125 and ordered to pay £200 costs and a £15 victim's surcharge. He was also ordered to pay Mr Kugow £50 compensation.

In 2012, West was acquitted at Oldham Magistates Court, by District Judge Prowse, on a charge of pusuing a course of harassment against John Taylor, the deputy leader of Tameside Council, when the Crown said it would offer no evidence if he accepted a restraining order. The two-year restraining order, prevented West from going within 50 metres of Cllr. Taylor's home in Dukinfield.

When he appeared before District Judge Craig Osborne, the following month, to answer two charges of breaching another restraining order, West told the court, that he believed that Cllr. Taylor and his neighbour had been acting in collusion and that he had been filming Cllr. Taylor, on one of his frequent visits to Mr. Kugow's home.  While the filming of Mr. Kugow washing his car was upheld as a breach, the filming of Cllr. Taylor was dismissed as a breach. The Judge said that although "West had behaved like a juvenile idiot", he was surprised that New Charter as a Registered Social Landlord (RSL), had got involved in a neighbour dispute when Mr. Kugow was an owner occupier. The Judge had also told West that if he breached the injunction again, "you will be well advised to bring your tooth-brush with you to court on the next occasion. Breach it and it's jail; or nothing."

Originally from Dewsbury, West moved to the Tameside area some years ago. Before taking up residence in Dukinfield, he lived in Hyde, where we understand he was also known to have had trouble with the neighbour's. We understand that West is currently residing in Forest Bank prison pending transfer to another jail.

Solihull single mother commits suicide over 'bedroom tax". She could not afford to live!

Amid all the brouhaha about Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement and Michael Gove's call for a referendum on Britain's continuing membership of the European Community, the tragic suicide of 53-year-old Stephanie Bottril from Solihull, was squeezed into a three minute slot on Sky TV.

Last Saturday, Stephanie left her home on Meriden Drive - Solihull, where she had lived for the past eighteen years - and walked to Junction 4 of the M6 motorway, where she threw herself under a lorry. Before killing herself she told neighbour's that she "simply couldn't afford to live anymore" and posted her keys and a suicide note through a neighbour's door, blaming the government's 'bedroom tax' for her death. "I don't blame anyone for me death expect (sic) the government" she wrote.

Under 'bedroom tax' rules, Stephanie was facing a welfare cut in her housing benefit because she had two spare rooms and she could not afford the extra £20 per week she was required to pay in order to retain her home. She told neighbours that she was 'tortured' about how she could afford the extra £20 per week and knew that she would have leave the home she loved, after losing a quarter of her £320-a-month housing benefit when her 23-year-old daughter, left home to live with her partner. Shortly before her death, a neighbour had taken her some barbecue food because she had not eaten for three days.

Mrs Bottril suffered from an auto-immune system deficiency condition known as Myasthenia gravis, which impacted on her ability to work but she was not receiving disability benefit. In a letter to her 27-year-old son, Steven, she said:

"Don't blame yourself for me ending my life, it is my life, the only people to blame are the government."

Although Mrs Bottril had been offered another property, she felt this was unsuitable because of poor transport links and she felt this would have isolated her from her family. Following Stephanie's death, the family issued a statement. Her son Steven told the Sunday People:

"She was fine before this bedroom tax. It was dreamt up by people living in offices and big houses. They have no idea the effect it has on people like my mum."

At a time when this verminous Tory government are taxing poor people for having so-called spare bedrooms, they have cut taxes for the rich and corporation tax for their business chums. As from April, anyone earning over £1 million-a-year will get an annual tax cut of at least £42,295.00. Yet there has been a five-fold increase in food banks since this government came into power in May 2010. The Labour MP Luciana Berger, recently told Parliament that 350,000 people had accessed emergency food aid this year in Britain.

While the government pursues its billionaires agenda of less tax for the rich, less regulation for business, less spending by the State and no cap on bankers bonuses, children are going hungry in Manchester. It is estimated that 91,000 children are living in severe poverty throughout Greater Manchester.

In the local authority area of Tameside, which according to figures published by the trade union UNISON, is one of the hardest places to find work in the North West, the registered social landlord New Charter Housing Trust Ltd, has already started to send out letters to their tenants who are in arrears with their 'bedroom tax', threatening legal action. These 'recovery proceedings' are being made in spite of comments made by New Charter boss, Ian Munro, that the tax should 'axed' and that it is both 'unfair and incompetent'. The housing boss has also stated that the housing company is in no position to rehouse many of its tenants, who are being forced to downsize. It is estimated that two-thirds of people affected by the bedroom tax nationally, are disabled.

In Solihull, the council Labour group leader, David Jamieson, said he was 'appalled' by the death of Stephanie Bottril and he urged the government to reconsider its 'bedroom tax' policy. Figures released earlier this year, show that UK suicide rates have markedly increased since the Tory government came into office. Just how many suicides it will take, before this government scraps this vile and iniquitous tax, remains to be seen.

Thousands threatened with eviction in UK by Tory 'Bedroom Tax'!

Opposition to the Tories iniquitous bedroom tax is increasing daily. Although there have been no riots as of yet, parallels have never the less been drawn with the campaign against Thatcher's dreaded poll tax, which was ultimately defeated because of mass opposition to it by people who took to the streets in their thousands to protest.

In the North West 43% of people living in council or housing association homes who receive housing benefit will be affected. Around 110,000 will be worse off by £728 a year when the bedroom tax comes into effect in April. Hundreds of thousands face the threat of eviction if they cannot pay the tax which applies to all people of working age in receipt of housing benefit who live in social housing and who are deemed to have spare bedrooms.

Although the Tory-led government say this measure is necessary to free-up social housing that is under-occupied i.e. spare bedrooms so that people can move to smaller dwellings and to save money, the current demand for housing is such that there are not enough one or two bedroom properties for people to move to. Critics of the bedroom tax, say this severe shortage of social rented housing, will drive people into the private rented sector and will increase the housing benefit bill.

In Tameside, the Registered Social Landlord (RSL), New Charter Housing Trust Ltd, own around 14,500 properties and it is expected that the bedroom tax will have a direct impact on 1,700 New Charter tenants. New Charter boss, Ian Munro, believes that the tax is 'unfair and incompetent' and he has written to the Prime Minister calling on him to axe the bedroom tax. In his letter which was published in the New Charter owned Tameside Reporter, he pleaded on behalf of his tenants:

"Tenants are telling us that they are very worried not only about being able to meet household bills, but also the prospect of being forced out of what is more than a house - it is their home....Equally (the changes) are incompetent as they will not achieve the Government's objective of better use of social housing, and in forcing a migration to the private sector will increase rather than reduce the Housing Benefit bill."

Some time ago, New Charter which was formed in 2000, to own and manage former council homes in Tameside, set up a 'Specialist Welfare Reform Advice Team' (SWAT) to advise tenants about their available options concerning the bedroom tax. Although neither Munro or the SWAT 'sink or swim' team, have given assurances that tenants who fail pay their bedroom tax will not be evicted, it is known that the team who have carried out 1,800 tenant interviews since last August, have advised tenants to eat less to economise in order to pay their Tory bedroom tax. In Manchester, Eastlands Homes another RSL, have written to their tenants asking them if they can afford to smoke, drink, play bingo and afford Sky TV, as well as pay their bedroom tax.

While it is understandable that New Charter and Eastlands Homes tenants should feel affronted by being asked to eat less food or to forgo fags and booze to pay their Tory bedroom tax, it should be clear that despite what boy George says about us all being in it together, it is people on benefits, public expenditure cuts and job losses in local government that are paying off the budget deficit brought about by the incompetence and greed of bankers and governments. Despite cuts in benefits and public services, the government last year cut  taxes for their rich chums by £3bn-a-year. In April, 8,000 millionaires are due to receive an average tax cut of over £107,000. It  also estimated that tax evasion in this country costs the exchequer around £70bn-a-year in lost revenue.

One New Charter tenant affected by the Tory bedroom tax, is 56-year-old Steve Fisher, from Dukinfield, who has lived at his two bedroom home since 1984. As a self-employed person who currently receives £52 pw in Working Tax Credit (WTC), he has been told by Tameside Council that he must pay £12 pw bedroom tax because he has a bedroom extra to his needs and £13 pw council tax, out of his £52 pw income. Mr. Fisher who is campaigning against the bedroom tax, told NV blog:

"Under the Council Tax Benefit scheme (CTB), which has now been abolished, I received full council tax and housing benefit because I am on a low income. Some years ago, I chose to go self-employed rather than claim unemployment benefit, but am now penalised by changes to council tax and the introduction of the bedroom tax. Tameside Council have replaced CTB with their very own 'Council Tax Support Scheme' (CTSS) which presumes that as a self-employed person, I am receiving a far greater income that I do and therefore, they expect me to pay full council tax. As from April, everyone with exception of pensioners, who is in receipt of a council tax discount, will have pay at least 20% of council tax. This measure introduced by a Labour council, attacks some of the weakest and poorest members of the community.  Although the Labour council in Tameside are cutting jobs and services and increasing the council tax this year by 3.5%, the council refuses to reduce the number of Tameside councillors or to cut its own allowances and perks. What this council and government are seeking to do, is nothing short of daylight robbery."

Anyone interested in joining Mr. Fisher's campaign against the bedroom tax, can contact him at starlord@starlord-enterprises.freeserve.co.uk

NEW CHARTER 'REPORTER' NEWSPAPER RE-LAUNCHED TODAY!

After ceasing publication on 13th September, due to financial difficulties, the Tameside Reporter is to be re-launched today (Thursday) following a buy-out by the housing company, New Charter Housing Trust Ltd.  In a joint statement issued by both the newspaper and New Charter, both organisations have stated that as from tomorrow, 15,000 newspapers are to be delivered free and a further 10,000 are to go on sale to the public at a cost of 45p.

Although all previous staff were made redundant, Nigel Skinner the Editor, is to remain in charge of both the Tameside Reporter and the Glossop Chronicle with David Jones remaining as news editor for the Chronicle. The newspaper is also to recruit two new trainee reporters.

Although New Charter and the Tameside Reporter, say the newspaper will remain 'entirely independent' with its own editorial staff and will be 'community focused', this has been brought into question due to the intimate links that exist between New Charter and Tameside Council.  The Manchester and Salford branch of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ), have even suggested that there is 'suspicion' that New Charter could  be acting as a 'proxy' for Tameside Council in buying the newspaper.

There are currently five Tameside Councillors who have declared their employment with New Charter in the register of council members interests. The Executive Leader of the council, Kieran Quinn, is listed as a Director of the New Charter Building Company. Cllr. Jim Middleton, is also a Director with the company as well as Cllr. Gerald Cooney, who is the Chairman of New Charter Housing. Cllr. Maria Bailey, is a board member of the New Charter Housing Trust and Cllr. Vincent Ricci, is a board member of the New Charter Building Company.

Apart from now owning a Tameside newspaper, New Charter also owns Tameside Community Radio Ltd and sponsors three Academy schools in Tameside - New Charter Academy (formerly Hartshead school), Silver Springs (formerly Ridgehill school), and Copley school in Stalybridge. In addition the C.E.O. of New Charter, Ian Munro - a former Tameside Council employee - sits on the board of school governors of Tameside College, New Charter Academy, Silver Springs, and the Tameside Sports Trust, that runs recreational facilities on behalf of Tameside Council.

Time will tell whether the Tameside Reporter continues to exercise editorial independence under its new owners. But will the paper be happy to print articles and readers letters that criticise the local council, New Charter or their various other business interests? Some poeople think not! One person who recently reponded to the Roy Greenslade, Guardian media blog, had this to say about the New Charter buy-out:

'We are in for lashings of corporate agenda and the banning of dissenting voices.'  If this is the future for local democracy in Tameside, then God help us!