To spend or bank your old £1.00 coins. http://www.consumeractiongroup.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?473204-New-quid-on-the-block&p=4982628#post4982628

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39077957 Royal Mail say this is necessary in order to continue with its Universal Service, where it delivers letters across the whole of the UK for the same price.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/jan/03/petrol-food-prices-uk-rising-2017 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/01/10/food-prices-rise-inflation-returns-supermarkets/

READ MORE HERE: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/war-disablement-pension-2017-rates

2 weeks ago there was a discussion on the Winter Home Discount (WHD) if anyone is following this you may want to have a read up on this here >>http://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN05956/SN05956.pdf or see my attachment Number SN 05956, 6 May 2016 Summary This Commons Library Briefing Paper looks at the Warm Home Discount scheme (WHD). The scheme started on 1 April 2011 and was originally to end on 31 March 2015. Since then it has been extended twice, first until 2015/16 and most recently until 2020/21. The WHD scheme is part of the measures designed to help those in fuel poverty; further discussion can be found in the Commons Briefing Paper Fuel poverty. Information on sources of help for constituents with domestic energy bills can be found in the Library Briefing Paper Help with energy bills. The Commons Library Briefing paper on The Energy Company Obligation sets out details of funding to improve energy efficiency in the homes of ‘those most in need’ and in difficult to treat housing. Extension to 2016/17 and to 2020/21 On 8 April 2016, the Government published its consultation document on an extension to the scheme for 2016/17 (Warm Home Discount Scheme: extension to 2016/17) and an impact assessment . The Government proposes to keep the scheme unchanged for 2016/17 in respect of the Core and Broader Groups. Further details for the period to 2020/21 are to follow in 2017 and are expected to be linked more closely to other fuel poverty initiatives. To check to see if you qualify see here >> https://www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme List of suppliers of the scheme see here >> https://www.gov.uk/the-warm-home-discount-scheme/eligibility Winter warm discount 2016-2017 SN05956.pdf

Over the next few years there are going to be some dramatic changes in some benefits, caps will come in and more help to be made available. Full details available here: http://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/ho...nges#early2017 All of this starts in January 2017... 'From early 2017 New Tax-free Childcare scheme aims to provide up to 1.8 million families across the UK with up to £2,000 of childcare support per year, per child, via a new simple online system. Trial start early 2017, with roll out beginning upon completion of the trial. See autumn statement 2016 and HMRC press release - 1 July 2015 Tuition loans will be extended to students wishing to do a second degree in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) from 2017-18. See Spending Review 2015 page' From April 2019 'There will be a cap on the amount of rent that Housing Benefit will cover in the social sector to the relevant Local Housing Allowance, which is the rate paid to private renters on Housing Benefit. This includes a Shared Accommodation Rate for single claimants under 35 who do not have dependent children. The cap will be applied to all supported housing tenancies from April 2019, though Local Authorities will receive funding to meet the additional costs of supported housing in their area. For general needs housing, the cap will apply from April 2019 for all tenants on Universal Credit, and to Housing Benefit tenants whose tenancies began or were renewed since April 2016. See autumn statement 2016, DWP Secretary of State Damian Green's written statement and earlier Spending Review 2015 page' There is far too much to state so please look carefully at the main page and follow any links that may affect you from January 2017..... Maybe admin could consider making this a sticky so it does not get lost on this part of the forum. This new information could affect 1,000's of claimants one way or another! Especially those that get capped and are on Housing benefit too.. Please read very carefully as to what is listed and if you have any questions please start a new thread so your answers can be given for your situation, as all claimants have different needs and will get different responses. Happy Christmas to one and all ....

Some time ago my partner and myself received a letter from HMRC stating that we were no longer entitled to claim working tax credit due to information from Concentrix, we had never heard of Concentrix at this point. Apparently the information that was disallowing us from claiming was that on the forms submitted it states I worked just 5 hours per week last year 2015. The forms we submitted did not state 5 hours / week but rather 30 plus hours per week, concerned by this I got in touch with HMRC through the HMRC website online chat system and an employee at HMRC informed us that Concentrix in Belfast had made the alteration to the form The action taken by Concentrix is clearly fraudulent, so that information has been passed on to the serious fraud office in London. I spoke to a solicitor who said yes I did have a case and yes he would pursue that case when I could get the £200/hour fee he would charge for handleing the case, sadly I do have that kind of money at this time mostly due to being off work with a serious gastric disorder, and as I am no longer entitled to work tax credit due to Concentrix fraudulent action I am also no longer allowed free prescriptions which meant last week I had to go without medication as we could not afford to get the precription filled at that time. The solicitor suggested I get a group of people together who have also been mis-treated by Concentrix in order to begin a class action lawsuit against them but I have no idea how to go about that currently so am looking around for advise on how I can either get enough people together to get that underway or alternatively find a kind wealthy person to support a private case. If you think that Concentrix have mis-used information to make a case against you or outright changed information you sent them the number for the serious fraud office is... 02072397272. The more people who kick up a fuss about this company and the methods they use then the sooner these issues can be dealt with properly and this company brought to rights.

Evening all I hope you are all well, it has been a long time since I have beenon apart from an odd few replies and this time I need some help understanding the wonderful world of HMRC etc! OK, as you may know I started work in October 2015 (great news and still happy and away from the DWP!) I am in receipt of WTC (single, no children etc) of £207.08p/m from 2015-2016 financial year (new financial year upon us!) This is based on me starting work end of October 15 to March 31st this year on a salary of £17,031 so in effect only working for 6 months in claim year. I get paid monthly and thought I would call to see what my position was in the next financial year and after a 25 minute call wait and a lengthy discussion I am still none the wiser. They said I would need to declare my earnings for April 16 to April 17 which of course would be the full year, so £17,031 and would have a £2,500 disregard so a figure of £14,531. Based on that my WTC payments seem to be £0.00pm (great!) What I was also told is taxable benefits (signed off 25/10/2015) would be included as well. Now, they said my payment for April 27th would be around £80.00 based on my earnings Oct15-Mar16 of around £7,305.00 but even though I get a renewal pack between April and June 2016 I would need to call them to update my circumstances around 8th April but Iam still unsure what information I need to give. Will WTC payments be based on my income from Oct15-Mar16 or Apr16-Apr17? If the latter then I get £0.00pm as I guess I had a full years WTC in financial year 2015-2016. What I am worried about more than anything is if I continue to get payments, even at £80.00pm and I misinform them with info due to my lack of understanding I could be met with a horrid situation of trying to deceive HMRC and a request for repayment of funds. I am very confused on what I should get, even if nothing and how I should go about doing a renewal - i.e. wait for pack which could be June (deadline for renewals is 31/07) and get say 4 months payments I am not allowed (overpayments) or call and update straight away and get a letter stating I get nothing. Obviously loss of WTC will be a hit but I am still earning more than on benefits so would adjust accordingly. Any help appreciated.