Just after a little advice please. I work for a Local Authority. They have decided to revise the pay scales for managers and introduce new bands etc. As a result they have re-evaluated my job role and assigned it to a grade in the new structure which pays less than my grade in the current structure. They have given a year's protection but then I take a pay drop. This isn't as a result of a restructure or change of role so my question is can they justcome up with new scales and decide to pay me less in the same role? Thanks for any advice.

Barclays bank announced today that it will not charge unpaid transaction fees – the £8 levy when a customer does not have the funds in his or her account to pay for a purchase but the transaction is guaranteed by Barclays – more than once per day. Currently, UK banks can charge the fees up to five times a day. They claim this will help customers save around £7 million this year. Barclays has also introduced new text alerts to help customers avoid being caught out by charges. The texts will warn them they can actively avoid a fee if they can pay cleared funds in. The bank says this will help customers save a further £7 million http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/banksandfinance/10546158/Barclays-cuts-overdraft-fees-as-banks-vie-for-customers.html.

Hi guys, I've been signing on to JSA now for about four months. From the moment I signed on I informed them that I would be starting a part time "Access to HE" college course in September, lasting a year, for 10 hours per week. They accepted this, signed me up as requiring full time work until september, when I started college I had this changed to part time. A month ago they started requesting paperwork from my college, and asking me questions about how I was paying for it. I told them I had a student loan, and brought them all the paperwork I had including the accepted student loan forms. Two weeks later they asked for more paperwork as my learning agreement didn't state my hours, I got a signed letter from the college stating my name, hours and course along with contact details should they have any questions, and gave that to them along with my learning agreement. I was told that everything was fine, I signed on as usual and was told my payment had gone through and would be paid on the usual day. on monday I received an ES48 letter, saying "A doubt has arisen on your claim for jobseekers allowance, as it appears that from 09.09.2013 you may not be regarded as available for work because you are a full-time student". The letter then directs me to read a leaflet that was supposed to be included in the pack, that is conveniently missing. I immediately rang them up, and was told not to worry about it, as the letter was probably sent out before they received my evidence, and that my payment would go through as normal. This hasn't happened, I've not received my payment, and it looks like they're investigating me for something they have concrete evidence isn't true. So does anyone know how long they can stop my payments for, and if there's anything I can do about this, as it seems someone has lied about my status.

Hi , I hope there is someone out there who can advise me. I am a school caretaker I had my hours cut April 2013 approx 15 % employed by County Council at that time it turned out to be breach of contract but I did not want the hassle of legal action to fight it at the time. I was transferred to the School from the council Sept 1. 2013 TUPE transfer with protected rights. However School have cut my hours again amongst other changes to my job without consultation again this is breach of contract and I am going to fight this time with Union assistance I have to make a stand having lost 30% of my hours over a number of years. My question is :- Is 15 % the maximum cut that can be taken off my hours and 3 years before any further review/cut can take place, There must be some restrictions on what can be changed regards employee`s Statement of particulars or they can walk all over you. Thanks.. Dave

Posting this on behalf of a friend of the family, so sorry if the details are a bit hazy ... They claim child tax credits; apparently you need to renew the claim each year. So, he rang up to renew, and was told that he needed to supply them with his exact earnings for the year. He'd been on Job Seekers Allowance for part of the year, so explained this, and told them he'd contact the Job Centre to get the exact figure (and would be in touch again once he had it). It took something like 4 months before the Job Centre finally provided the information. He phoned them at least a dozen times and was given various excuses. On one occasion he was told that they now had the information and would post it off to him the next morning - it didn't arrive until 6 weeks later. During this time, the Child Tax Credit people told him that he'd missed the deadline for renewing. On top of that, they are now saying that he owes them money (I'm not quite sure why - overpayment perhaps?) He explained that the hold-up had been with the Job Centre, and this time was told that exact earnings figures weren't needed - an estimate would have been enough (and of course, they denied having said that exact figures were needed). He's been told that he has the right to appeal against the decision blah blah blah, and is being sent an appeal form. Is this the best way forward do you think? Or should he be looking at something more proactive and aggressive?

OK, this may not be urgent as I did phone and they agreed that it was wrong, but I'm worried that there's a problem that will return. I'd appreciate any advice in getting to the bottom of it. I'm with Scottish Hydro Electic. Not got any gas. I pay monthly by DD. £30 per month up to now and when I got my last bill I was almost £30 in credit which I got refunded. I tend to be about £20 in credit. I have storage heaters and have "Heating control energy" and standard energy. My storage heaters were switched off at the wall in March and haven't been on since. I live alone and I'm careful with electricity. Energy saving bulbs, go round switching things off, nothing on standby. I got a bill yesterday. Reading from 27/2 -31/8. They claimed I owed £235 and my DD needed to go up to £74. So I panicked and phoned them, did some readings and gave the serial numbers of my meters and the employee said it sounded right and went to speak to his manager whe he confirmed that I was now in credit which sounded right. My problem is that I can see this happening again because my readings weren't that different to theirs, just that they don't make sense. It's the heating control that's gone up. From 369 units to 4751 units. 4382 units compared to my standard energy which has increased by 667. So on my (cheaper) night time electricity I owe(d?) £264 compared to £90. I haven't even been using it! As I said earlier the storage heaters are switched off and I don't use power at night. Everything is switched off and unplugged. Except my fridge/freezer. But it's on in the day as well. Does anyone have any idea what the cause could be. I don't know a lot about electricity but this must be wrong. Help!!!!

I reckon the companies will change their options around - Post Office Telecom had a message on their automated system which advised that the options had been changed ! So I think perhaps these companies wont like this guy's idea

I was planning a visit to the hair salon, as I have long thick curly hair that hasn't been cut in several years and has become unmanageable - not good with a disability. then I came across this youtube video: I decided to give it a go, not wanting to pay the £25 for a salon visit - AND IT WORKED! I now have a great layered cut, better than my last salon visit. Just wanted to share - I hate going to hairdressers and hate the cost, and now I never have to go again!!!

Any thought? www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22112965

NatWest-RBS face customer backlash as it cuts perks on packaged Advantage Gold and Select Silver current accounts while increasing cost Millions of customers who signed up for paid-for accounts with banking giant NatWest have been told they must fork out £24 extra for the privilege and face losing £142 worth of perks. Natwest is writing to customers who are already signed up to its popular Advantage Gold account, telling them it will cost an extra £2.05 a month. The bank previously promised these customers £864 worth of savings through the insurance and discounts offered with the account. But from February this will drop to £722, yet the monthly fee will go up to £15. RBS/NatWest is also hiking the cost of its Select Silver accounts, from £8 to £10. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/saving/article-2250437/Perks-cut-NatWest-RBS-packaged-current-accounts.html#ixzz2FaVZTF4z How long before other banks follow suit?

hi all i have got my esa reduced from 142 pound a fortnight too 46 pound a fortnight cause i get industrial injuries benefit of 47 pound a week , thats a a big loss to me thinking of just forgetting about esa and just live on the 47 a week , then i wont have the same crap of esa appeals and utter tosh they spew out ,

Ok I know they cant cut me off in winter if I have children. Can they however forcefully install a meter (via the courts and a lock smith) that I cant afford to use? (effectively cutting me off) Because they wont just instal a normal meter I will have to pay off part of my 4000 pound debt and pay for what I normally use and im on benefits at the moment and in serious financial difficulty/debt and I cant afford to eat let alone pay my bills! The electricity company is E-On they are on the verge of taking the case to court to apply for the rights to force me to install the meter/ to try and disconnect me.

RBS and NatWest current account customers will no longer receive monthly paper bank account statements, unless they opt back into the system. The banking group has been writing to customers to inform them that statements will only be sent in the post every three months. Those who want letters delivered will need to contact the bank. The policy marks the latest element in the shift towards information being provided online. Most major banks still provide monthly paper statements, but there have been changes for some new account holders and students. 'Not compulsory' In one of the most significant shifts in the move from mail correspondence to online, the RBS Group has been writing to seven million customers informing them of the shift to quarterly statements. A spokesman for the group said this was in response to customer feedback and requests. There will also be a cost-saving element to the move. "The change is not compulsory and we will continue to send monthly statements to customers who ask us to," the banking group said. "They can request that by going into their nearest branch, calling us, or completing an online form. For our customers who go on to receive quarterly statements, they can easily keep track of their money by requesting free mobile text and email alerts" http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20137918.

Hi, I am employed as a sessional worker (casual worker) for about 2 years. I have recently been in a bit of a dispute with the employer with regards to holiday pay, the employer told me that sessional workers where not entititled to holiday pay, howver some time later I found out that sessional workers are entitled to holiday pay. To cut a long story short, I complained about the holiday pay situation, they ignored it, I got a solicitor to send them a letter, they ignored it some more, then finally admitted that I was correct pretty much. However, they have now come out with a sessional worker policy but they are now saying the hourly rate for sessional workers is 80p less than I was previuosly paid e.g I was always on £8.00 per hour now they have basiclaly cut it down to £7.20. There was no notice and no consultation whatsoever about the hourly rate cut. As a sessional worker I do not have any written contract and neither did I sign or see any sessional worker policy when I started work. What they have basiclaly done is take my hourly rate and take 12.07% off of it (thats the percentage to work out holiday entitlement for atypical workers) and then they have came up with the new, reduced hourly rate. I am currently taking them to an ET anyway regarding the holiday pay debacle, but can they just cut my hourly rate as they see fit? surely that cant be allowed, without some kind of notice or consultation, they are just doing that to get out of paying holiday pay again. Could I argue that it is unlawful deductions of wages, or perhaps discrimination on the grounds of my employments status? I am pretty worried as this reduced hourly rate will most likely put me into a difficult financial situation. Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated.

Apologies if you are reading this twice but my first post hasn't shown up ... I work as a Customer Servcies Advisor on a job share basis 40 hour week (we both work 20 hours). On Wednesday the company owner said that as of Monday 1st October our hours are to be cut to 12 per week. This makes our job untenable and as we have had not notice of this change we have paid childcare fees in advance. My contract says that my hours of work 8.30am-5.00pm can be varied but it doesn't mention that they can be cut. I have not agreed to this and I asked the owner for a meeting to discuss this and asked for the proposal in writing. Other than being told that our performance was good but that the company needed to cut costs there was no explanation and we were not allowed to discuss options. Then on friday we received a letter to say that the cut becomes effective 1st october and that our job role has been changed to 'sales'. We have until 31st december or before to increase company profits and excel in the role or our employment will be terminated. Is this enforced cut a breach of contract? We have not agreed to it or even been consulted on it? Or can the company owner do as he pleases as ACAS advised me?? Any advice would be GREATLY received thanks