Argos are going to be offering same-day home delivery service, for all seven days of the week. This new service allows you to order something by 6pm, and have it delivered by 10pm for a flat fee of £3.95. http://news.sky.com/story/1565354/delivery-wars-argos-starts-same-day-service

I must be getting old. Child Care costs can cost upto 164.00 a week. People borrowing off payday lenders and using credit cards to pay for this. Can you believe this.It must be like a nightmare for many. How do you manage for you out there who have to pay this charge. 2 kids more than some earn i feel.328.00. I am feeling quite sorry for those that have no choice but to pay this. You may have a decent job,studied for years,even have perhaps degrees but wiped out with these costs. It has truly shocked me how times have changed and changing now day to day across the UK As the cost of a childcare place hits £164 a week, one in four of Northern Ireland parents say they have to use credit cards or payday loans to pay for it http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/as-the-cost-of-a-childcare-place-hits-164-a-week-one-in-four-of-northern-ireland-parents-say-they-have-to-use-credit-cards-or-payday-loans-to-pay-for-it-34180903.html

Hi Folks! In December 2011, GE took us to court as we fell behind with our secured loan with them. The judge ruled in our favour and suspended the order and we all agreed on a given repayment plan of £156 per month. I stuck at that for 9 months, with every month calling GE and paying the amount over the phone, October 2012 when starting a new contract job in London that involved long commuting and even working some Saturdays. I work in IT btw. I know it is not an excuse but the commute overwhelmed me in every sense, and I started to get ill too. I forgot to stick to my repayment. In December, I left that job after it was agreed that it would be better for my health (with the contracted party). I started a new job in January full time closer to home but the employer didn't manage to secure a big client so my wages was a stumbling block for them, so they gave me one week's notice and I lost the job within three weeks of starting. This is purely because they employed me in anticipation of securing a big contract. in Februray, 2013 I had a minor stroke, and was in hospital overnight. I recovered and found another local permanent job. In February, I made a lump sum payment of £500. Up until last week, no communications from GE. Last week thursday,they notified me that they have sought a warrant for possession of the property. On monday, I called GE, and I offered a lump sum payment of £2000 (Aussie tax refund which I got only few days ago ) and I said with the help of my new job, I can increase my monthly to £500 to help clear any backlog. The guy at the other end of the phone didn't even hear my offer and said he declined it! In the end he said come back and when you have a better offer. I came here for help on this forum and with the help of this forum and my sister who was a lawyer but now a mum for two little boys, I submitted on thursday a n244. I made the same offer in my appeal to set aside the judgement. However, I also called GE automated service and paid £2000 for which I should have it appearing on my statement tomorrow (Friday 19th). My hearing is on Monday at 10, while the eviction is set for 23 April at 12.30pm I can demonstrate that I can afford the new repayment but I am so worried. I messed up but I want to rectify but I am not being given the chance. GE want the whole money owed to them which £15k. They say that the £15k is the arrears but that is the full balance . I am confused with this? missed payments at £156 from October till February. I paid them £500 in February as soon as I could. Please help me get myself togeher again. I am still going to hospital appointments for various tests a the doctors trying to find out what caused my mini stroke. They did say that bad news can do this too. In the meantime, I have kept all from my wife as I don't want her to feel the pressure. At the last hearing, she was so scared of losing the home and because of me this might happen again. Please help. I need to go on Monday with some clear ideas, which I am hoping good folks can help me get. Thanks you for reading and helping PS: GE have added a large number of charges that I know some are unfair and they also charged me PPI, which is clearly marked on my contract! I will seek these back, soon as I have done with them. Please help. Thanks Another point: My telephone offer was for £2000 lump sum, and increase of monthly obligations from £156 to £500 and set up Direct Debit. The last point of direct debit was left out in the N244 which was done in a panicky state as I originally thought the eviction was for monday and wanted to hand in the n244 by end of wednesday! I have also made a hasty mistake too: My statement for n244 says offer of £2000 lump sum but have paid this by phone. Oh dear, what to do next? I know I need to stay calm, as my blood pressure was 152 in my last test at the hospital last week! I haven't slept since last week and hardly eaten but put on a brave face for my 14 year daughter and my wife. They hardly know anything. But it is getting me donw.

My boss has 4 direct reports including myself - one of the roles is being made redundant, the person currently in this role I'll refer to as 'Coyote'. It is definitely Coyotes job that is being made redundant because they have a different job title to the other direct reports. Coyote currently has no direct reports but has responsibility for the work that myself and my 2 other colleagues produce, hence a need for restructuring. In the restructuring move, the remaining 3 positions would report into 3 new Shift Managers, who in turn will report in to my current boss. One of the 3 new Shift Managers will have senior ranking and will fill in for my boss when he is absent. In a 1:1 when I was first told about the restructure, my boss told me that Coyote would get the senior ranking job, a current colleague will get one of the others, which leaves one job up for grabs, this looked like it would be a permanent nightshift role to give the other 2 people more exposure to senior management in office hours. He reeled off a list of potential applicants who 'definitely wouldn't' get this role. He said he thought I should apply but needed to prepare for questions regarding my limited 1 year 3 months experience in the current role. I left my 1:1 feeling a bit begrudged that I would have to fight when others were being gifted and that my boss was potentially not doing things by the book. I did a lot of thinking and decided that I wouldn't allow myself to have to make any more difficult decisions and would put the onus of decision making back on to my boss. I applied for the Senior Shift Manager role. Today I received my invite for interview and noticed two things: Coyote (under her soon-to-be-redundant job title) would be interviewing me alongside my boss. I would be interviewed for the Shift Manager job, not the Senior Shift Manager job. As Coyotes job is being made redundant, this surely makes them a candidate for any one of the 3 Shift Manager roles? It makes no sense to me why they would be involved as an interviewer. In applying for the Senior Shift Manager role, I expected to come up against Coyote as a candidate, not be interviewed by them. I have not been formally told that I've been unsuccessful in applying for the Senior role. The interview is on Thursday 17th September, so I have 7 days in which to say something. I don't want to say anything after the event because it would be seen as sour grapes if I was unsuccessful. Does anyone have any advice on how I should proceed?

Just a quick query. My partner has been summoned by his manager and been advised that the company intends to change all contracts of employment to include a clause that everybody has to do at least 6 hours unpaid overtime per week. Everybody has been told to accept this change. Does he have to sign this new contract ?

I am currently receiving JSA. My area has been converted to Universal Credit. If I start a new job that could potentially engage me 30 hours a week, under the old rules I would have claimed Tax Credits and signed off JSA. I am confused about the new rules. I understand that with UC you can still claim if you work less than 40 hours a week at minimum wage. Therefore I am not sure whether I should sign off or simply declare a change in circumstances. Then I am not sure if it's up to me to claim tax Credits or this should be computed into the new Universal Credit. The official working on Gov.uk is: ========================== You can claim Universal Credit instead of: Jobseeker’s Allowance Housing Benefit Working Tax Credit =========================== So I am not sure if this is up to me or up to the DWP or the HMRC. Thanks

Community Work Programme issued by JSA outside of 8 week period! Some advice would be really appreciated. Does the 8 week rule still apply? How to refuse the CWP? Where to count the 8 weeks from? After a 2 year period The Work Programme with Ingeus ended (2faced staff/ incompetent /useless), I was referred back to the Job Centre and issued with an appointment to attend in April this year. I was asked by myJSA to sign the My Work Plan (WS1 form) in May. I had to sign weekly for awhile and then back to fortnightly. Yesterday I was handed a letter to attend a Community WorkProgramme (CWP) later this week. I have been back with the JSA as I said since April or counting from May – either way it is past the maximum 8 week period in which they have to either allocate Daily Signing (DSR) or CWP (Community Work Programme). Has this changed? And if this 8 week max still applies how do I go about politely but firmly refusing the CWP without being sanctioned. Also which date am I meant to count the 8 weeks from – April is when I went back to the JSA – May is when I signed the “My Work Plan” – I am making the assumption this is the date of the WPCI interview but am not sure. Worried I will be sanctioned again – and a second sanction would mean months of financial punishment rather than weeks. (the first one was applied because despite having attended every single mandatory appointment Ingeus had given me and not missing any appointments/workshops of which there were many - there was just one I never received notification of in the post andby the time a text message arrived it was too late, I left a message for the advisor which was never passed on – I appealed the sanction and the Decision Maker in all his glory upheld the sanction as “the balance of probability is that the letter was not lost in the post”!!!!!!!)

Hi guys, just wanted to get something clarified. I was paid for 2 weeks wages in 1 week so was taxed more NI than usual. I just got off the phone with HMRC who said there's nothing I can do as thats the way it works...it seems quite unfair to me. What if I had a payslip showing that I earned that much in one week and the second amount in another week? The guy on the phone seemed unhelpful and short.

I have a suspended order on mortgage arrears. I have kept paying as per the order for the last year reducing the arrears from £22000 in December 2013 to £16100 today. I missed a payment in December when I was ill and could work now the mortgage company has got an eviction date the order has been suspended 8 times but this is the first time I have been able to reduce the arrears

Hi My neighbor's son and his friend have for the last year been renting with a private landlord who is now selling house. They were going to rent together again, but his friend changed his mind last week. Come Wednesday next week the neighbor's son will be homeless, and is friend he was renting with who owns a one bedroom flat which he was renting out is going back to it. The major problem is in late 2014 my neighbor's son (I don't want to go into the ins and outs) ended up with a electronic monitoring tag for homegrown for himself. He cannot afford to find a lump some to take out private on his own. He was made redundant and cannot get another job due to monitoring tag and community service. He cannot go back home to mums has she is sold up and moving away. He did try and tell the courts and electronic monitoring tag company Friday gone about soon being homeless etc but no one wanted to know. Anyone got any advise, what to do. who to go and see? Many thanks Dan

Hi All Had a number of card issues over the years which I have managed to keep at bay with the help of this website - but Bryan Carter won't back down. They have failed to provide a signed copy of the CCA and have now submitted their Court Bundle which includes a the a 3 paragraph Credit Card Account Agreement - but the T&C's are a separate 13 pages without any signature and could have come from anywhere. They have said they will not be in Court and state they did not receive my requests for CCA, nor did the original card supplier - I have kept the Post Office receipts of recorded delivery. Are they playing brinkmanship and hoping I bottle it or have things changed since my last couple of battles 2 years ago? Thank

How's this for a New Year bombshell, or CAG Birthday treat? FOI Request to DWP From: Adam 9 December 2014 Dear Department for Work and Pensions, Please disclose any Jobseeker's Allowance guidance for JCP Work Coaches and Advisers that discusses making it a requirement for JSA claimers to spend 35 hours a week on work search, including full info on the laws and regulations that explicitly state this 35 hours rule can be imposed for JSA claimers not on any supervised jobsearch pilot. No info about Universal Credit required. The PCS Union has published this: "The GEC has been made aware that in some areas Work Coaches are being told by managers that they must impose 35 hour Jobsearch requirement on claimants. This is not required by current legislation for JSA claimants, and it is not with the remit of F&F." http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/department_for_... Yours faithfully, Adam Here is what the Union says about it in the link: "The GEC has been made aware that in some areas Work Coaches are being told by managers that they must impose 35 hour Jobsearch requirement on claimants. This is not required by current legislation for JSA claimants, and it is not with the remit of F&F. Branches should advise members not to comply with the instruction, branches should then escalate through the usual trade union side structures. We have raised these issues with management in writing and will provide an update to branches following further consultation." And here is the response from DWP to the initial FOI request: Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Central Freedom of Information Team xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx.gov.uk Our reference: VTR 5312 Date: 15 December 2014 Dear Adam, Thank you for your Freedom of Information request received on 10 December 2014. You stated: Please disclose any Jobseeker's Allowance guidance for JCP Work Coaches and Advisers that discusses making it a requirement for JSA claimers to spend 35 hours aweek on work search, including full info on the laws and regulations that explicitly state this 35 hours rule can be imposed for JSA claimers not on any supervised jobsearch pilot. No info about Universal Credit required. The PCS Union has published this "The GEC has been made aware that in some areas Work Coaches are being told by managers that they must impose 35 hour Jobsearch requirement on claimants. This is not required by current legislation for JSA claimants, and it is not with the remit of F&F." http://www.pcs.org.uk/en/department_for_work_and_pensions_group/dwpnews. cfm/work-services-update As there is no legal requirement for Jobseeker’s Allowance claimants to undertake 35 hours of Work Search Activity each week, no legislation or national guidance stating otherwise exists. If you have any queries about this letter please contact us quoting the reference number above. Yours sincerely, DWP Central FoI Team. It may be advisable for claimants who have been coerced into undertaking 35 hours of Work Search Activity each week to consider instigating Maladministration procedures against the advisers who did the coercing. Such claimants could begin by insisting on having any reference to 35 hours of Work Search Activity each week removed from their JSAg/CC on the grounds that including such a requirement is illegal and can't be enforced.

Hi My husband has been at the same company for over 30 years. He remembers distinctly when he joined he worked a week in hand. He has now resigned and going to work at another company. The company he originally worked for were acquired by a big blue chip company. He has emailed HR and that say that the onus is on him to prove that he wasn't paid the week in hand when he changed from weekly to monthly paid about 20 years ago. He does not have his wage slips for 20 years ago. Is the onus really on him? He distinctly remembers not being paid that money and he wants it. Any advice on what the law really is. Thank you

Hi Guys, Wondering if someone can clear this up for me please. A friend of mine has been off work for 10 weeks (been in work over a year) Her contractual sick pay will reduce to half of full pay mid Dec, but there is not much poss of her returning to work before mid Jan. She will not be claiming any benefits (UC, ESA etc) because of her CSP, but will she still be entitled to HB under the 13 week rule? I have seen that this rule is being abolished under certain benefits - especially Universal Credit, but wasn't sure under CSP? Many thanks

Just making a few enquiries on ESA, my son has a medical next Monday 1st and no doubt they will kick him off the ESA even though he had a medical certificate covering him for 6 months under anxiety and depression. He is awaiting referral to the mental health but has not got an appointment yet. Basically he doesn't need more stress and worrying if it has to go to appeal, and he will have no benefit at all until the appeal comes up if it does go that far, housing benefit etc stopped is this the case, surely they cannot leave someone with nothing or can they?? Please help, these are very nasty people. Regards Mashmalow

Hi Everyone, I am on Income Support and receiving Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit for my 19 years old son, he will be 20 years old in January, I was told by both CB and CT that my son can receive those as he is under 20 years old and is a full time student, he has just enrol for his new course and I am wondering what hours does the Housing Benefit class as full time studying! I have the papers for proof for his studying from his College, they have put on the start date and end date for the course! which is Sept 2013 until 26/6/2014 start from 9-00am to 5-00pm! I have already rang my local authority and will take the hard copy to them as they suggested because the would not accept a photo copy that is no problem, but I am now very worried after seeing a thread on here very recently about someone studying for their course and could not take exam all day as they were classed as not available for work, I do not want my son being hassle by either the DWP or Ingeus he is studying hard at the moment and wants to go straight to work once he finishes his study, I am also helping him to look for Apprenticeship job whilst he is studying! Can someone please tell me how many hours does the Housing Benefit class as full time studying??? Thanks in advance! helen

We all hear songs that we love for a week and then forget about. Heard this track this week on Jools Holland and think it is great.

Last week I received a letter from BC regarding a "debt" I have with EE for £350~ The letter threatens court action and tries to scare me with added court and solicitor fees if I don't pay. This is my first "debt" so I'm quite new to this whole process. This debt has arisen from a miscommunication made between Carphone Warehouse and EE that resulted in the cancellation of my mobile contract against my will. As such, I don't believe I owe any money. So far I've told Fredrickson (around February) the story and they suspended harassment for a while and have come back to me saying the debts are in order and will be pursued once more. They did not provide any evidence of debts. What are your suggestions as I'm utterly clueless as to how to proceed.

Hello there.... advice sought please. I have been working for an agency for 14 weeks now on minimum wage, I am aware that after 12 weeks in the same job you should be entitled to the same wage as permanent staff in a comparable position. So, I emailed my agency contact and this was the reply: "I was passed an email from you with regards to parity rates when you have worked your 12th week. Your friend is right to some degree, if a client has a person who works the same job on a fulltime contract with the same job specification then you would be entitled to earn the same wage as the fulltime member of staff. However with (name removed) this is not the case as we do not have a comparator so as a result there is nobody to match your wage against so you would stay at the same rate of pay I’m afraid." Fair enough you might say but I'm doing the exact same job as the guy who gets paid a lot more than me to do it!!! What I'm asking then is, is there anything I can do about it? My fear is that they will suddenly find I am no longer suitable for the job if I make a fuss about it. I am looking for permanent work but in the meantime I don't want to find myself on the dole for being a "troublemaker", and to be honest I rather like this job. It would just be nice to get a living wage from it. Thanks in advance and apologies if I have posted in the wrong place xx

My brother was originally on Incap for years, then they transferred him to JSA in March 2013. He started work last monday & is loving it. He is 31 yrs old. Single. No dependants. He has cancelled his JSA & housing benefit & isn't entitled to any housing benefit, but seems he will get about £50 a week working tax credits. I understood him to be able to get a 4 week run on with housing benefit though. But the council have told him he won't. He did get sanctioned with JSA for getting the day wrong with an appointment a couple of months ago. Although the council said it wasn't to do with that. It was because he hadn't been on JSA long enough. Even though he was on it just over a year. He didn't realise the time to be on JSA is 26 weeks for the 4 week run on. Could it be because of the sanction do you think? I think he is going to try ringing them tomorrow, but it's difficult for him because he is now working full time in a different town.

Hello I have been called to HR next week on monday. i work as security officer, about three weeks ago there was incident. I am called to HR regarding this and i fear i may face some action. So few weeks ago late at night i attended to a female who was on floor, her boyfriend was with her, they had been drinking. I went there to take note and asked boyfriend to assist me to put girlfriend on chair after she began responding to us, bcz initially there was no response from her. when they sat down I remained around the area. i suggested to boyfriend her girlfriend should refrain from further drinks. THe guy stood up and became extremely aggressive and abusive towards me, I listened to him and asked him to calm own. While his girlfriend began picking on one of our female staff finger pointing at her. I see the situation getting out of control, others looking. I had two other security staff on duties so called for backup. The man want to see manager, a supervisor approached him and after listening to the guy and his aggressive intent supervisor asked security to take him out. At this moment, the guy attempted to get hold of supervisor and harm him. The security stepped in and took him. The three of us got hold of him and took him out. Outside entrance he got kicked around by one of the security. I tried to restrain him as well. The guy kept pushing forward towards us with intent of aggression, each time he was pushed back. He got kicked by three times on his approach to one of other officer. He also came close to me, stepped on my feets for which he got kick from me as well, in hindsight i probably should not have done that but he was very provoking when inside and outside as well, this is not my style as in past 8 years i have never became phsyical towards other patrons. So there you go, i have been off for three weeks since that incident but go back to work next week and have told i have to go to HR on Monday. other things to mention is while guy was outside his girlfriend who did not hang around much but did see her taking video on her mobile. While guy was nuisance for us for about 4 minutes before he also walked off. He obviously reported incident to management who have taken notice. I believe one of security who was agency i.e cover security the one who kicked the guy three times s not coming back anymore.

Next monday i am expected to plan out my 35 hour a week Jobsearch for the JC. How are they going to monitor this, and is it actually possible to search for work for 7 hours solidly every day of the week? Also setting up a UJ account. It usually takes me 2 hours a day to do a Jobseach, so it's gonna be a struggle to make it last 7 hours a day!

A new scheme, 'It's On Us', randomly rewards 1,000 customers a week by repaying the cost of a purchase worth up to £500 Lloyds Bank will "reward" 1,000 current account customers every week by refunding a randomly selected purchase worth up to £500. The scheme, called It's On Us, is part of a new cashback scheme as the bank bids to attract - and keep - customers. The overall scheme, entitled Everday Offers, gives customers up to 15pc cashback on everyday spending at a range of participating retailers, including Ocado, Homebase, Morrisons and Argos. More retailers will be confirmed in the coming weeks. This is similar to a cashback offer run by its sister bank, Halifax. The It's On Us element, though, is entirely innovative. It will repay 1,000 transactions each month by repaying a purchase they have made on either their credit or debit card. The transactions will be selected at random, so a customer could be rewarded more than once, although the probability of this occurring is very small. The repayment covers almost any purchase, although a spokesman said that certain activities such as gambling and "adult sites" are excluded. Customers have to register for Everyday Offers to be included. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/banking/10416942/Lloyds-to-refund-1000-card-purchases-a-week.html

injured myself on day 5 of training (in company) for new job, hence no job offer the following monday as injury ( arch of foot/tendons ) can take up to 12 weeks to heal (average 6 weeks) so as I havent sent jsa booklet back as never signed a employment contract, what and how am i gonna explain this to job centre without getting sanctioned... i did 1 week of training of 40 hrs. got injured and then 'lost/never got job...' I'm self certified 1st week and doctors already got notes from hospital and a visit yesterday to issue my sick note on this coming friday. but im due to sign wednesday at j/c

Hi, was just wondering does the JSA 13 week new claim still apply? My mum has a job, but signs on for her stamp. She is due some more hours when her place of work opens the new building etc so she can sign off (next 6 months or so). The jobcentre know all this, but have just tried sending her some new course thing, where they can make you go at any time. Obviously she's not happy with this, so wants to sign off as can't be bothered with the pointless of it. So if she signs off, will it still count as a new claim after 13weeks? So then she's back at the start again Thanks