Hi, Just after some advice and opinion. My better half's holiday year runs out at the end of March 19 and her employer operates a "use it or lose it" policy. She has asked for some time off, and they have said that they cannot facilitate her absence due to low staff levels along with others being on leave. They have also informed her that as she cannot use it, she will ultimately lose it. Is this correct and will she have no option but to lose out on leave entitlement, even though its the employer preventing her from using the holiday entitlement? Most years she loses between between 5-10 days leave, 1. due to her not being a huge holiday taker and 2. due to the fact that whenever she wants time off, its rarely approved or she is given less days than requested. I would just like to know where she stands, as I feel she always draws the short straw and I feel that they are not being entirely fair in denying the leave, also they could be doing it in order to make it lapse. Many thanks to all who offer comments. Regards, W4ter_Boy

There is a very real risk those who are owed money by Wonga in compensation for having been lent money irresponsibly may be chased by creditors for this money, whilst losing access to the compensation to which they are entitled. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/news/wonga-compensation-claimants-may-lose-out-due-to-automation-plan/ar-BBPkdZX?ocid=spartandhp

UK first: Parents who lose a child entitled to bereavement leave READ MORE HERE: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-first-parents-who-lose-a-child-entitled-to-bereavement-leave

Woman leaves abusive note on Ambulance. "A woman has been arrested on suspicion of public order offences after an angry message was left for paramedics attending a 999 call in Stoke-on-Trent yesterday afternoon (18th February)." http://www.itv.com/news/central/2018-02-19/woman-arrested-after-abusive-note-left-on-ambulance/

http://www.itv.com/news/border/2017-04-12/thousands-lose-cars-due-to-change-in-disability-benefits/ However, many of these people will have received Lifetime awards on the old DLA system !! It makes no sense at all.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/nurse-walked-out-care-home-10166243 The Nurse was giving evidence at a Coroner's hearing into the the deaths of the 3 men. The tale told was quite shocking and I was surprised that the coroner reckons that neglect was not a contributory factor into their deaths !. I think I would rather go to Switzerland and take my own life than end up in a care home. I guess you cant tar them all with the same brush, but even those where residents pay very high fees are coming under scrutiny !

Hello. My second post, I think. I bought a matinee ticket to see Lisa Dwan at the Old Vic. I live in Yorkshire and bought an Advance Return train ticket to London - non-transferable, of course. About a week before the performance OV emailed me to say, without any explanation, that they had had to cancel this matinee and would be refunding my ticket shortly. I immediately emailed them to explain that they also owed me for my train ticket and why. They said - and this is core - they were not liable for any loss sustained by this cancellation other than the ticket money. "Pay up in full by four days' time or I'll see you in the County Court", I said." There will be no more discussion on this". They then said that "in this special case" they would refund my train fare too. "Some time soon". I told them - "You now have two days' to have that cheque in my hands or I'll see you in the CC." They paid without demur. The cheque was with me next day. BUT - had I not insisted, threatened, kept to a very tight timetable, in short if I'd not been bloody-minded, they'd have got away with this. Maybe this was a "special case". But if it wasn't, shouldn't it be better known by the public that all financial losses incurred by failure to fulfill a contract, in this case putting on a show in exchange for money, are to be borne by the party breaking said contract?

Hello ,lovely to be back. Yes just a little bit about what i am recieving, since this year, and all income based . Had Pip awarded ,standered care for 4 years, also on Esa assessement phase , 9 weeks in. On severe premium disability too. What i am asking please is when i go for my esa medical,and say i fail, which i should not ,but you never know with them ,Would i lose the disability premium as it has been a godsend. Its Helping so much after being unwell for years with chronic joint pains and having little income, it really helps along with pip benefit with transport ,online food shop etc.. Would someone please be able to tell me if what are the reasons i could lose this benefit please? i live alone too. Thankyou for any replies in advance.xx

Hi - My son has been homeless for a year or so. He cannot live at home - because of regular violence to himfrom his younger backwards brother. We have extended family units in the area and with his friends there are places he can sleep most nights. He can also sleep on the sofa here from time to time - but not too often. After more than a year of claiming JSA as homeless, the local office are now claiming he he cannot prove he is homeless and therefore they are cutting off his JSA. They also say they will visit the places he says he sleeps to see if they are entitled to "rent" space (although he is paying nothing to anybody for sleeping at their homes). This will devastate him. I haven't a clue how these JSA people think they are entitled to do this. Can anybody help me here? References to the law and government guidance would be useful too. Thanks.

Disabled men lose high court bid to stop Independent Living Fund closure Judge rules that Mike Penning, former minister for disabled people, had not breached equality laws over ending support to live in the community. More Here: http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/dec/08/disabled-men-lose-high-court-bid-stop-closure-independent-living-fund

Parking Eye have lost in court http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/Motorist-8216-ecstatic-8217-Derby-court-victory/story-21658621-detail/story.html

DWP loses at European Court http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-28158483

NatWest Bank has announced that it is to lose up to 361 branch managers as part of a programme of cut-backs. But 116 new - more senior roles - are to be created, leaving a net loss of 245 jobs. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-27911215

http://www.borehamwoodtimes.co.uk/news/11213175.Parking_fine_victory_for_Borehamwood_motorist/?ref=mr

Dear All I would like to ask your help please as I believe that my gf is in a bit difficult situation My GF opened a First Direct Accounts in 1998 one of which is a kind of saving account at the time and the other one is a current account... Both accounts have £250 authorised overdraft limit. She had a monthly SO from the current account to the savings.. . her accounts are up and down normally up until she sold her business in 2004 and there was a big lump sum money credited in her account 2005, eventually setting up her new business etc her finance became average again but all of as sudden First direct started to chase her in 2012 and 2013 for the saving account as somehow it became negative £246... It has been a nightmare, calls on top of calls messages left in her answer phone and letters etc... Finally I had to take over the case and asked them where did this negative balance come from?? They could not chase it back and they "discreetly" closed the account and "GOODWILL GESTURE" they credited her account. Having a great relationship with HSBC personally (taking them to the court twice and winning them) I asked her to put an SAR in may 2013 and SAR came back with... "All the documents are enclosed however I am sorry to let you know that I was unable to find the records of your saving account for the date between 2004 and 2005 as well as some of your credit card statements" My GF is immaculate with her paperwork and checked whole her paperwork as well as what FD sent... They have never sent her the paperwork for that account and she had appx £400-£500 in her account at the time with the SO from her current account and somehow in few months time account became -£246 and in the transcript of the account its states dormant account last transaction from 2002 We spoke to FD and no satisfactory response came.. recorded the calls etc.. In the meanwhile she has had an HSBC account which was opened in 2011 and she was using that account for personal expenditures like petrol pocket money etc. - Basic account with no agreed overdraft limit and NO DD or SO attached to the account. Due to her sons illness she did not look after her account and she went overdrawn in few occasions again in 2013, but they are not £10-£20 overdraft they are £300 - £400 overdrawn and the transactions are not single transactions they are set of 5-6 transactions of POS transactions (point of sale) which is a debit card transactions? We wrote HSBC that my GF has not agreed overdraft limit and none of the transactions are DD nor SO how come HSBC allowed her to go overdrawn their standard letter came with "as a responsible lender from time to time we allow our customers informal overdraft facility" When I asked them what is the informal overdraft limit? it is not £10,£20 £50 we are talking about £400?? which makes a normal overdraft? and they charged every month £150 "fair fees policy" thank you very much... So based on unfair treatment I took HSBC to the court with 2 separate action.. 1- HSBC for her HSBC bank account of xxxxx 2- HSBC (trading as First Direct) - exactly like that - for her First Direct Account of yyyyy so the fees have been paid separately and questionnaires have been submitted separately... Now my question is we received a letter from the DJ stating that all the cases of A1X.... and A1Y... are suitable for SCT and have been given ONE hearing of 90mins in July 2014 and very kindly can you please pay single fee of £325?? 1- why are the cases all combined in 1 hearing? 2- Are they joking for £325 charge which she already paid £210 and £100 while submitting the case?? Can anyone please recommend me what to do? I am worried if it goes to the court together because of the limit it may turn to Fast Track?? I look forward to your advise Regards

Vehicle Control Services (part of the Excel empire) have lost a court case in Sheffield today. What was interesting was the judged ruled on GPEOL and that VCS's calculations of loss didn't bear any relation to the parking incidents. £95 costs were awarded to the defendant. ​Sheffield County Court Case No. 3QZ64216 VCS v Rachael Finn Claim for £732.81 + Court Costs (multiple tickets)

Five disabled social housing tenants have lost their Court of Appeal bid to have benefit cuts for those with spare bedrooms ruled unlawful. Judges said the court could not intervene in the government's "controversial" housing benefit changes - dubbed a "bedroom tax" by critics. Lawyers for the group had argued the regulations applying in England, Wales and Scotland failed to reflect the accommodation needs of disabled people. They said they planned to fight on. The court also ruled against two lone parents who claimed the government's cap on the total benefits paid to families violated human rights laws and common law because of its impact on vulnerable families. More ...

Hi i hope some one can help me i have a contract with a large cleaning company they have just announced that the place where i work they have lost the contract could some one tell me my legal rights will the new company that as won the contract sack me

Posted by Bargepole over on MSE. Case #1: 3JD00565 at Colchester County Court (ParkingEye v Rogers) This had been adjourned from a previous hearing, to allow PE to produce their landowner contract. The defendant also produced photographs, showing that there was no signage at the entrance to the car park, and others were obscured. PE had produced their own photos, showing a full set of signage, which the LPC Law rep tried to argue had been taken at around the same time. However, in the background of PE’s photos were images of people in shorts, and shop signs saying “Summer Sale”. As the event occurred last November, this seemed highly unlikely. The Judge dismissed the claim on the basis of no signage = no contract. Cases #2 & #3: 3QT62681 and 3QT62156 at Southampton County Court (ParkingEye v Lemon, and PE v unnamed defendant) The Judge decided to hear two cases simultaneously, from the same car park, and with identical facts. In the first defendant’s own words: “We won! The solicitor for ParkingEye produced a contract which was dated Feb 2013 (our parking overstay was Oct. 2012) and the judge was not amused that it hadn't been included in either his or our bundles. He also refused the claim because the wording of the sign was ambiguous. Very many thanks for all your help and advice. If I can ever do anything to help, I'll be only too pleased. I have been absolutely disgusted with what I have discovered about ParkingEye Ltd. We will be contacting our local paper and I will probably write to the Daily Mail and The Telegraph. I'm also going to contact Trading Standards and the DVLA about the fact that PE have taken money wrongly (is illegally too strong a word?) for over a year in The Range car park here.” The good thing about all these, is that the Defendants were sufficiently well briefed, and confident enough to conduct their own defences against the LPC Law advocates. A bad day at the office for Rachel, I think.

I don`t know where to start really I feel so upset, my partner of 10 years left me last wednesday and has told me today he will not be coming back. He was the sole earner in our house I have not worked for a while due to health problems and I am unable to work at present. I did not claim any benefits my partner provided for me. He paid the rent, bills, etc and now he has walked out and not left me a penny I literally have £4 in my bank account. Now I have no way to pay the rent, I applied today for ESA and was told it will take about 3 weeks to process if I am lucky and I can`t apply for housing & council tax benefit until the ESA gets accepted. My rent is due on the 6th November and I have no way to pay it. We have a joint tenancy and my ex has not given our landlord the one months notice so by law we are legally responsible to pay the next rent. He said is not paying so what can I do? My landlord is not a very nice guy and I am dreading his reaction when he finds out the rent will not be payed. He knows I don`t work and that my ex pays it. I don`t know what to do I am so scared I don`t know whether to tell him now I won`t be able to pay or tell him nearer to the time. I am scared once he finds out he will try to change to locks when I am out or try and intimidate me now he knows it is just a female on her own. I rang Shelter and they just told me to try and get on benefits as soon as possible but as I am single and under 35 yrs old so I will only get £66.04 a week housing benefit and the rent for this place is £515 so I know I will have to leave here soon. I have no family or friends to turn to, I feel like there is no way to sort this out at the moment. I have reached rock bottom and I can`t even think straight to find a solution. The only money I could give my landlord is the deposit we have with the DPS, but I don`t think he would accept that. I don`t know what to do I feel so alone, I can`t believe my ex has done this to me. Can anyone give me any advice especially if they have been in a similar situation.. Many thanks in advance.

Payout for used car salesman, 52, fired for being ‘too old’ A used car salesman thrown on the scrapheap because of his age has won a multi-thousand pound payout. Gary Hawkins, 52, took legal action against the Black Country motor dealership Carcraft where he worked as manager after complaining he’d been told there were too many miles on his bodyclock. Speaking after a Birmingham employment tribunal backed his claim of age discrimination, he said: “I have struck a blow for middle aged men and women everywhere.” And the Sutton Coldfield businessman, who has a four-year-old daughter, laughed: “I didn’t even know I wasn’t part of the youth culture until they got rid of me.” He is remaining tight-lipped over the scale of the payout, but admitted it ran into thousands. At an earlier hearing, Gary said bosses at CC Automotive Group Ltd, which trades in Wednesbury as Carcraft, told him bluntly his career with the business was over because of his age. The company denied ageism and claimed the employee had failed to motivate his team and had not trained them properly. The firm’s “pressurised environment” was outlined to the Birmingham hearing. Gary said two managers were sacked in one day by a boss, while another resigned. The boss had been on “a high following the sackings,” he said. “He was looking for another to be dismissed. The third to be dismissed was me.” Gary insisted he was shown the door because of his age and had earlier been told: “You are too old at 52.” He denied his showroom performance had been shoddy and stressed there were regular team meetings, where ways of improving sales were discussed, along with training techniques. The company alleged there had been issues over a “number count” of customers and sales logs. Other roles had been offered to Gary, the tribunal heard, but he refused a move. The firm admitted, however, heads had rolled, with others losing their jobs. Tribunal judge Peter Rose QC asked the ages of other managers, past and present. Gary had been the oldest in his field, it emerged. He has since gained a new job as a manager in the car sales industry. His delighted wife Heather, aged 48, said: “Gary’s definitely not over the hill. He has three daughters and a son and they keep him on his toes. “Really, the whole thing has done him a good turn because he’s now got the best job in the world. More... Perhaps he could come here and give us the low down on this gutter company.

My brother has been sanctioned, JSA, apparently he will only be getting £30 instead of the usual £130 (or however much it is) it seems he didn't apply for a job. I don't know much more than that at the moment. Is there a risk of him losing housing benefit too? He went in the JC today & they gave him a right dressing down & told him he could lose ALL his benefits! He was in too much of a state to ask how long the sanction was for & about housing benefit. I could see this coming, he was too excited about the work program, he's on the course all this week apparently. I think he thought it was going to be a magic bullet this work program..

Hi guys..I'm 24 and so fat I weight 12.5 stones. i've tried diets, cutting chocs, fizzy drinks etc out my diet completely. Exercises everything and its all failed. I've started now thinking it's my form/technique when exercising and that i'm joining a gym. I've bought a few supplements from holland and barrett and once again cut out all choc/fizzy drinks from my diet. starting drinking or trying to drink i should say 8 glasses of water too a day. Now my diet consists of meats, fruit, activia, pasta sauces, pasta, (brown), brown bread, ham, veg- lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes. Eggs+ cheese. Mayo+ tuna. Is joining a gym the best thing for me to do? Its my belly mainly I want to lose but i've been to experts who say am kidding myself if i'll lose it in 6 months.

Disabled people lose court challenge to living fund Five disabled people have lost their High Court challenge over the government's decision to abolish the Independent Living Fund (ILF). Their lawyers had asked the court to declare "unlawful" the consultation process that led to the proposed axing of the £320m fund. The five are among 19,000 people who receive money from the ILF, which the government plans to scrap in 2015. The scheme aids independent living and the average pay-out is £300 a week. The government has said that councils, which administer most social care, will take over funding this help. On Wednesday, a judge dismissed the application, saying the consultation process had been lawful. The claimants feared that disabled people could be forced out of independent living arrangements and into residential care, or trapped at home by the fund's closure. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22277851

Housing benefit judicial review to go ahead A judicial review into the consequences of the cut in housing benefit is set to go ahead after the government lost an attempt to have the action thrown out. Lawyers representing disabled adults and vulnerable children argue that the change will disproportionately disadvantage them. The cut, dubbed a "bedroom tax" by its critics and a "spare room subsidy" by its supporters, is due to be introduced on Monday. The case will be heard in May. From 1 April, changes to housing benefit affecting working-age social housing tenants deemed to have spare bedrooms will mean a 14% cut for those with one extra room and of 25% for those with two or more. It is thought it will affect 660,000 households in Britain, who will lose an average of £14 per week. The government says it wants to bring social housing tenants in line with its provision in the private sector, where size criteria already apply. Intended to reduce a £21bn annual housing benefit bill, the measure is also aimed at encouraging greater mobility in the social rented sector, it adds. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-21961777