I do most of my Council stuff online via their web portal, also most of my GP stuff via (use to be EMS) https://www.patientaccess.com and book my next hospital app via their online bookings system so bonza! PIP appeals https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-online-service-launched-for-pip-appeals Check area availability as it doesn't cover all areas atm MoJ is also trying and failing atm to launch a PIP appeal via video link service. I've been having a few barnys with NHS services over disability accessibility/adaptation well lack of it. So think this is a good thing? ESA appeals on line https://www.gov.uk/appeal-benefit-decision/submit-appeal England and Wales only Upload your fit note https://www.gov.uk/send-fit-note I think one complaint for all is that is doesn't send you a copy of your submission but you should be copy n pasting to a word doc (or what ever you use) for your own records anyway. Imagine if the fully online Universal Credit service could do that? Well apparently it might do in 2020 (only 6/7/8 who knows years after launch) but you might at present be able to ask your work coach for a 'to do' whereby they can enable a one off upload function on your journal.

Car hire sites to provide full costs upfront after CMA action READ MORE HERE: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/car-hire-sites-to-provide-full-costs-upfront-after-cma-action

I have not placed this thread in Insurance, because it is more about experience of using online sites to buy Insurance. Have woken up early and not got back to sleep (annoying) i decided to sort out some Home Insurance. After going through various different sites, Axa, Aviva, Allianz, L&G, Tesco, Halifax, I decided to visit Barclays. Although Barclays use Aviva, the experience of using their site was so much better than all of the companies mentioned including Aviva. The information was so much clearer and the functionality of the site was light years ahead. And Barclays don't rip you off with a high interest for monthly payments and don't have the admin fees that others charge. I saved over £100 a year compared to the other companies and for much better cover. And i can now access my Barclays Insurance details online and if I want to, I can amend the cover, to include extras that I opted out of at the start. I have no connection to Barclays ( don't Bank or work for them) but I am impressed by their online sites. I have always Banked with one of their competitors, but if their Internet provision is as good as the Insurance, I might look at swapping. Ps. I don't use comparison sites, as they are not a very good way of buying Insurances and by using them, you are selling all of your data to them. They will sell your data to any company that has a contract with the comparison site, even if they never offered a quote for your Insurance details.

http://www.lep.co.uk/news/health/nhs-computers-down-after-virus-patients-told-to-avoid-hospital-and-walk-in-centre-unless-absolutely-necessary-1-8540798 Just spoke with someone at our local hospital and servers ate all being shut down - confirmed

There are so many internet sites out there, but i do like those with webcams covering wildlife, providing there is something going on. At Slimbridge they have thousands of migrant birds that winter there and between 4pm and about 4.20pm you will see them being fed. The birds feed on the fields and around the river Severn during the day, then return before dark for the daily feed. http://www.wwt.org.uk/wetland-centres/slimbridge/experience/webcam/

So yesterday I was taking a look at my Noddle credit report and when I checked the section for previous searches I noticed that in early July there were about 21 searches all done on the same date. I was rather puzzled by this and at first I thought something serious was going on, but when I checked the names and Purpose of the searches it began to click. The purpose was mostly "General Insurance" but some were marked as "Identification Check" and "Quotation Search", and the names were things like, "Lexisnexis Risk Solutions Uk Limited Insurance Quote - Www.Lexisnexis.Com/Ukconsumer" "Covea Insurance Plc (Cr Bsb) Provident Insurance (Cr Bsb Api)" "Quote Me Happy.Com" And other Insurancy sounding names. And then it hit me, that was when I was searching comparison websites because my car insurance was coming up for renewal! Now I know I searched a few comparison sites, but 21 searches? Digging a little deeper I found that some of them also seemed to be for my previous address that I haven't lived at for nearly 3 years. It seems that old companies are keeping my details on file and even years later they're running searches, even if they don't seem to be contacting me about it. Even weirder, the date of birth shown on some of the searches is my brothers rather than my own. I have run insurance searches for him with his details, but that was also his name and address (Just in the same browser session) so something seems to be going wrong there with the same browser session not changing all details. This all just seems a little strange to me. Should a comparison site be running credit searches like this just for me getting some quotes? Should insurance companies be carrying out credit searches even years later like this? Could 21 searches on the same day, even if they're of these types, have a potential short term impact on my credit score?

On Friday I was extremely concerned about a thread on one of the ‘Beat the Bailiffs’ facebook sites that eventually led to the debtor being removed from his car and with many police in attendance. Background: The debtor (Tony) did not seek advice on the site. Instead, his brother Paul sought advice from the Social Media Site on his behalf. It would seem that ‘Tony’ had not paid a penalty charge notice and accordingly, a warrant of control was issued and passed to Marston Group to enforce. The bailiff attended the property early last Friday and after a short period of time, clamped his car. In ‘Paul’s’ initial post he called for ‘Boots on the Ground’ to attend the address (in Oldham, Lancashire). As is usual with the site, the full address and postcode were provided. One poster (John) spoke with Tony a number of times and reported back that he had advised him that: The warrant was not a legal document as it was not signed. Tony should stay in the car as his vehicle could not be removed while he is inside. and that: He should tell the bailiffs and police that "Wesley is just getting ready with a crew". (Wesley posted himself to confirm that he would be attending). Further alarming posts were made that indicated that the bailiffs would be attacked (for example: “law doesn’t matter, lets all go out and lynch the fxxxing bailiffs”). The situation esclated very quickly indeed and from reading the posts the indication was that many people were on their way to the address (in Oldham) with Wesley himself posting that ‘we have a Mexican standoff’. Further posts reported that about six police officer had arrived together with more bailiffs. In all, almost 400 posts were made on the site and yet....not one person bothered to ask any background information such as: Did he receive all the notices from the local authority? Did he appeal the penalty charge notice? Did he receive the Notice of Enforcement from Marston Group? Did he respond to outline a payment proposal? Instead, as is always the case with these sites, the suggestion made was to ....submit an Out of Time statutory declaration to the Traffic Enforcement Centre. One person exhibited a copy of the warrant of control and it was plain to see that the warrant was a legal document. Naturally, it did not require a court seal or a 'wet ink signature'. Telephone calls were made to the bailiff by an admin member of the Social Media Site (a lady with supposedly 30 years of legal experience) asking that the vehicle remain clamped until the Out of Time statutory declaration had been processed. Naturally, with the expectation of many more ‘supporters’ shortly arriving, the enforcement agent took the decision to remove the vehicle (by this time it had been clamped for over two hours). A tow truck was in attendance. The debtor was removed from the vehicle. Fortunately, for the bailiffs, the police and the debtor the 'Boots on the Ground' stunt was a complete failure.

I'm writing out of frustration and legitimate concern with the standards and practices within the British Insurance Industry. I have just endured the long drawn out process of 2 car insurance renewals. Run of the mill stuff for any UK motorist. What do most people do? Either take on a non-competitive renewal or seek a more competitive deal from the market. My concern is with the use of comparison sites and the potential for insurance policies to actually be deemed as invalid through no fault of person seeking to be insured. My partner was unfortunate enough to have an accident last October, where she was a named driver on my policy. Now come time to use a comparison site and this opens up a nightmare. Do I declare the claim against my policy? Do we declare the accident my partner suffered? I decided best to declare both and suffer the potential for two incidents to be recorded even though there was actually one. I approached the comparison provider and two new insurers to ask this question only to find that nobody truly agrees. Comparison sites even ask different questions and map the questions differently to insurers. RAC - Only I need to declare as the policy holder Hastings Direct 1) Web advisor - only my partner needs to declare 2) Telephone advisor - both need to declare. I challenged this based on 1. The Tele advisor escalates this and informed me 3 managers debated and 2 came to the conclusion that only my partner needs to declare. Moneysupermarket.com - Only my partner There is clearly an absence of any guidelines in this area with arbitrary decisions being made. Whats more concerning is that a comparison site offers differing advice versus the insurers. Whats even more concerning still is that a consumer may answer incorrectly for a their chosen provider, without even knowing and hence their insurance could be deemed as invalid should they claim against their policy. Neither RAC nor Hastings seemed concerned about this. When I visited the ABI it was clear from their website that they have no interest in such issues.

Comparison sites accused over calls The "big five" comparison websites are directing callers to energy tariffs that earn them commission despite being asked for the cheapest deal - months after they faced allegations that they used similar tactics online, it has been claimed. Collective switching website The Big Deal has released recordings of phone calls and transcripts from last month in which it claims that all five of the biggest comparison sites - uSwitch, Go Compare, MoneySuperMarket, Compare the Market and Confused.com - failed to mention deals that did not pay them a commission. In the case of uSwitch, the difference between what it claimed was the cheapest deal and the actual lowest tariff was £60, The Big Deal said. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-2935857/Comparison-sites-accused-calls.html You can read the phone call transcripts here: https://thisisthebigdeal.com/blog/PCW-Miselling-Over-The-Phone Last October it was revealed that the price comparison sites were hiding the cheapest “switching” deals in favour of suppliers who pay them commission. Consumers were only given access to the full range of deals – that is, including suppliers who did not pay the sites commission for referring potential customers – if they unticked pre-selected boxes. Confused and MoneySupermarket have since stopped hiding energy deals, but uSwitch, Go Compare and Compare the Market still only show deals they make commission from by default.

Cheshire East Council has blocked access to payday loan websites on its public computers. The local authority said its cabinet agreed to restrict residents’ access to short-term credit websites on computers in libraries and public buildings after reports of irresponsible lending and harassment. Council leader Michael Jones said: “This is an issue about protecting the people of Cheshire East from companies which are charging astronomical levels of interest that are well above acceptable levels. These companies are targeting vulnerable people and it is obscene.” Councils in Dundee and Renfrewshire have already taken similar action. But Russell Hamblin-Boone, chief executive of the Consumer Finance Association (CFA), said that the council’s decision to block payday lending sites is “concerning”. He added: “The council is effectively denying choice to local residents without fully understanding either the short-term lending industry or the way people are managing their finances in 2013. http://www.credittoday.co.uk/article/15467/online-news/council-blocks-payday-sites-to-residents

Out of interest what is your opinion on these sites which give you money etc... for surveys, downloading apps etc...? I've been a member at one called POints2Shop.com for erm... 2 or 3 years now and despite the points coming in slowly (and money) due to me being too busy, I've managed to snag about £70 of bits n bobs off of amazon. I think if someone, like a housewife, people which don't work or the generally bored people should take a peek as it's a good way to get little tidbits or money (or items in): IF you need to, take a look here: Points2Shop.com Some of the offers are 'paid for', say if you buy a Weigh[EDIT - PLEASE REFRAIN FROM PERSONAL ABUSE]chers subscription or um, but a game or a mobile app, but you don't ahve to pay a bean really ANyway, yuour feedback would be great!

Hello there, this is my first thread so apologizes if I make any mistakes. I am looking to make some savings on my Electrcity & Gas bills this year ( TV and phone as well hopefully ). I've been looking around the web for the best and came those which you all probably know. They all seem alright but I hope that I can find something better at the end of day. for example I cam across some guys who claim that they do all the research manually for you, which sounds pretty good, and they send you the results. Also what other "comparison sites" would you recommend(apart from the well known ones I mentioned already)? Thanks