Hi All, Need a little advice as to where i stand and how to proceed. Myself and my partner moved into a new flat in July 2018 where the car park is managed by these clowns. We are one of about 10 who are fortunate enough to have a very big parking space where two cars can be parked back to back. We questioned this in the viewing and was told this was acceptable. The issues with countrywide parking started about a month after we moved in where we got a ticket on one of our cars for being parked incorrectly. This was appealed and of course, lost. It was then appealed to IAS and of course, lost. Since then we have taken the advice on here and i'm hoping that the letter received yesterday from BW legal titled Letter before claim is now the last from these cowboys The main issue i have is that since then, we have received multiple tickets on our vehicles (about 5 i believe) for the reason of "double parking". Thankfully, i have a copy of a letter from these cowboys that was sent to all residents before we moved in specifically highlighting that double parking was allowed in these spaces. This was thrown back at them during one of the appeals and yesterday we have received the appeal rejection saying that the block management have changed their mind, only single vehicles can now park in these spaces and that my appeal has been rejected on this matter (first i knew of this change of ruling). Firstly, where do i stand with appealing these and going forwards? One of the main reasons we moved in here was because it had the benefit of space to park two vehicles. There is no road parking around here that isn't charged so thats not really an option. I don't want to keep getting these PCNs. i know that CPM have never taken someone to court but i do not want to end up in a situation where they take us to court to make an example seeing as we will probably have a substantial amount of these by the time our lease is up! As expected, the appeal responses from them are pathetic, don't actually address the points i'm making and are going against their own signage and terms but i'm now starting to use a substantial amount of time dealing with these and whilst i'm taking great pleasure in wasting their time and money, id rather not have to!

My partner parked at a NPS (northern Parking Services) car park a few weeks back and the machine was not working. She could not pay for her parking. Today we got a ticket in the post. They have camera's there and must have automatically sent a ticket out. What are my options? Do I have to pay it?

There is a possibility of a job in Europe for me. Yay... I have dual brit and irish nationality, so no brexit worries about visas etc. I guess there are two scenarios - if brexit happens or if it doesn't happen... I suppose if it does happen I should consider it as worst case - it would be the same as going to some non EU/Non commonwealth country. If it doesn't happen, I still do not understand the current rules. They want to pay me via the french tax system, it will be full time, I have seen the income projection and tax etc and I am happy with it. I will still declare a self employed income in the UK due to small consultancy jobs and my small rental portfolio. also approx 60k a year. (30k each between me and wife) I am deeply confused about lots of stuff. 1) If I pay french taxes as Irish me do I have to pay any more tax on any euros I might bring back to the uk? 2) Will it have any bearing on my self employed income in the uk? 3) Will being away for any period effect my entitlement to NHS services and future state pension? Or anything else? will the kids be allowed back into UK state schools etc? And is there anything else I should be aware of? Like I know I will have a driving licence problem to solve as mine is UK.

Fascinatingly complex scenario when you make an effort. After being made unemployed in July I have been trying to do bits and bobs with casual work for three employers whilst I look after my ill mum and look for a more permanent position. I get a nice tax rebate with a pay packet of just one weeks work for one of the employers and therefore do not get any Universal Credit for October because the pay plus the rebate takes me over the threshold of income for that month because the DWP takes tax rebates as pay. Fair enough but they then go and tell my council that my Universal Credit claim has been cancelled so I have to go through all the rigmarole of sending pay slips, hours worked, bank balances and the like to the council re council tax benefit and the council interestingly "do not" class tax rebates as income or pay! Regardless having more than one employer on a casual basis is a nightmare with the council who don't seem to know how to handle it and I may well have full whack council tax one month and then have to reapply monthly depending on wage which is always low anyway! So I have now had to email UC to see if I need to reclaim because I might not earn anything from the three employers this month although another nice little confusion arrived in the form of a small pay check from one employer with yet another healthy tax rebate,,,, two in one month from different employers?!?!?! Transpires that rebate earlier this month may be an error but I won't find out until the end of the tax year when I might, or might not have to pay it back!!! Either work full time or not at all seems to be the easiest way to avoid mega confusion on all counts as three mini employers is a logistical nightmare!!

Hi. The usual apology if this has already been covered or is in the wrong section. I hope someone can give some clear advice for my wife? Just to save time and before we go any further everything I’m about to say has been said to my wife's senior staff member and managers. Their answer is that it’s your job and if I don’t like it then leave. My question is; what hours are legal to work before and after a sleepover, i.e. back to back? She works in a care home and at least once per week she works 3pm x 10pm then stays overnight to do a sleepover and starts her next shift at 7am x 3pm so this is a total of 24 hours. To complicate things, until recently she was only expected to get out of bed and help in an emergency, i.e. resuscitation or as an escort to the hospital if one of the residents became ill. Since the law changed entitling her to be paid minimum wage for a sleepover her boss now expects her to get up and help as a matter of course because she's getting full pay instead of the £30 she did previously. There are 6 residents and from 10pm there are only two staff plus my wife who is on sleepover. One of the residents needs 1 to 1 care and so this leaves the other staff member to look after the other 5 residents. My wife often helps until midnight and then gets to bed about 12.30am. At 2am the 2nd staff member wakes her up to help her attend the 5 residents needs mainly because it is policy/law to have 2 people in attendance when handling them. She will get back to bed at about 5am and then be back on shift at 7am until 3pm with barely any sleep. Her job entails handing out drugs for which she is paranoid about making mistakes but she is also absolutely shattered during and after work. Senior Management have not officially told her, (verbally or in writing), that she is expected to work during her sleep/rest period but her senior staff member relayed a message from "a manager" that she must. Management have installed installed sensors on the sleepover room and the residents rooms. 1. To prove that the residents are receiving regular checks and that my wife is leaving her room to help out. It lets them record when she left and returned to her room. So in a nutshell she works 3x10pm Does a sleepover 10pmx7am but is expected to get out of bed and work for none emergency reasons. Works another shift 7amx3pm Is this legal? Thanks for your help, Andy

Hi All, Thanks in advance for any help ! We received a claim from from our builder because we have withheld payment of the final instalment as he as breached his contract with us. He sent a claim form asking for the money to be paid (approx 1667.00). We are now trying to work out the counterclaim and having serious difficulties in understanding what to do. Any help appreciated. problem outlined here. (ignoring court fees and interest at the moment) Final installment withheld by us is 1667.00 BUT this value is incorrect as he is trying to charge us for more expensive tiles than those he installed without our permission. He is claiming that money is owed on his claim form. What we have already paid him is £3865. What we paid Wickes for more tiles directly is £248 The new invoice from another builder who said that the entire bathroom will need re-fitting £6635 (this includes a tile allowance that are slightly higher than our original builders tile costs ). Should we be basing our claim on the difference between what we thought the original builder would have been owed if the job had been done well, subtracted from the higher cost of the new invoice. Then adding the amount we already paid him. OR should we be just saying pay us £6635. (despite the fact we have withheld the final invoice but we are not sure of the value of that final bill and he has breach contract so technically we dont owe him it anyway !) HELP !

Hey Guys, See if you guys can assist me. I have been working Flexible Working since 2015 as I look after a disabled wife and a child. Recently during a meeting with my manager, my manager informed me that he wants to cancel my flexible working and wants to increase my working days from 3 (under flexible working) to 5 days a week. I was given 2 weeks notice and given a date when this change will be applicatble. I objected to this decision, but the manager simply announced his decision and ended the meeting and said no further discussions. I received his decision in writing with inaccuracies in statement to which I objected, as his decision contained various factual discrepancies and asked him to give me evidence to substantiate his reasons. I have however, not yet received them. I further wrote to them formally rejecting the proposed changes to the terms of my contract and informed them I would be sticking to the currect terms of my contract and would be working 3 days a week only. I then received phone call asking how I was from another manager as I had gone AWOL. I asked this manager to check my 2 letters that I sent in and have not received a reply to yet as these letters clearly address that I do not agree to new terms and I would be work 3 days only. I then had further discussion with another manager and I told him exactly the same that I am expecting a reply to my previous 2 letters. I then received a letter from another manager informing me that I have gone AWOL and if I do not turn up under new terms i.e. 5 days a week I will be marked down AWOL. Today I have received another letter calling me in an investigation for Disciplinary hearing regarding my AWOL. All of this is despite: 1) Management, unilaterally changing my terms of contract. 2) Management, not replying to my objections I raised in response to their decision. 3) Me formally rejecting their proposed changes. 4) Me informing them that I will be doing my shifts under flexible working and that I have not had response to my 2 letters. Can someone kindly guide me, 1) am I wrong here? 2) Can I be sacked in this AWOL hearing? knowing that I have already told them why am I not turning up to shifts? 3) Can flexible working be unilaterally changed? 4) Should there not be a status quo applied till my objections raised are answered? Thanks

New plans for military flexible working become law READ MORE HERE: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-plans-for-military-flexible-working-become-law

Hi Was wondering if anyone could answer this question for a friend of mine please, She was off work ill for 28 weeks so informed tax credits hence her WTC was stopped, but since she has now gone back to work and has been back approx 3 months but had to go off sick again, will she have to to inform tax credits again or not.

Short version : Just looking for the rules when it comes to claiming housing benefit. I have been on benefits for years and am desperate to get away from them so I started a business a few years ago. I am the director of a ltd company, and pay myself min wage at just under 16 hours a week. What I want to know, is at what point am I no longer entitled to housing benefit? They are requesting a copy of my accounts now and I have to keep sending in pay slips to prove I am only taking min wage for 16hours a week etc. I don't know what other qualifying info you would need to help determine when the point is that I need to stop claiming, let me know if there is anything you need to know. I look forward to any replies. Let me know if you really wanna hear the long version, trust me its long! Thanks in advance for any help!

Sorry for another thread but I really am in a bit of a mess/state at the moment and really need some help/advice. After sorting out my UC claim I totally forgot about a WTC overpayment I had from last year and forgot HMRC said to simply wait until I heard from them. Well today I got in from town to find a brown envelope from HMRC saying I owed £1,227.31 from when I was employed as an overpayment. I do owe this and am not disputing it. So, I call HMRC and they tell me that they have passed the 'debt' over to DWP (UC) for them to deal with and they could not tell me any more and I should call UC. I call UC and at this moment in time they say they have no notifications of this on their system however it can be updated at any time and that legally they can take up to 40% of my base award as payment towards the overpayment which works out at £127.13pm My UC award is £572.82pm and there is no way I can pay this amount each month for around 10 months with rent and bills to pay. What makes it worse is that the letter to me could cross and a deduction could be made with nothing I can do about it! HMRC said I should ask UC for an income and expenditure sheet to fill in so I asked UC for this and they said they could not do anything yet as nothing was on their system. I am now in between HMRC and DWP and do not know what to do howeber HMRC said I should be able to come to an agreement with DWP. I done an I&E sheet anyway and worked out that I have £13.92pm after all bills are paid which includes rent, utilities, food etc. What do I do now? Wait for the letter from DWP and then contact them to arrange a repayment plan on what I can afford based on my I&E. Do they have to agree to this if I can prove outgoings or can they really attach a larger amount as a repayment against the overpayment? If it is the latter I am 100% screwed and basically homeless or will there be some compassion based on my circumstances? One part of me is saying I should pay the balance in full by credit to DWP by doing a cash transfer to my current account as it is obviously better being in debt with a bank than the DWP and HMRC the other part of me says surely they cannot take what I do not have. I am very worried about this, what should I do?

New plans for Armed Forces flexible working reach the Commons READ MORE HERE: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-plans-for-armed-forces-flexible-working-reach-the-commons

Good evening all, I'm after some advice regarding changes my employer has made to my working day. Following the ruling in 2015 regarding travel to work time for mobile workers being counted as "working time", my employer has brought in changes at work from the beginning of this month. I work in the utilities industry, and my job involves me travelling around from site to site carrying out my duties. These sites include both company assets and customer properties. At the end of the working day, it is required that I return to my base location. Up until now, my working day starts at home and finishes when I clock out at base. We have always been paid from when we leave home until when we clock out at base. Travel home time has always been unpaid and our own time. From 1st October my company has now changed this to the following: We now clock in as normal at home, yet we now only start getting paid from when we reach our 1st job or after half an hours travel, which ever is the shorter. We then clock in again to start our "paid time". We then continue as before and clock out at base and then travel home in our own time as before. For the majority of my colleagues, their first job is over 30 minutes away from home, meaning that we are now having to do an extra 30 minutes a day for the same pay. This has in effect increased our working week by up to 2.5 hours. Having checked my contract, it states that I work a 37 hour week Monday to Friday, however after this change I will now have to do 39.5 hours a week for the same pay. My contract also states that any overtime is on an "ad hoc" basis only. The company have stated that the change to the EU law has brought in this change and that it is therefore not negotiable because it is now the law! Having trawled the internet, I cannot find anything which says that this ruling governs pay as this should be a matter for UK courts, not EU. Do I have any grounds to challenge this? Thanks in advance. MP.

please help. I need to know if for any reason I can get rid of this debt. I owe a working capitol loan - the debt has been passed to akinika. they rang they asked who I was I said they have wrong number. now im worried - as the same company I owe money and are paying them off - will they link this will they come to my house? will I be able to remove this debt following the process set out to send the letter - ?

Hello, I was hoping someone could advise on the below : Can an employee reduce your lunch break from 1 hour to half an hour without warning? Details : On starting my job (9+ months ago) I was informed I would be entitled to a 1 hour lunch break (verbal agreement), something I worked to from day 1 without issue or complaint. However, recently an email was sent out saying we would no longer be allowed this entitlement and must now only take a half hour lunch - No warning or discussion was given, just the email stating you must now only take half an hour for lunch as per your contract and on querying further they explained the 1 hour lunch was only supposed to be a temporary thing to relieve stress while the work load was high. However, at no point was I informed of this being a temporary allowance and on reviewing my contract it simply states the below with no mention of break entitlement Hours of Work Your contractual hours are 37.5 hours per week. Operating hours is Monday to Friday between 8am and 6pm and you will be expected to work on a shift rota between these hours. Overtime is not paid. HR is saying due to the 37.5 weekly working hours, listed on my contract, divided by my 8 hour day, I only get half an hour free for a lunch entitlement – They don’t pay for the other half an hour. I have since looked for further evidence to back my verbal agreement and proven work pattern and have now also found an email sent round just before I started. This email is from our office manager, and it tells us all that we should all take an hour for lunch due to the nature of the job and work load, with no mention of it being a temporary measure (something they are now back tracking on and from by claiming it was mistakenly put) in short do I have any right to appeal this based on the evidence and my prior 9 months + of working to it? And can they ultimately force it through/change it regardless? Regards Jay

Armed Forces (Flexible Working) Bill 2017 READ MORE HERE: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/armed-forces-flexible-working-bill-2017

Hi All, To provide a bit of a backstory: the company where I work has made no significant pay awards (beyond inflation) for around 8 years and for the last two years nothing whatsoever (not even inflation). After a bit of calculation my wages are now below what they were in 2008 when adjusted for inflation despite now performing a significantly more senior role. I have found something which could be performed one day a week which could significantly supplement my income and to this end put in a request to cut my working week to 4 days (not working for the company on a Friday i.e. doing my own thing). To be clear I have offered significant mitigation: pro-rata reduction in holiday, being available on the phone on a Friday where possible, possibility of coming in to the company on a Friday if they're desperate and fits in with me and the option for either party to cancel the agreement after 3 months trial period. Needless to say this request has been refused. The letter contains the statement "You requested a reduction to your working hours without an corresponding reduction in your salary" As I understand it this is not a statutory or material consideration. The letter then goes on to state that they have "considered my flexible working request against each of the statutory grounds....... The reason for this refusal is that to grant the request would impose an unreasonable burden of additional costs for the business. We consider your position to be full time and we would have to cover your absence with additional resource at extra cost to the company". When my manager presented me the letter I put it to him that the reality is they would never cover my absence on the Friday with someone else as there is (a) no one else in the company who can do my job (b) the business would not employ an outside contractor for one day per week. My manager basically agreed with me and said "you're probably right" My question is (a) have the company provided evidence to reject under the statutory reason of burden of additional costs, (b) Does the statement "You requested a reduction to your working hours without an corresponding reduction in your salary" hold any validity or rather does it invalidate their reasonaing as it could be construed that they would have accepted has I offered a salary reduction. Thanks in advance. PS. For clarity I am a man and the request had nothing to do with looking after children

I have bought a Capital Investment Bond with the money I inherited from my mother. The financial advisor who set this up, informs me that the monthly sums I receive from my Capital Investments Bond are neither interest or dividends, but that the bond is simply returning my capital to me which I used to buy the bond in the first place, and is therefore not taxable. Thus, the sums I receive are simply not entered on my tax return, and should not be declared for the purposes of assessing my Working Tax Credits either. Is this right? I ask, because last year the advisor I spoke to at HMRC said that the sums I receive DO count as income (he obviously had no idea about Investment Bonds and the notion of "return of capital"). I suspect I have been diddled, as my Tax Credits have been reduced in consequence. Should I take matters into my own hands and simply not mention my Investment Bond? I have been searching the Internet for hours in vain, hoping to find answers. And now I have washed up here.

Hey, I just thought I'd throw this out there... I spend a lot of life at work so when I come home the last thing I want to do is cook! I've found that I can kill two proverbial birds with one stone! On a Sunday afternoon when I'm busy cleaning up the house and catching up with the weekly chores, I start cooking big "one pot meals" like Bolognese, Stews, Casseroles and things like that. Intentionally, I cook enough to feed about 5 or 6 people! (and all for a great reason)... I snagged some plastic punnets from the 99p store (which look oddly like the ones you get if you order a Chinese), but they're the perfect size for a portion. Once everything is cooked, I pack it all up in a bunch of punnets, set them to once side till they're cool then freeze them. That way, in the evenings (or nights) when I get in, I can nuke the punnet in the microwave (usually about 5-8 mins on 60%) which gives it just enough time to flash build some veggies, pasta etc... I you live alone, this is an amazing way to save some cash as you won't have to fork out for cooking very night, plus you can eat healthily with the delight of it being "Fast food"... Hope this helps! Hasta la pasta! Ade

Friend got a ticket in a car park managed by Parking Eye. Ticket machines were not working and several people weren't able to get a ticket. Sent letter to PE advising that machines were not working and that others were in the same position. We assumed that the other car owners would have got letters from PE and written back saying they couldn't get a ticket. However, PE have sent their usual "get lost" letter - what specifically should we be asking them for in the appeal to POPLA - is it proof that the machine was working ?

My mother in law and twin have gone into care both were owners and trustees of a house with 2 others . They are now mentally incapacitated. I am power of attorney to 1 and also a beneficery of the trust . Can they sell for under the market price . They have given a key to someone I believe will be buying and she has got her own valuation which is 40k below mine . All the contents have been sold while I was on holiday . I really am not happy with what they are doing there are no accounts no receipts . I don't think the house should be sold. It should be rented to help pay for their care My father in law would. Be turning in his grave if he knew what was happening .

My partner has had a letter regarding WTC. They are pushing her to open a bank account. She has been using a post office account for child benefit and wtc for many years now. Has anyone here had the same? is there a reason for it! usually is regarding dwp/hmrc. EDIT: Forgot to say we already have bank accounts but my partner has always liked using the post office one for budgeting etc. Tia

Can HMRC legally accuse a man of making a joint claim with his wife for working tax credit if he has never filled out his part of the application form and never signed it?

Way back in 2008 i was struggling. Business,Housing,Debt the lot. And lost the lot,no big deal many did. Came on here and slowly got sorted out.I am fine now. But at the time i somehow started looking around America and was quite shocked in what i saw. It began when i saw how people were struggling in Detroit.Read a article one day in the Daily Telegraph from a journalist i got to know quite well. And slowly started through forums and newspapers to show my support for the people who were living in Tent Cities over there. Had a debate or two with some over there who just did not seem to care very much. And wrote to the President and others over there to show i was concerned. Received a couple of replies from their helpers as i call them.Nothing major at least i received replies. Slowly over time and living a busy life although looking every now and again i stopped looking as hard thinking things were going to be sorted out. Now i hear that many people despite working and being on minimum wages unable to afford to rent or buy despite 2 or more wages coming in. And feel it is getting the same here. People perhaps being priced out of many cities and some towns despite working locally all their lives. Now the other day i read a report saying councils are that strapped for cash here that they are hardly able any more to help people made homeless. It just costs to much. So as you see things perhaps deteriorate if inflation really gets going next year surely a huge crisis could be coming. Many people are one paycheck away from serious trouble with mortgages and rent. If interest rates go up just imagine what may happen. Bankfodder and others are warning that inflation may happen next year and batten down the hatches by if possible paying off any debts you have now.Or before the middle of next year.If that is possible. I suppose i am thinking if this continues you must feel tent cities could appear here. People will occupy public land on the outskirts of cities where they work. Kind of not have much choice. However this may help. Councils could face new duty to prevent homelessness As rents rise and benefits fall, more people face losing their home. A bill aims to stop people from becoming homeless by giving English councils specific duties to help everyone at an earlier stage http://www.publicfinance.co.uk/analysis/2016/11/councils-could-face-new-onus-prevent-homelessness The number of people demanding help over homelessness has rocketed by more than 50,000 in the last year as new figures laid bare the scale of the problem facing Britain this Christmas. Nearly half a million people now contact housing and homelessness charity Shelter every year. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3935570/Shocking-50-000-rise-number-people-demanding-help-homelessness-Britain-120-000-kids-prepare-wake-without-home-Christmas.html#ixzz4RONNMIi3 A tent city in America. American Story: Tent City USA The State of Homelessness in America 2016 On a single night in January 2015, 564,708 people were experiencing homelessness — meaning they were sleeping outside or in an emergency shelter or transitional housing program. http://www.endhomelessness.org/library/entry/SOH2016 Homelessness in numbers Quantifying homelessness isn't straightforward. This is an introduction to the figures available, and insight into what they mean. http://www.homeless.org.uk/facts/homelessness-in-numbers So how do you feel about things. Are you living on the edge. Having sleepless nights worrying about things.

Hi I've worked for the same company for 15 years as an office manager. There are 6 girls employed by the company in head office 4 office workers, 1 worker and 1 shop worker. We have always done the following Cuppa first thing in morning then more throughout the day, taking it in turns to make it. The smokers go out once an hour for a ciggie. We have a half hour for lunch. I agree that these are quite excessive however, it's been done forever. Now the boss has decided that we will have 3 cuppas at 10, 12 and 3 and the girls can smoke at the same time. (Fair enough). But the big thing is we are now being expected to clean the offices/shop/toilets, taking it in turn. My bug bear is that there are 6 girls and we are all being made to take turns in cleaning (I was never employed as a cleaner). Any advice please