El Servicio Meteorológico Nacional (SMN) informó que la Depresión Tropical Once-E se debilitó a baja presión remanente frente a las costas de Oaxaca, aunque continuará generando lluvias intensas y vientos fuertes en varias regiones del sureste del país, aunque esto provocó el cierre de escuelas en Guerrero y puertos en el océano Pacífico. Al cierre […]
La entrada “Atención” Cierran escuelas en Guerrero por lluvia que dejará depresión Once-E se publicó primero en Verás.
El cantante Marshall Bruce Mathers, mejor conocido como Eminem, debutará como abuelo, pues su hija Hailie Jade se convertirá en mamá. El rapero de 51 años dio a conocer la feliz noticia a través del video musical “Temporary”, el cual forma parte de su nuevo disco “The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce)”, y aunque el cantante ha mencionado a […]
La entrada ¡Eminem será abuelo! Lo da a conocer a través de video musical se publicó primero en Verás.
Rock school sweethearts.
School of Rock costars Caitlin Hale and Angelo Massagli have delighted fans with their romance years after appearing in the hit 2003 film starring Jack Black. And now, the...
CASE workers are being urgently recruited to help clear a huge backlog of Personal Independent Payment (PIP) reviews, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has said.
The backlog of reviews means tens of thousands of individuals may be receiving lower benefit payments than they are entitled to.
PIP is a benefit for people who are under State Pension age and need day-to-day help because of a long-term illness or disability.
It is claimed by 3.5million people and requires reviews to be carried out frequently.
The maximum amount that can be awarded is £184.30 a week, which is based on two assessments – living and mobility.
As of May 31, 2024, there were 392,000 outstanding PIP award reviews in England and Wales, with the DWP citing an unprecedented surge in new claims as the primary cause.
As 73% of planned award reviews result in an increase or no change to the level of award received by claimants, many are missing out as a result of the delays.
In August 2023 Citizens Advice said some people were waiting over two years for a review.
Last month Benefit and Work reported that 120,000 reviews had been registered in the quarter to July 2024, compared to 100,000 cleared, suggesting the backlog is likely to have increased.
Benefits and Work claimed it would take almost a decade to work through the reward backlog at the current rate and estimated more than 74,000 claimants were receiving less than they were entitled to, while awaiting their review.
Sir Stephen Timms, the DWP’s Minister for Social Security and Disability, has said more case workers are being hired to tackle the backlog.
He said: “We continue to prioritise new claims to PIP to ensure claims are put into payment as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, this means many customers are waiting longer than expected for their review to be undertaken.
“We have been actively recruiting additional case managers to meet increased demand for PIP, which means we are now in a position to begin to deploy additional resource onto award reviews. This will increase the number of review cases we can complete ‘in house’.”
While Timms said recruitment was underway he explained that improvements may not be seen immediately as there is an “extensive training period” for case workers.
The number of full time case managers in August 2023 was 1,847, this had increased by 5.5% to 1,948 in August 2024, with further recruitment planned.
Labour has said that most case assessments will now be completed by telephone to increase efficiency.
Those on the highest levels of support will also now receive an ongoing PIP award which is only subject to a light touch review every 10 years.
A DWP Spokesperson said: “Championing the rights of disabled people, so that their views and voices are heard, is at the heart of this government, and we are committed to ensuring disabled people and people with health conditions can access financial support through PIP in a timely manner.”
The maximum PIP award is £184.30 a week, which works out at £9,584 a year.
To qualify for the allowance you must have found it hard to do everyday tasks, because of a mental or physical condition.
You must have experienced this for at least three months and expect it to be hard for another nine months.
According to the latest figures it takes around 15 weeks from the start of your application for a decision to be made about whether you qualify or not.
You can make a new Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claim by calling the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on 0800 917 2222.
This is the Government department tasked with paying out benefits to millions every year.
There are also other ways to claim if you find it difficult to use a telephone. See Gov.UK for more information.
When you claim, you’ll need:
Someone else can call on your behalf, but you’ll need to be with them when they call.
You’ll then be sent a form to fill in, after which you’ll be invited for an assessment or your health or social care worker will be asked for information.
After this, you’ll be sent a letter telling you if your claim has been successful.
You can read Citizens Advice’s help on preparing for an assessment.
If your application for PIP has been turned down or you don’t think you’ve been offered enough cash you can appeal the decision.
You first need to ask for a “mandatory reconsideration notice” – this is where the DWP looks at the decision again.
If you are still unhappy with this outcome, you can then appeal to an independent tribunal.
You must send your appeal form in within one month of the date shown on the mandatory reconsideration notice.
Be warned that it usually takes up to six months for an appeal to be heard by the tribunal.
If you’re unhappy with the decision you get from the tribunal, you may be able to get the decision cancelled – known as “set aside”. You’ll be told how to do this at the time.
You may also be able to appeal to the Upper Tribunal (Administrative Appeals Chamber) if you think the tribunal wasn’t able to give you proper reasons for its decision, or back up the decision with facts, or if it failed to apply the law properly.
YOU can use a benefits calculator to help check that you are not missing out on money you are entitled to
Charity Turn2Us’ benefits calculator works out what you could get.
Entitledto’s free calculator determines whether you qualify for various benefits, tax credit and Universal Credit.
MoneySavingExpert.com and charity StepChange both have benefits tools powered by Entitledto’s data.
You can use Policy in Practice’s calculator to determine which benefits you could receive and how much cash you’ll have left over each month after paying for housing costs.
Your exact entitlement will only be clear when you make a claim, but calculators can indicate what you might be eligible for.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
The Duggars officially have another family member.
Jason Duggar—the 12th child of Jim Bob Duggar and Michelle Duggar—married Maddie Grace Oct. 3 in his new wife's home state of Tennessee. The...
WITH Halloween just a few weeks away, many of us have already starting decking our homes for parties – and the little trick-and-treaters.
But if you’re yet to get in the spooktacular spirit – or don’t want to fork out a fortune on all things Halloween – you might want to check out the spooky collection Lidl have just launched.
The popular German discount store, which sent fans into a frenzy with their £2 Yankee Candle deal, has added new bits to the famous Middle Aisle.
So, whether you’re on the lookout for cheap costumes for your kids or some decor that won’t break the bank, there’s something for everyone.
And with prices starting from as little as 99p, it really doesn’t get much better.
One of our favourites is the retailer’s Halloween Glow Assortment, which is sure to make any party lit – quite literally.
Priced at a purse-friendly 99p, shoppers can choose from glow party pack, bat headband or green sword – ideal for both decorations or as a part of your kid’s costume.
Other goodies to look out for include spooky Livarno Home Halloween Character Candle that will set you back just £1.99.
The hand-painted candles come in a range of fitting designs, such as a pumpkin, a ghost or a ghost with a pumpkin, and the burning time is up to eight hours.
Also selling for a mere 99p are the Livarno Home Halloween Window Stickers – a cheap and fun way to add an element of spookiness to your home without any faff.
What’s more, the stickers – featuring a scary pumpkin print – are also removable without leaving residue and reusable.
Shoppers can also get their hands on Haunted House Halloween Accessories for under a quid – a great for a party or simply for adding a spooky vibe to your home.
Flocked pumpkins will help create a spooky feel and will look fabulous for table centrepieces and mantle displays, while the honeycomb pumpkin decorations and ghost garland add an eerie element for just 99p.
Meanwhile, if you don’t mind splurging out a little more, we reckon it’s worth snapping up Haunted House 78cm Halloween Light Up Wand for £4.99.
The perfect accessory for any spooky outfit, this wand will instantly illuminate your Halloween night.
LIDL has published a new list of desired locations for potential new stores. The list includes, amongst many others, the following towns and cities:
To see the full list, click here.
For the little trick-and-treaters, there’s also a huge range of spooky garments to pick from, such as Skeleton Halloween Costume, £4.99, and Grim Reaper Halloween Costume, also under £5.
To make the little monsters extra scary, why don’t you add Haunted House Face Paint to your basked for £1.99?
Lidl super fans can choose between black, white and grey – or red, green and orange, if your kid wants to be a witch this year.
Speaking of painting, the supermarket has also launched Rock Painting Glow in the Dark set – the ultimate Halloween activity for just £1.99.
The box contains rocks, glow in the dark paint plus an easy-to-follow instruction book with all the techniques, tips and steps for glow in the dark rock art – and it’s sure to go down a treat for a party.