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Carers Allowance to continue to be paid after retirement ageMany carers continue to look after people with substantial caring needs once they (the carers) reach retirement age, yet are no longer financially rewarded for doing so. Attendance Allowance is only payable to the disabled person once they reach 65! Unlike paid employment, where upon reaching the age of approximately 65, the State Pension is payable and those retired can spend their time doing as they please. The Government considers Carers Allowance to be overlapping with the State Pension (both are considered payments in lieu of paid employment, but Carers Allowance, according to the Government is neither a wage nor a salary). Carers continue in their role 24/7!!393 of 400 SignaturesCreated by Peter George
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Stop the Government selling off police work to incompetent G4SWe have a skilled, trained Police force that is having its budget carved up, officers losing pay and benefits so that incompetent G4S can make more money from the UK Government despite being bailed out by the army when they completely messed up Olympic security162 of 200 SignaturesCreated by Jonathan Rainbird
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No privatisation of Herts PoliceIt is essential to maintain the integrity and reputation of the office of Constable and to ensure the people of Hertfordshire continue to receive a professional high quality service with proper safeguards in place79 of 100 SignaturesCreated by David Whitelegg
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Keep police powers out of private handsWe do not want to be stopped and questioned by people other than those officially in the police force. To employ an outside company to do this is not the right way to go as some of the people who will do the questioning are not always the upstanding citizens they are supposed to be. They would simply be glorified bouncers. We pay the police force to do the work and that's where it should stay. Employ more policemen rather than paying outside companies exorbitant fees.71 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Rita Robbie
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Save the BBCThe BBC is a fundamental part of British culture. It has provided the backdrop for citizens lives in this country for over half a century. It is already working to a very tight budget in difficult times. Taking production budgets to pay for a social welfare policy will undermine the quantity and quality of content.39 of 100 SignaturesCreated by Stan Gamester
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Stop the agency rip-off in educationAll schools in the UK need qualified teachers to fill in for short and long term staff absence in order to provide the best education and a seamless handover for children in the classroom. In England, the provision of substitute/supply teachers is now administered by private employment agencies. Some agencies take up to 100% mark up on charges to schools for supply teachers. Supply teachers are paid significantly less than their full time colleagues for doing the same job and yet schools are being made to pay more for their services per day because of the expense of the middle man. This money was ring-fenced for education, but it is ending up in the hands of the corporate shareholders of recruitment companies. Millions of pounds of public money is being lost to private, profit-making companies. It is not being used to pay for teachers, special needs support staff, classroom equipment, books, computers, children's' services or staff training. Schools are responsible for their financial prudence. Agencies do not have to account for how they deploy the money they receive. There is little or no inward reinvestment from the agencies; they take but they do not give back. That money is gone for good; money that tax-payers were assured was specifically for education not the sales agents and investors and shareholders of the recruitment agency market. Schools are being asked to cut spending, and yet most schools have no choice but to source supply teachers from agencies who now control over 70% of the temporary and supply teacher market in England and Wales. As teacher numbers dwindle, the need for substitute and short term cover increases. Agencies are cashing in on this. But why should they? They are not publicly accountable and there is no statutory regulator to oversee their business activities. They are not recognised by the Department for Education as approved education service providers, so their candidates, although qualified as teachers, are not eligible for the Teachers' Pension Scheme or included in the remit of the pay review body, the STRB. By contrast, in other parts of the UK, namely in Northern Ireland and Scotland, there are no agencies. Schools do not pay a middleman to source their substitute teachers. They source their temporary staff directly from a publicly accountable central register. Teachers are paid to scale, tax revenue from their pay goes back into public services. No one profits out of schools. The Welsh Government has also recently set up a teacher booking system, leaving England as the only part of the UK that still undervalues and rips off teachers, when there is a national recruitment and retention crisis. To add insult to injury, many agencies insist that supply teachers are paid via umbrella payroll companies. This results in a significant loss of tax revenue, causing further cuts to public services. It is a ludicrous situation that could be reversed immediately if a publicly accountable central register of substitute teachers were in place as it is in Northern Ireland and Scotland. Most supply teachers would prefer to be paid directly by schools and local authorities. They resent agencies charging high fees to schools for their services. What agencies do, does not justify their fees. The teachers do the work in increasingly challenging schools. It's a rip-off. Can the Secretary of State for Education investigate profiteering out of the Education system? Nearly 5000 signatories believe it is time to stop the rip-off. There is no benefit to children, parents, schools or communities. In a cost of living crisis, we cannot afford their services. Stop the rip-off in our schools. Get rid of the agencies and ensure that your money is spent directly on our children.4,899 of 5,000 SignaturesCreated by Shelagh Kavanagh
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Electrify the Midland MainlineThe Supreme Court recently ruled that the Government must take more action to reduce air pollution. At the moment, diesel trains pass through already polluted cities, causing more illness and premature deaths. Diesel trains also have a bigger carbon footprint than electric trains. The towns and cities along the route will not be able to meet air quality and carbon emissions targets until the Midland Mainline is electrified.730 of 800 SignaturesCreated by Hannah Wakley
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Filing a class-action lawsuit against the governmentWill you help to spread the word? We're filing a massive class-action lawsuit against the British Conservative government over its hugely unpopular, unfair and destructive Austerity plan. We see it as embezzlement of public funds. We need the best lawyer's support, and we believe we CAN WIN THIS. Please, SHARE THIS MESSAGE WITH ALL YOUR FRIENDS via any and every means at your disposal, including but not limited to facebook, twitter, email and word-of-mouth. My email address is: [email protected] People can contact Michael Mansfield QCs Chambers directly, to tell him how much they value his support and how popular this cause is already and how it's quickly going to go viral. We want half a million petitioners, all the people who attended the June 20th march and rally to Parliament. http://www.mansfieldchambers.co.uk/contact-us/17,688 of 20,000 SignaturesCreated by Tony Laing
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Make osteopathy available to all on the NHSThe petition has been sent to NHS England who responded that the responsibility for these decisions is with local CCGs; so it's over to you to send this petition, or your own personal message to your local CCG which you can find here: http://www.nhs.uk/Service-Search/Clinical%20Commissioning%20Group/LocationSearch/1. According to the NHS Choices website: "Back pain is a common problem that affects most people at some point in their life." Two years ago I developed excruciating knee, lower back and shoulder pain. Despite powerful painkillers, the pain was so bad that I was unable to stand for three weeks. My GP prescribed pain killers and referred me for physiotherapy which helped - but was very slow. After being in continual pain for a year it eventually got under control. But then a few weeks ago the pain started again following exactly the same pattern. A colleague recommended her osteopath who listened carefully to the sequence of events, looked at all the affected parts together, made a diagnosis, did half an hour of massage and manipulation and the pain was greatly reduced and after three treatments was virtually gone. I was able to continue working throughout and haven’t needed any painkillers. Many friends and family members say they've had similar positive experiences of osteopathy, while the NHS was able to offer only painkillers and physiotherapy. Physiotherapy can be effective, but adding osteopathy as an alternative would provide greater choice and may suit some people better - as well as being quick and highly effective. NHS Choices says “There is good evidence that osteopathy is effective for the treatment of persistent lower back pain. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends it as a treatment for this condition.” The total cost of my treatment was over £300. I struggled to find the money; for many people it would be impossible. So why isn’t the option of osteopathy available everywhere on the NHS? At a time when there is sharp awareness of the need for the NHS to be cost effective, osteopathy could alleviate some of its problems of overburdening and under-resourcing. And it could definitely help alleviate the pain and misery of many people with back pain. Please sign this petition if you agree that osteopathy should be available to anyone who needs it, not just those who can afford it or happen to live in an area whose Clinical Commissioning Group offer it. Useful websites: NHS Choices - Osteopathy: www.nhs.uk/conditions/osteopathy/Pages/Introduction.aspx Institute of Osteopathy - NHS matters (for osteopaths) www.osteopathy.org/for-osteopaths/clinical-development/nhs-matters/909 of 1,000 SignaturesCreated by Sabita Banerji
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Save Wythenshawe Hospital's General SurgeryThe proposed move of these services will have a detrimental effect to the people of South Manchester. Consultants and medical staff have raised their concerns over the new proposal and believe that it will have a knock on effect to the care provided in A&E and also other areas of the hospital such as Maternity and paediatrics, cardiothoracics and heart transplant. My son was treated at Wythenshawe hospital for a ruptured appendix by the general surgeons had this service not been available we would have had to wait for a transfer to the MRI by ambulance which would have been life threatening to him. As someone who uses these services and lives in the surrounding area it is vital that these services are kept at wythenshawe hospital keeping the health and safety of the people of South Manchester and Trafford at the forefront. Would you like to go to an A&E department only to be told your life threatening condition could not be treated there and you would have to wait to be transferred to a different hospital? I wouldn't ! People of South Manchester we have until the 15th July to voice our concerns when the Healthier Together Programme will either reject or comission this proposal ! Please sign and share to fight for our hospital5,475 of 6,000 SignaturesCreated by Geraldine Hulston
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PAGAN AND DRUID RECOGNITION IN HOSPITALS AND CARE HOMES DIGNITY IN CAREWe, as a growing belief section of the community feel we are under represented marginalised and ignored with in these settings and encounter intolerance and ignorance and call for an end to this and our diversity to be celebrated and officially accepted and staff educated to know about our systems of celebration of life and death and care of our sick and our elders It is gravely important our belief systems are respected and represented with in health and care settings and our community tolerated and allowed our dignity. recently a druid priestess was in a nhs hospital in the north midlands during summer solstice, one of our holy high days of the pagan wheel of the year, and was subjected to verbal intolerance and taunting by some members of staff who encouraged patients to join in, been likened to as a Satanist and weird and also told we sacrifice animals, all of these nothing to do with the pagan and druid beliefs, the priestess was so affronted she raised it with the CQC and hospital chaplaincy and official complaints are in process593 of 600 SignaturesCreated by Jacky Barfoot
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Save Brunswick Town's Post OfficeBrunswick Town in Hove is a densely-populated area and the Post Office proposed for closure is at the centre of the community, is very well used and has won many awards. Post Office Limited states that alternative provision will be accessible to residents but this provision is a mile away up a hill. We worry about elderly and infirm residents being able to access the new "merged" post office on Melville Road. Our Post Office in Brunswick Town provides a essential public service where people need it and we wholly oppose plans to close it.2,138 of 3,000 SignaturesCreated by Oliver Sykes
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