It is important in society to be independent, be able to work and pay taxes and to support the system that we depend on. To then isolate people that cannot afford own transport how do we cope? Senior Citizens will not be so motivated or stimulated so this can create many health issues. Young people cannot get to work or college this creates a bleak future. Social life becomes zero without transport.

Kent Support and Assistance as it was called (KSAS), a Government Scheme funded £2.8 million pound in its first year and millions since, has just recently had removal the information of its phone service with the web page edited slightly to remove the multi million scheme's name too. You can only find information on the scheme by typing 'help in a crisis' or something similar into the KCC search bar with it's new name 'Home essentials in a Crisis'. The page has its header name changed and their number removed but is other wise the same. This seems to also be the case with other essential council services whereby you have to report/claim for help online not taking into consideration the vulnerable and those without internet access or the know how to use this method, the only choice given. This is something us a non funded organisation fill the faps with as they refer clients to us when turning people down for help was not informed of, nor any other sign posting agency we lisise with. We are already seeing the rise in cases coming to us before this at our Thanet 7 day Food Bank, non funded and run by community, something we have had to take the demand for with errors to this KCC service since it began in Spring 2013 following the abolishment of the DWP's social fund's Crisis Loans and Community Care Grants. As an organisation, we have previously fought to get waiting times down in their first year which was proven to be productive after being asked to meet with the scheme's commissioner when we swapped figures on how many people Kent County Council were helping in Thanet compared to our non funded 7 day food bank. The figures were shocking Our concerns were acted on after myself and vice chairman Robin were asked to meet the commisioner of the scheme and his colleague who travelled to meet us from Maidstone after we voiced our growing concerns through several channels Waiting times were at least 14 days often longer for a decision on helping with emergency food, gas and electric, by which time their situations had largely started to sort themselves but claimants were still receiving food and fuel from KSAS after we had supported them through their hardships within 24 hours which even the clients acknowledged to be a waste of the council money. The commissioner, Hugh Martyn listened to what we provide non funded and he called me the 'Gap Filler', he asked what we see as the need here in Thanet and was quick to act with waiting time reduced to a matter of days rather than weeks within weeks. This was funded £2.8 million pound in the spring of 2013 with further millions in funding year on year following from Central Government to provide a service to the people in need from Maidstone to the whole of Kent. Right now, the people of Kent are being let down hugely yet again. We will be gathering more figures and FOI's into exactly how many services have had their phone contact service removed. **If you would like to get involved or would like to share your story, please send us an email to [email protected] or [email protected] Kerry Keating and Robin Vaughan Lyons

Anti-immigrant hate crime in the UK has increased fivefold over the past few months (according to the National Police Chiefs' Council). The UK media has, in the words of the United Nations human rights chief, peddled "sustained and unrestrained anti-foreigner abuse" and "vilification, intolerance and politicization of migrants." Migrants are routinely portrayed as less-than-human, and unworthy of dignity and respect. The Daily Express alone is responsible for headlines such as "BRITAIN MUST BAN MIGRANTS" and " SEND IN ARMY TO HALT MIGRANT INVASION." Specsavers: is this your vision? We are calling on you to take a stand, and no longer tacitly endorse the demonisation of migrant communities by the Daily Express. Just earlier this year, the newspaper was forced to publish a correction after press watchdog IPSO ruled that a piece entitled 'Europe's leaders have no plan to cut immigration' inflated and distorted migration figures. The impact of this kind of media rhetoric is not limited to the newspaper stands: it has real-life, divisive consequences. By withdrawing a recent front-page advert from the Daily Express, you have recognised that what your brand appears alongside, matters. We call on you to take this further and withdraw all financial and symbolic support for a newspaper that is notorious for inciting racism, Islamophobia and xenophobia.

Families where the spouse of a disabled adult are already on an extremely low income so having to pay the bedroom tax, which carers for children where for example one parent may be earning an adequate wage are already exempted from, is not only discriminatory, it leads to further financial pressure on top of the stress of being a carer.

A rusty, dangerous and abandoned skate park sits on the park. A BMX track would be a perfect project for this area. Making the park a place where people can ride/race BMX. This would give kids through to adults a new experience.With local success from Connor Williams racing BMX in the British BMX championship this year. A track would be recognised as a home track for him and others that race from Calverton for training and potentially racing. ​A BMX track would bring people from all around the midlands and the country to race. Also there is a lot of interest and support from other local residents saying this would be a great idea giving the younger generation something to do and keeping them off the streets. With Hucknall and Bulwell having a track already why can't Calverton. To see the full story and keep updated on the progress visit our Village Website - http://www.calverton-nottingham.co.uk/bmx-track

Women born in 1953 have been hit twice. All people, including men, have had their pensionable age changed once and it may well change again. These women do get their pension - at the old rate, women born in 1953 will not get the increase standard rate - have no chance to increase their pension by 10% p.a. if delay receipt to increase their pension (that option is now reduced to 5%.) - we have paid NI contributions for more years than people who will benefit at the new rate. This means that any woman born in the same month (but in 1950) - received their pension at 60.5, who those born in that month of 1953 will start getting theirs at 64.9 years - by delaying their pension to receive at 64.9 like me, they would either get about 44% more pension than me for their life or have 229 more weekly payments if we both died at the same age and received our pensions at the same age. - The average life expectancy of someone 3 years old older than me is not a lot different from me. The government are changing rules by stealth. Changing these rules more than once so they can approach this in a divide and conquer way as only those effected at each change might complain. Each time they change they revisit part of the age groups they have already changed and add a further age group. If you aren't affected this time, you may be affected next time. When it happens to you, it doesn't mean that they won't revisit or change or delay again especially at a time close to when you thought you would retire.

Plans to cut housing benefit will affect people who have worked hard all their lives. Pensioners should not bear the brunt of yet further underhand benefit cuts. The hardest hit will be the poorest of pensioners, those on state pensions. The likes of my mother, who worked hard all her life and brought our family up. We've all been grafters, and now she's being punished by a government that just doesn't care. In fact, it's not that they don't care, it's that they don't even see. My 81 year old mum has been living in a two bedroom council flat for 35 years, it's her home. Pensioners like my mum will lose £14 per week or be pressured into leaving her beloved home. This is yet another example of a government which simply doesn't care about ordinary people in our country and yet again targets the most vulnerable.

Because there can be no right in a world where hospitals are filled with civilian casualties from towns turned into warzones, where parents dig their murdered children from the rubble of their homes, where neighbourhoods resemble scenes from history books and those who should be protecting them are actively contributing to the wholesale destruction of life.

at the moment each & every electric/gas quote is split between Kw/Hr & various standing charges so get them to make them all one price so people can understand them easier & see what is cheaper & dearer. Please vote for this petition to get them to organise prices we can all understand easily

The bringing into hospital, germs etc, without due care and attention to the risk of Clinicians carrying the germs and infection to patients

While we welcome action against anti-social behaviour, Sunderland city council’s proposals for new Public Space Protection Orders seem to be focused on the persecution of homeless individuals. This is particularly apparent in the plans to stop ‘bin raking’. It is a disgrace that in one of the world’s richest countries people need to feed themselves, or make a living, from the contents of public waste bins. Imposing fines on these individuals, and those who beg on our city’s streets, would be pointless and counter-productive. It would serve only to distress the individuals concerned and increase the work and, therefore, the cost of police, community workers and the CPS. We appeal to Sunderland City Council to reconsider these plans and to take steps to address the underlying problems of homelessness, poverty and substance dependence. http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/beggars-could-face-fines-under-new-sunderland-plans-1-8139928

In June 2014, the Government introduced charges for using the Child Maintenance Service. To apply for a maintenance assessment it costs £20.00, with no guarantee any maintenance will ever be received. To then have the maintenance collected, more charges are imposed on both parents. The paying parent pays an extra 20% on top of their maintenance assessment and the receiving parent has a further 4% of their maintenance deducted. This means on an assessment of £100, the paying parent actually pays £120 and the receiving parent only gets £96, with the government taking a total of £24, not including the application fee. So far the charges have totalled over £8.5 million and are rising to a staggering £1 million per month. This money should be supporting the future of children and going towards essentials such as clothes, healthy food, books, education and heating. The charges are designed as a deterrent for using the Child Maintenance Service and it is feared that thousands of children are not receiving maintenance as a result. Even the government’s own research predicted 100,000 fewer parents would make maintenance arrangements because of the introduction of charges. Where maintenance is received it is often at a lower amount, either because parents feel pressured to accept a lower payment rather than use the Child Maintenance Service and face charges, or because they use the service and have money deducted by the government. The new system also puts extra pressure on relationships between parents, particularly when there is a history of abuse and/or violence. Studies have shown how essential child maintenance is for lifting the growing number of children living in poverty out of that desperate and disadvantaged situation. The charges are due to be reviewed at the end of the year so now is the time to call on the government to end this unfair tax on single parent families. Sign the petition asking the Minister for the Department of Work and Pensions to end all charges for the use of the Child Maintenance Service.