For many women reaching sixty was within sight when the state pension age was raised. The nearer they got the further away it was moved. Some women have been robbed of six even seven years pension, thousands of pounds, without a murmur of protest but now the reality of continuing to work has hit hard and for many this is a step too far.

These cuts will cause terrible suffering for families and plunge even more children into extreme poverty.

David Cameron announced we’ll welcome 20,000 more Syrian refugees. But there’s a catch. This will take 5 years, leaving thousands of refugees in limbo. It’s now up to us to show that in cities, towns and villages all across the country we’re ready to welcome people now. Aylan, the toddler who drowned fleeing Syria, was just three years old. His town was under attack by Isis. His five year old brother and his mum also died trying to reach safety.We don't want Britain to be the kind of country that turns its back as people drown in their desperation to flee places like Syria. So let's stand up for Britain's long tradition of helping refugees fleeing war. Let's show the Prime Minister that we, the people of the UK, are proud to do our part and provide refuge to people in their hour of need. Please sign and share, or start your own petition for your town or city here: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/efforts/refugees-welcome

Free boilers are given to people on benefits but not to pensioners on low incomes who do not receive benefits. Every year many pensioners die from the effects of cold and others suffer needlessly as they shiver in their own homes. They should automatically qualify for this scheme. Benefit payments are to be capped at £500 per week for couples and £350 per week for single people. This should be the level of income to qualify pensioners for free boilers - £26000 and £18200 respectively. A new combi gas boiler could tansform, and even prolong, the lives of many people who have worked all their lives and now find themselves with the dilemma of "eat or heat".

Aylan, the toddler who drowned fleeing Syria, was just three years old. His town was under attack by Isis. His five year old brother and his mum also died trying to reach safety. Yet our prime minister has just said ‘we won't take any more refugees’. He thinks that most of us don't care. But 38 Degrees members do care. We don't want Britain to be the kind of country that turns its back as people drown in their desperation to flee places like Syria. So let's stand up for Britain's long tradition of helping refugees fleeing war. Let's show the Prime Minister that we, the people of the UK, are proud to do our part and provide refuge to people in their hour of need. Please sign and share

Our government has decided to act on the current 'migrant' crisis which is due to people power through petitioning/campaigning, putting pressure on unwilling politicians to take the necessary action and provide these people with support they desperately need. I am so proud of the people of Britain for standing up and making themselves un-ignorable in this situation. HOWEVER, This won’t come without great cost to Britain, where will the money come from to accommodate these terribly unfortunate people? We still have growing numbers of homeless on our streets, our NHS is still suffering and many are still unemployed. Usually to cover the cost the government would issue welfare reform (cuts) and/or raise taxes. We've been on that merry-go-round for far too long and it only adds to poverty and suffering. THIS DOES NOT HAVE TO HAPPEN! If we look to America, in states where marijuana produce has been legalised (Colorado etc), they are metaphorically swimming in cash, with thousands of new jobs, a whole new multi-million dollar industry re-introduced into their society and we can have that too! Since Colorado became the first state in the US to allow people to trade marijuana-produce legally, from January 2014 the state took in $53 million in tax revenue in its first year!. That’s just one state. Imagine the money that could be raised in the UK, imagine what help that could do, a whole bunch of surplus cash from an inexpensive plant that grows in dirt.. The demand is definitely there for cannabis based goods, so why not end prohibition? Use the funds we make through taxation of cannabis-produce to help wherever we can, to provide opportunity wherever we can. OUR HOMELESS CAN BE HOUSED, THE UNEMPLOYED CAN RECEIVE TRAINING AND BECOME EMPLOYED, WE CAN ACCOMODATE DISPLACED 'MIGRANTS' OUR NHS CAN RECIEVE THE FUNDING AND SUPPORT IT NEEDS, WE CAN CREATE MORE JOBS, MORE INDUSTRY. WE CAN GROW, WE CAN PROSPER, TOGETHER! P.s A petition for cannabis legalisation was considered not long ago by our government, after receiving over 200,000 signatures, the response from government wasn't that which we'd hope for. you can see the governments’ response here: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/104349 <<(please also sign&share)<< Lets not take no for an answer. Lets remind them of the good this reform would do for our country and our people and those fleeing war-torn countries The benefits legalisation are too good to ignore, It’s time for change! PLEASE SEE THE GOOD IN THIS AND SIGN. THANK YOU SO MUCH

Aylan, the toddler who drowned fleeing Syria, was just three years old. His town was under attack by Isis. His five year old brother and his mum also died trying to reach safety. Yet our prime minister said ‘we won't take any more refugees’. He thinks that most of us don't care. But 38 Degrees members do care. We don't want Britain to be the kind of country that turns its back as people drown in their desperation to flee places like Syria. So let's stand up for Britain's long tradition of helping refugees fleeing war. Let's show the Prime Minister that we, the people of the UK, are proud to do our part and provide refuge to people in their hour of need. Please sign and share, or start your own petition for your town or city here: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/efforts/refugees-welcome

Aylan, the toddler who drowned fleeing Syria, was just three years old. His town was under attack by Isis. His five year old brother and his mum also died trying to reach safety. Yet our prime minister said ‘we won't take any more refugees’. He thinks that most of us don't care. But 38 Degrees members do care. We don't want Britain to be the kind of country that turns its back as people drown in their desperation to flee places like Syria. So let's stand up for Britain's long tradition of helping refugees fleeing war. Let's show the Prime Minister that we, the people of the UK, are proud to do our part and provide refuge to people in their hour of need. Please sign and share, or start your own petition for your town or city here: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/efforts/refugees-welcome

Syrian refugees are leaving their beloved country due to the civil war and pressure from Assad and ISIS. Syrian nationals are experiencing persecution and genocide , depending on race and faith. In World War Two Britain offered sanctuary to thousands of Jews fleeing persecution. Once again we should open our country and our homes to these people. This is a global humanitarian crisis. These are not economic migrants: they are refugees of a crisis of which Britain is partly responsible. We owe it to these people, as fellow humans , to extend sanctuary as relief from their suffering. It is purely by chance that they were born in Syria and we in the UK. Were the situation to be reversed we would hope the same from them.

People who are struggling to survive, should not be charged for calling numbers to arrange benefits.

The people fleeing Syria need shelter and refuge. The victims in Syria are dying from war, not starvation. This is not a migration issue. It is a humanitarian issue and with 6.5 million Syrian's displaced, asylum is the key.

Austerity and hardship affects so many in the UK today and that number is growing. Whilst the efforts of Tesco and other big retailers to support those in need of food banks is welcome (through collection points and other initiatives), offering shoppers the opportunity to gift / donate their 'points' to the local foodbank (and in the event of those who do not have a clubcard, to by default donate those unclaimed points) could really boost their supplies. Good for the food banks, good for the customers of Tesco and good for Tesco too! Non-political, humanitarian, community spirited and much needed. Especially in the run up to Christmas.