Here’s a reminder of our opening times over the holiday period –
Tuesday 24 December – all libraries close at 5pm Wednesday 25 December – closed Thursday 26 December – closed Friday 27 December – normal opening hours Saturday 28 December – normal opening hours Monday 30 December – normal opening hours Tuesday 31 December – all libraries close at 5pm Wednesday 1 January – closed Thursday 2 January – closed Friday 3 January onwards – normal opening hours
But don’t forget, Your Library is always open online for ebooks, audiobooks, magazines and newspapers! https://zurl.co/4vJR
For the fifth consecutive year, award-winning Scottish housebuilder Cruden has spread festive goodwill by partnering with Trussell, an anti-poverty charity that operates a community of over 1,400 food banks across the UK.
Since 2020, Cruden has made an incredible contribution of over £66,000 and approximately 30 tonnes of food supplies to food banks in the Trussell community, providing vital relief to families and individuals facing hunger and hardship across the UK. These collective efforts have fostered a profound sense of community and care across Scotland during the festive season.
This year, Cruden has continued its notable support by collecting an additional £9,000 in donations and over 6 tonnes of essential supplies, including non-perishable food, toiletries, and festive treats. These provisions were distributed to food banks across Scotland, to support people most in need during the cost-of-living crisis.
These achievements have been made possible through the dedication of Cruden staff, contractors, and partners, who united across six developments and the Central Belt of Scotland to contribute high-priority items identified by local food banks.
Colin Kennedy, Construction Director at Cruden, said:“We’re immensely proud of the impact we’ve made over the past five years in supporting Trussell.
“This year’s contributions are more critical than ever, and we’re deeply grateful to everyone who participated. Together, we’re making a real difference in the lives of families who need it most during the festive season.”
Sophie Carre, Head of Public Engagement at Trussell said: “Thank you to Cruden for supporting Trussell.
“Between March and September this year food banks in Trussell’s UK-wide community distributed more than more than 1.4m emergency food parcels to people facing hardship – this is an increase of 69% over the same period five years ago. More than 500,000 of these parcels were distributed for children.
“Food bank teams are working tirelessly to help people unable to afford the essentials and thanks to the generosity of supporters like Cruden, they can continue to provide vital emergency support in their communities, while we work together to end the need for food banks in the UK. Thank you.”
Councils across England will receive almost £1 billion of new funding next year to tackle, reduce and prevent homelessness
Almost £1 billion of new funding next year to tackle and prevent homelessness for councils in England
Historic levels of investment in homelessness prevention services alongside new money to help rough sleepers off the street
Supporting the government’s Plan for Change to address unprecedented pressure on housing supply
More people will be prevented from becoming homeless with the largest-ever investment in homelessness prevention services, thanks to swift government action to get the country back on track to tackle, reduce and prevent homelessness and rough sleeping.
Nearly £1 billion is being pumped into council budgets to help break the cycle of spiralling homelessness. More resources will be available for workers on the frontline who provide essential services to get rough sleepers off the street and into secure housing as well as seeing more homeless families out of temporary accommodation.
Councils will now be better equipped to step in early to stop households becoming homeless in the first place. This includes mediation with landlords or families to prevent evictions, help find new homes, and deposits to access private renting.
Local areas can also choose to channel resources into services including Housing First, which prioritises access to secure housing for people with histories of repeat homelessness and multiple disadvantage including drug and alcohol abuse. This will secure critical outreach staff to provide specialist services to help address substance abuse and offer life skills to widen employment opportunities.
This is alongside councils being able to continue funding that offers tailored support for prison leavers to access private rented homes and locally run programmes with new education and employment opportunities, as well as support groups to avoid them facing homelessness and readjust to life on the outside.
With the worst housing crisis in living memory, around 40% of homeless families are living in B&Bs or nightly-let accommodation, and the use of this emergency accommodation has doubled in three years. Many of these places lack basic facilities, leaving parents struggling to cook healthy meals for their children while councils bear the mounting financial strain.
Successive years of failure to invest in local preventative services has seen far too many homeless families forced into temporary accommodation for far too long, with a record number of 123,100 households including almost 160,000 children.
Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Angela Rayner said:“Too many people have been failed by the system time and again.160,000 children face spending this Christmas without a stable place to call home. I am determined to break the cycle of spiralling homelessness and get back on track to ending it for good.
“This largest-ever investment marks a turning point, giving councils the tools they need to act quickly and put in place support for people to tackle, reduce and prevent homelessness. It’s time to turn the tide.
“This historic funding comes alongside our work developing a cross-government strategy back on track to end homelessness, pulling every lever of the state, to ensure that we deliver not just sticking plasters but a long-term plan.
“Through our Plan for Change I am determined to tackle the housing crisis we inherited head on, building the homes we need, delivering the biggest boost in social and affordable housing in a generation and ending no fault evictions.
Minister for Homelessness, Rushanara Ali said:“We have inherited the worst housing crisis in living memory that has left far too many families trapped in temporary accommodation with no end in sight and soaring numbers of people sleeping rough on our streets.
“This is the dire legacy we have inherited as a government, and we are fully determined to take immediate action. Our funding will not only support councils delivering vital services that meet the needs of their communities but also pave the way for our long-term plan to get us back on track to end homelessness once and for all.”
A new dedicated Inter-Ministerial Group, chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister, brings together ministers from across government to develop a long-term strategy working with mayors and councils across the country to get back on track to ending homelessness once and for all.
Next year’s funding will deliver three important steps in the UK government’s long-term plan to tackle homelessness:
stopping households becoming homeless in the first place
addressing the growing use of B&Bs and nightly-let accommodation
streamlining funding structures to make it easier for councils to spend their cash.
The full breakdown of new funding includes the following:
Over £633 million for the Homelessness Prevention Grant, a £192 million increase from this year, supporting councils to prevent homelessness and provide temporary accommodation where required for families who recently became homeless, for example, through eviction or fleeing domestic violence. This is allocated based on local pressures.
£185.6 million for the Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant, consolidating the main rough sleeping and single homelessness focused grants into a single pot of money. This means councils can better prioritise when providing warm beds and shelter for people at risk, or experiencing, rough sleeping.
More than £37 million for the Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme, providing ongoing support costs to help rough sleepers into longer term accommodation alongside specialist staff supporting their mental health and substance abuse problems to pave the way for job opportunities.
£58.7 million for the Rough Sleeping Drug and Alcohol Treatment Grant to continue supporting evidence-based drug and alcohol treatment as well as providing wrap-around support staff who offer child-focused, family-centred, mental health programmes.
£10 million to the Changing Futures Programmes which offers long-term support for adults experiencing multiple disadvantage, including combinations of homelessness, substance misuse, mental health, domestic abuse.
£7.6 million for Sector Support grants that will strengthen the capacity the voluntary sector with more staff, including StreetLink that encourages people to notify their authority if they’ve seen someone sleeping rough and what local services are available to provide immediate help into emergency accommodation.
£5 million for Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots, to work with 20 local councils with the highest use of Bed and Breakfast accommodation for homeless families to put in place specialised plans to reduce the use of emergency accommodation, including B&Bs.
Local Government Association housing spokesperson, Cllr Adam Hug said:“Homelessness is one the biggest and most urgent pressures facing councils as more and more people are turning to their local council for support.
“A record number of households are in temporary accommodation – this represents a personal tragedy for each one, as well as a significant cost for councils struggling to source temporary accommodation.
“Preventing people from becoming homeless in the first place is both humane and cost-effective. The new funding announced today will be a great help to councils as they seek to end homelessness, and will help to relieve some of the financial burden they are under.
“We look forward to collaborating with the Government as they develop their cross-government homelessness strategy. To be most effective, this will need to set out national commitments from each government department, monitor and report departments’ contributions, and ensure that local partners contribute to prevention activity and targets through local homelessness strategies.”
Chief Executive of Crisis, Matt Downie said:““With homelessness at record levels, we’re delighted to see the government taking action to ensure councils have the necessary funding and the ability to use innovative approaches to tackle this crisis.
“Through our services we see the devastating impact being without a safe home has on people’s health, relationships and life chances. No one should have to spend their nights moving between night buses and no child should grow up in a B&B with nowhere to play or do their homework.
“We look forward to working with the government to deliver a bold and ambitious cross-departmental strategy to end all forms of homelessness, alongside delivering the levels of social homes needed to ensure everyone has a safe place to call home.”
Chief Executive of St Mungo’s, Emma Haddad said:““We welcome the Government’s announcement that it will be investing nearly £1 billion funding for councils next year to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping.
“Earlier this year St Mungo’s, working with partner organisations and supporters, called on the Government to extend its funding for rough sleeping services. This vital funding had been due to end in March 2025, despite the number of people sleeping rough at a record high.
“We are pleased to be working with the Government on developing its new strategy to end homelessness for good. Crucially funding for homelessness and rough sleeping needs to be a long term commitment to support the delivery of strategic and joined up services, alongside a focus on prevention.”
This funding is just one element of the government’s Plan for Change to fix the housing crisis, strengthen protections and rights for tenants, and deliver the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation.
Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions, one of the leading causes of homelessness, will be abolished as part of the landmark Renters’ Rights Bill. This will give greater security to new and existing tenancies and empower tenants to rightly challenge poor conditions.
Last week the government published a new growth focused National Planning Policy Framework as part of the Plan for Change, giving councils greater powers to build more social homes alongside vital infrastructure such as GP surgeries, schools and shops.
This supports the ambition to deliver the biggest increase in social and affordable housing in a generation, with an extra £500 million for the Affordable Homes Programme to build tens of thousands of affordable homes across the country.
The government is also bringing forward overdue reforms to the Right to Buy scheme to reverse the decline in much needed council housing and better protect existing housing stock. Decisive action has already been taken to reduce maximum discounts and allow councils to retain all receipts from sales to scale up delivery to meet future housing need.
Councils already have greater flexibility to use Right to Buy receipts to build and buy more homes as well as an additional £450 million to secure and create homes for families at risk of homelessness.
This announcement comes as the government prepares to publish its provisional Local Government Financial Settlement before the end of the year.
The First Minister has published a new edition of the Scottish Ministerial Code, further strengthening the processes to support transparency, accountability and independent scrutiny.
The new Code includes an enhanced role for Independent Advisers which allows them to initiate investigations into alleged breaches of the Ministerial Code when they feel it is warranted and without a direct referral from the First Minister. If a breach is established, advisers will be able to recommend appropriate sanctions.
In addition, the Advisers will play a role in reviewing the processes in place to manage the annual review of Ministers’ declarations of interest. The Terms of Reference for the Advisers has also published for the first time.
First Minister John Swinney said: “The updated Scottish Ministerial Code, my first as First Minister, contains the most significant changes since 2008.
“The strengthening of the Code gives a clear focus on public service and duty and the enhanced role of the Independent Advisers assures greater scrutiny, transparency and accountability.
“The new Independent Advisers Claire Loftus, Sir John Manzoni and Sir Ernest Ryder will provide invaluable advice and recommendations to me, ensuring Ministers are acting at the very highest standards of integrity and propriety.
“My thanks to former Independent Advisers Lady Elish Angiolini and James Hamilton for their many years of public service.”
West Pilton Park will benefit from over £4M of investment for improvements to access, play, wildlife, planting and recreation.
The park will become a destination and attraction for all within the local area and beyond to access good quality greenspace. Funding has been secured to enable the Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust (ELGT) to procure the services of SLR landscape architects to carry out a redesign in partnership with City of Edinburgh Council.
Following consultation with the local community, planning permission has been granted to enable the project to move to the next step of sourcing a contractor to carry out the work which is due to start in 2025.
The project is being managed by ELGT which aims to reinvigorate the public space, encouraging more people to use the park, which in turn will help improve their health and wellbeing. The development of amenities including new play, skate, and bouldering areas has been welcomed by the local community and will offer local residents the opportunity to use the park more for recreation.
A new community growing space will also allow local people and organisations to participate in community growing activities.
Well-designed, well-maintained, and accessible green space can have a positive impact on public health. Encouraging those who do not currently use the park regularly to do so could make a big difference to everyday lives.
The redevelopment will also help to mitigate against climate change, local flooding, and wildlife loss. This will include the creation of a seasonal wetland area, woodland restoration, meadow creation, and the planting of hundreds more trees across the park. This will provide a boost for wildlife and build climate resilience, as well as providing a visually attractive landscape for people to live their daily lives.
Culture and Communities Convener, Councillor Val Walker, said: “Following consultation with the local community, I’m very excited that the West Pilton Park development will be taking the next steps towards creating a welcoming green space for the community, in partnership with Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust (ELGT).
“We are fortunate to have 144 parks and green spaces across the city and 38 Green Flag Awards – so it’s easy to see why we’re considered the UK’s greenest city.
“Our parks have a positive impact on people’s physical and mental health and wellbeing by providing space for exercise, relaxation, social contact with friends and family, and opportunities for children and young people to play.
“I look forward to seeing the space at West Pilton Park take shape for our community and the development of new play areas and growing opportunities for locals and organisations.”
Chief Executive of Edinburgh & Lothians Greenspace Trust, Charlie Cumming, said: “I am delighted with the plans to make improvements to West Pilton Park, with thanks to our funders and the City of Edinburgh Council.
“The new amenities will provide an opportunity to improve the health and wellbeing of local residents as well as helping them to reclaim the park as a welcoming community space.
“The new play facilities will help meet the needs of the local children now and for future generations and will encourage greater use of the park for local families. The local community were at the centre of the consultation process, and it was their responses that ultimately guided the designs.
“Everyone deserves access to modern amenities and it’s important to have high quality greenspaces that people of all ages can enjoy. It also provides an opportunity to reconnect with nature and help to mitigate against climate change and biodiversity loss.
“It has been great for ELGT to lead on this project so far and we look forward to breaking ground soon and delivering this park for the local community.”
Green Projects Manager, North Edinburgh Arts, Valla Moodiesaid: “We are looking forward to enjoying the rejuvenated park in West Pilton.
“The plans will create an improved space which will be a welcome addition to the quality greenspace across the community, bringing multiple benefits to local people and to local nature.”
People who live, work and visit Edinburgh can now ‘bin it to win it’ by taking a photo of their litter being binned and uploading it to the LitterLotto app.
The LitterLotto is being trialled in Edinburgh for a year, in partnership with Keep Scotland Beautiful, to encourage more people to help keep the Capital looking clean and tidy.
Each month, a prize draw will see one lucky person chosen at random to win a £100 cash prize. To enter, people aged 18 and over must download the free LitterLotto app to their mobile and upload photos of themselves binning rubbish in a City of Edinburgh Council street bin via the app’s camera function. Look out for the LitterLotto stickers on Council bins.
Councillor Stephen Jenkinson, Convener of the Transport and Environment Committee, said: “Our street cleansing teams are committed to keeping Edinburgh looking at its best. They are out tidying up the city 24/7 but we really need residents to help us by binning their litter appropriately when out and about enjoying our stunning Capital city.
“LitterLotto is a new fun initiative we are trialling to help nudge people to bring about positive behaviour change while at the same time some lucky person will win a cash prize every month. It’s easy to enter and so we’re delighted to be teaming up with Keep Scotland Beautiful on this.
“I’d like to thank everyone who already bins their litter appropriately as well as the hundreds of volunteers who help us each year giving up their precious time on various litter picks throughout the city.
“There are also many other ways residents can help us to keep the Capital clean. Always use the correct bins to dispose of household waste and if you have larger items book an appointment at one of our Household Waste Recycling Centres or organise to have a special uplift collection at your home.”
David Landsberg, founder and CEO of LitterLotto, said: “We’re proud to partner with Edinburgh City Council to inspire cleaner public spaces through engaging incentives that make binning litter rewarding.
“Working together really is making a difference – let’s keep binning and keeping your neighbourhood free of litter.”
Jacqui from southwest Edinburgh, winner of the November draw, said: “It wasn’t until lockdown that I really noticed how much litter people drop – perhaps folk don’t realise that those sweetie wrappers or cigarette butts wash down the drain, into the river and out to sea. So, I decided to do something positive and bought myself a litter picker and it went from there.
“I still head out on my own but each month I join fellow Water of Leith Conservation Trust volunteers trying to prevent plastic pollution travelling downstream – it’s so satisfying knowing that we are making a difference. Winning the random cash prize with the Council and LitterLotto was amazing – I never win anything!”
People can also enter as many times as they like, as long as it’s different litter each time being deposited into a City of Edinburgh Council street bin. As well as a monthly Edinburgh cash prize, entrants will be entered into the weekly national £1,000 draw. The winners will be chosen at random by LitterLotto.
The Scottish Government is to stop the use of mobile messaging apps, including WhatsApp, on official devices following the publication of an externally-led review.
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes welcomed the review of mobile messaging apps and non-corporate technology and confirmed that access to these apps will be removed from government devices in spring 2025.
Updated guidance and training for staff and Ministers will take place ahead of the new policy being implemented.
The review, led by former Channel Islands data protection commissioner Emma Martins, was commissioned in January this year by the then First Minister as part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to improving openness and transparency.
Ms Martins makes 20 recommendations on different areas of corporate governance, including the values of the Scottish Government, learning and development process, recruitment procedures, records management and the use of mobile messaging apps. Improvement work is already underway – including strengthening the Scottish Ministerial Code and refreshing the mobile messaging app policy.
The Deputy First Minister said: “I am very grateful to Emma Martins for her time and insight in conducting her review.
“We have carefully considered the recommendations and we will end the use of mobile messaging applications to conduct government business by spring 2025. At that point, mobile messaging apps will be removed from corporate devices.
“The use of mobile messaging apps increased during the pandemic as staff worked remotely in unprecedented and difficult circumstances. Having reflected on our working practices, we are now implementing changes to the use of mobile messaging apps.
“Ms Martins’ timely review sets out some of the most challenging issues facing all governments. Work has already started to implement recommendations, and we will build on that work to ensure that data management, especially in relation to new technologies, is as robust as possible in order to continue to deliver efficient and effective public services.”
Emma Martins said: “I was pleased to be appointed to conduct this review and I am grateful to the Scottish Government for the open and constructive way in which they have engaged with me throughout.
“Technologies are changing our lives at home and in the workplace. No organisation can afford to sit back and hope that navigating those changes will come without effort. Values need to be clear, individuals need to engage, and governance needs to be effective.
“The Scottish Government already understands this and there a number of improvements already in train. It is my sincere hope that the recommendations in this review serve as additional fuel for that important journey.”
Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has extended its partnership with gas distribution network SGN to raise awareness about the dangers of carbon monoxide (CO) and protect communities from its potentially deadly effects.
Many people in the UK using carbon fuelled appliances, such as gas cookers, are not aware of the dangers of CO and do not have a working audible CO alarm. In 2020, out of 8,000 people surveyed, 45% didn’t know that CO doesn’t have a smell, while only 42% had a working audible CO alarm.
As part of the collaboration, they will work together to provide essential safety advice focusing on the hidden dangers of the colourless and odourless gas that can be fatal. They will also promote the importance of installing CO alarms and maintaining gas appliances, helping to ensure even more homes across Scotland remain safe. All the areas covered are listed below.
The initiative builds upon our existing partnerships with SFRS operating in Clackmannanshire, Fife & Stirling, and Perth & Kinross, Angus and Dundee (PKAD), as well as similar partnerships we’ve rolled out in southern England, where they’ve seen a positive impact in educating the public about CO safety.
We’ve provided CO alarms to each SFRS partner to give to customers in their area during Home Fire Safety Visits. Alongside the lifesaving CO alarms, customers will also receive a helpful tips leaflet which provides all the information they need to stay safe from the ‘silent killer’, and what steps to follow if they suspect CO is present in their home. We’ve produced and shared this leaflet in nine additional languages to meet regional community needs.
Our Social Impact Programme Lead Dan Edwards said: “One of the major aspects of my role is developing projects and partnerships using the Vulnerability and Carbon Monoxide Allowance (VCMA) to raise CO awareness and reduce CO harm.
“Working alongside Scottish Fire and Rescue Service means we can reach even more customers within our network area to make sure everyone stays safe and well. Partnering with vital emergency services to help us spread the word on the dangers of CO will help us to meet our top priority of keeping our customers safe and well all year round.”
The partnership now includes:
Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray (ACAM)
Argyll & Bute, East and West Dunbartonshire (EWDAB)
Clackmannanshire, Fife & Stirling (CFS)
Dumfries & Galloway (DG)
Edinburgh
East, North and South Ayrshire (ENSA)
East Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire and Inverclyde (ERRI)
Falkirk and West Lothian (FWL)
Glasgow (GLA)
Highlands
Lanarkshire (LAN)
Midlothian, East Lothian and Scottish Borders
Perth & Kinross, Angus and Dundee (PKAD)
Steven Low, Group Commander for the Safer Homes Team at Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, said: “We’re delighted to extend our partnership with SGN to all SFRS areas across mainland Scotland.
“We’ve been working together closely for many years and we know our collaborative approach has been an effective way of achieving our joint goals of making our communities safer.”
People with back, joint, and muscle issues living in areas with the worst waiting lists for musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions are set to be treated quicker and supported back into employment as the Government ‘gets Britain working’.
£3.5million funding boost to be shared by 17 NHS areas to trial innovative ways to treat musculoskeletal conditions (MSK)
646,000 people off work with MSK conditions – around 1 in 4 of the record 2.8 million people on long-term sickness benefits
Funding is part of the Government’s Plan for Change to deliver growth, put more money in people’s pockets, and get the NHS back on its feet
As part of the Government’s drive to tackle economic inactivity – where someone is out of work and not looking for work – 17 Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) across England will share part of a £3.5million package to improve MSK services.
The funding will see each area receive up to £300,000 to treat one of the main drivers of economic inactivity, and is part of the Government’s Plan for Change which will put more money into people’s pockets and get the NHS back on its feet.
The MSK Community Delivery Programme will be administered through NHS England’s Getting it Right First Time (GIRFT) programme, and will give ICBs the resources and leadership to develop more efficient ways of getting MSK patients treated, off waiting lists and back onto the path of employment.
Minister for Employment, Alison McGovern MP, said: “For too long people locked out of work with health issues have been forgotten about and denied the support they need to get well and get working.
“It’s stifling our economy and preventing those eager to progress in life from unleashing their full potential.
“This multi-million-pound funding boost means musculoskeletal patients across the country will get the help they need, as we give clinical leaders the resources to innovate, get people off waiting lists and get Britain working again.”
There are 2.8million people economically inactive due to long-term health and MSK is the second largest reason given, behind mental health. Around 646,000 people – around 1 in 4 (23%) – said MSK was their primary condition.
Waiting lists for MSK community services are the highest of all community waits in England, at 348,799 people in September 2024, with approximately 23.4 million working days in the UK being lost due to MSK conditions in 2022 alone.
Minister for Public Health and Prevention, Andrew Gwynne, said: “With prevention, early detection and treatment, we know that the 17 million people with musculoskeletal issues in England could better manage their conditions, improving their quality of life and enabling them to rejoin the workforce.
“Through the Plan for Change, the government is taking decisive action to drive down waiting lists, improve treatment options and boost the economy.”
Several of the 17 ICB locations spearheading the delivery of this programme also host NHS England’s Further Faster 20 programme and the Government’s recently announced WorkWell programme – meaning people with MSK conditions will benefit from an amalgamated approach of reduced waiting lists combined with intensive and bespoke employment support.
Professor Tim Briggs, NHS England’s National Director of Clinical Improvement and Elective Recovery and Chair of the Getting it Right First Time programme, said: “The NHS has a proven record of spearheading improvements through the Getting it Right First Time Programme and this initiative could make a real difference to people with MSK conditions– providing them with the care they need and helping them to return to work.
“Local health systems will be able to assess their current services and share examples of best practice to roll out innovative ways of working, as well as improving data on how services are performing.”
Deborah Alsina MBE, Chief Executive of Versus Arthritis, said: “With over 20 million people living with musculoskeletal conditions, including 10 million with arthritis, Versus Arthritis understands the devastating impact these conditions can have on working lives.
“Arthritis can cause debilitating pain, joint stiffness and prevent people doing everyday tasks, with work sometimes made to feel an impossible challenge.
“MSK Community Services can be an invaluable resource for people with arthritis, and we are delighted to see the launch of this programme in dedicated sites across England, and in the future across the whole country.”
The Government announced the launch of the Get Britain Working White Paper in November as part of the biggest reforms to employment support for a generation, bringing together skills and health to get more people into work and get on in work.
Women who say they weren’t given fair notice about a rise in State Pension age will NOT receive compensation, Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall confirmed yesterday.
Angela Madden, chairwoman of Women Against State Pension Inequality (Waspi) said: “The Government has made an unprecedented political choice to ignore the clear recommendations of an independent watchdog which ordered ministers urgently to compensate Waspi women nine months ago.
Waspi campaigner Jan Fulster told BBC Breakfast she feels feels “very let down” by the government. “We’d expected that the government would do the decent thing,” she said.
She adds she was shocked by the decision not to pay compensation because many senior Labour figures had been supportive of the Waspi campaign while in opposition.
“It just feels as if it’s all been a lie,” she says.
WASPI’s response to the Minister’s statement:
“The Government has today made an unprecedented political choice to ignore the clear recommendations of an independent watchdog which ordered ministers urgently to compensate WASPI women nine months ago.
“This is a bizarre and totally unjustified move which will leave everyone asking what the point of an ombudsman is if ministers can simply ignore their decisions. It feels like a decision that would make the likes of Boris Johnson and Donald Trump blush.
“The idea that an ‘action plan’ to avoid such mistakes in future should be the result of a six-year Ombudsman’s investigation is an insult both to the women and to the PHSO process.
“An overwhelming majority of MPs back WASPI’s calls for fair compensation and all options remain on the table.
“Parliament must now seek an alternative mechanism to force this issue on to the order paper so justice can be done.”
UNITE General Secretary Sharon Graham, said: “@GOVUK’s decision not to compensate the @WASPI_Campaign women despite the Ombudsmen’s recommendations is a disgrace.
“Ministers are making the wrong choices – they need to turn back now because voters will not forgive them.”
Labour MP John McDonnell said yesterday: “I am not in Parliament today as I have the flu that’s going round & I am just feeling too ill but having heard of the government’s rejection of any compensation for the Waspi women I believe they will consider this to be a betrayal & I doubt if they will just go away quietly.”
