More than 63,500 file Self Assessment on first day of tax year

HMRC urges others to follow

More than 63,500 customers filed their 2020/21 tax return online on 6 April, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has revealed.

And with almost 950,000 online Self Assessment returns received so far this tax year, HMRC is urging others to do the same and file their tax returns early. Each year, thousands of people choose to file early, as soon as one tax year ends and the new one starts.

HMRC has seen a growing trend in early filers. In the last five tax years, the number of customers choosing to file on the first day of the new tax year has almost trebled from 22,885 in 2017 to 63,521 in 2021.

HMRC has today, published information to help customers file early – how to do it, what the benefits are, and what they need to get started.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “There are many advantages to completing your Self Assessment tax return sooner rather than later, not least that if you’re due tax refund you’ll get the money within a few days.  

“Our new online guide helps answer many of the questions customers have about Self Assessment. Go to GOV.UK and search ‘file your tax return early’.”

The Self Assessment guide will help customers navigate through the tax return process. Customers do not need to wait to submit their Self Assessment, they can file at a time that suits them and avoid any last-minute rush to meet the deadline on 31 January 2022.

It includes helpful information on:

·         How to get help with your tax return

·         What to do when declaring furlough payments, Self-employed Income Support Scheme grants or other COVID-19 support measures

·         What information you need before you can start your tax return

·         Help with paying your bill, and

·         What to do if you have paid too much tax

HMRC recognises that the pandemic has been a worrying time for Self Assessment customers and is doing all it can to support them accurately file their tax returns and meet their obligations. In addition to the factsheet, guidance and help sheets are available on GOV.UK.

Customers should also be aware of copycat HMRC websites and phishing scams. They should search ‘self assessment’ on GOV.UK to get the correct link for their Self Assessment tax return online securely and free of charge. They also need to be alert if someone calls, emails or texts claiming to be from HMRC, asking for bank or other personal details, threatening arrest or demanding a money transfer. It might be a scam. Anyone who is unsure can use the checklist on GOV.UK to help them decide if the contact they received is a scam.

Children’s Eyesight: Can’t See Through The Looking Glass

Beloved British children’s book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland has been re-released with entirely BLURRED text and illustrations to highlight the importance of children’s eyesight

  • The College of Optometrists has re-released one of the best known and most popular works of English literature fiction – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland – with entirely blurred text and illustrations
  • The Blurred Edition has been commissioned as part of a public awareness campaign, after research1 revealed that up to 23% of parents don’t take their children to get their eyes tested
  • The out of focus novel can be downloaded from College-optometrists.org/Alice

The classic 1865 novel by Lewis Carroll has been re-released by The College of Optometrists in entirely blurred text, to raise awareness of the importance of children’s eye health.

The new release named ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland: The Blurred Edition’ has been launched after new research reveals that up to a fifth (23%) of parents have never taken their children to get their eyes tested.

Every single word of Carrolls’ classic, including the original illustrations by John Tenniel are out of focus in this newly released blurred edition.

As Alice herself thinks: “what is the use of a book without pictures or conversations?” – in this case, while the book cannot be read, its use is to reflect the deteriorating eyesight of many of our children and how the much-loved book could appear in their eyes.

Indeed, where iconic characters like the Cheshire Cat, Queen of Hearts and the White Rabbit have lingered in sharp focus in the memories of millions, in this blurred edition these friends and foes in Wonderland appear on the page as little more than fuzzy shapes.

For parents that do get their children’s eyes tested, the most common reasons for visiting the optometrist are due to children commenting on things being blurry, not being able to see the board at school, and sitting too close to the television (18%).

Noticing that their children don’t enjoy reading is also a reason for taking a trip to the optometrists for 9% of parents. When it comes to their own eyesight, almost one third (31%) of adults have noticed their vision get worse during lockdown, and 40% believe their eyesight has markedly deteriorated in the past two years.

Daniel Hardiman-McCartney FCOptom, Clinical Adviser for The College of Optometrists comments: “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland: The Blurred Edition hasn’t been published for people to read, but instead for the public to consider what it could be like for a child living with deteriorating eyesight.

“Reading is so important for a child’s development, but to read well, you need to be able to see clearly. We’re committed to encouraging people to get their sight checked regularly and we hope this blurred classic will help illustrate what it’s like to not be able to see everything in focus. We need to alert people to the importance of taking care of their children’s eye health as well as their own.

“Things to look out for in toddlers and young children include having one eye turned in or out, rubbing their eyes a lot, watery eyes, clumsiness and poor hand-to-eye co-ordination, avoiding reading, writing or drawing, screwing up their eyes when they read or watch TV, sitting very close to the TV, or holding books or objects close to their face.

“Having behaviour or concentration problems at school, blurred or double vision, or unexplained headaches are also factors to look out for. If you notice any of these symptoms, make sure to book an appointment with an optometrist for your child.”

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland: The Blurred Edition’ will be displayed in the College Museum. Although the museum is currently closed, when it re-opens, visitors can look through the illegible pages of blurred text themselves to understand the importance of eye health and eye examinations.

The online version can be downloaded from College-optometrists.org/Alice

All optometric practices are following government guidance and optometrists wearing PPE, to ensure each patient visit is safe. If you have any concerns about your vision, book an appointment with your local optometrist, you can find a directory of College members on our patient website: www.lookafteryoureyes.org.

The College has created a series of patient-focused videos related to COVID-19 and eye care:

New role for John Swinney

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has appointed John Swinney as Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery, as she begins the appointment of a new Scottish Government.

Mr Swinney, who has served as Deputy First Minister since 2014, will take responsibility for driving cross government action on Covid Recovery.

The role will see Mr Swinney mobilise the Scottish Government and wider public, private and third sectors to ensure a strong recovery.  He will chair a cross party steering group on Covid recovery which is expected to hold its first meeting next week.

Mr Swinney will also take the lead on inter-governmental relations, public service reform, including within government, and the delivery of a number of transformational projects across government and wider society. This includes the incorporation of the UN Human Rights treaties and the delivery of The Promise to care experienced young people.

He will be supported by the Minister for Parliamentary Business.

Further cabinet and ministerial appointments will be made today.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “Our first priority as a government is to lead the country through the pandemic and into a recovery that supports our NHS, protects and creates jobs, backs our young people and contributes to our ambition to be a net zero nation.

“Appointing John Swinney to drive cross government work on Covid Recovery is a key step in getting Scotland’s recovery off to the right start.  

“How we begin our recovery is crucial to the kind of country we can become, and that means ensuring everyone, whether in government, the public sector, the business community or wider society is pulling in the same direction.”

Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery John Swinney said: “Recovery in our schools, our health service, our economy and across our wider society is this government’s immediate priority and I am honoured to have been asked to lead that mission.

“I am determined that government will bring the same urgency that we applied to the actions we took to protect public health, to the actions we need to take to secure a fair and just recovery. 

“I will be bringing opposition parties together next week to hear their contributions and to set out how I believe we can all work together to secure a strong recovery.

“As we recover we must also remember our commitments to improve the lives of people across our society and it is a privilege to continue to lead the work across government to deliver on the incorporation of UN charters and to deliver The Promise for our care experienced young people.”

The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery will have the following responsibilities:

  • Government strategy
  • Inter-governmental relations
  • Cross government coordination of Covid Recovery policies
  • Cross government co-ordination on Covid-19 recovery & Covid-19 strategic reviews
  • Delivery and outcomes across portfolios
  • Public service reform
  • Cross government co-ordination on UN treaty incorporation
  • Resilience
  • Government statistics
  • Office of the Chief Researcher
  • Local Government Boundary Commission
  • National Performance Framework
  • Historical abuse inquiry
  • Local governance review and democratic renewal 
  • Efficient Government
  • Cross-Government delivery of ‘The Promise’ to Care Experienced Young People

Choose a name for new public square on the Waterfront

Residents and visitors to the Granton Waterfront area are being asked by the City of Edinburgh Council to vote on suggested names, or propose one of their own, for a new public square.

The square, to be built outside the historic former Granton Station which together with the restoration of the building has agreed funding of up to £4.75m, will be used for community events and recreation. This project is part of the Council’s wider £1.3bn regeneration project for Granton Waterfront.

Cammy Day, Depute Leader, the City of Edinburgh Council, said: The area is steeped in history and heritage and I’d encourage everyone with a connection to Granton Waterfront to read more about why each name has been suggested and cast their vote or offer a suggestion of their own.

“It’s important we get the right name for the new square as it’s our intention that it will become a focal point at the heart of our wider £1.3bn regeneration of the area for the community and visitors to enjoy for generations to come, while creating jobs and homes for citizens.”

The consultation on the new name runs from Tuesday, 19 May until Wednesday, 2 June: 

Suggested names

  • Esparto Square
  • Herring Square
  • Howkins Square
  • Leviathan Square
  • MacArthur Square
  • Queen of Thanet Square
  • William Peck Square
  • Station Square
  • Waterfront Square

D-Day for CALA Homes South Queensferry development plans

PLANS for a prime development on land made available from the completion of the Queensferry Crossing will be determined today (Wednesday 19 May).

Recommended for approval by planners, the 176-home South Queensferry development by CALA Homes (East) includes 44 affordable homes, 39 of which will be delivered by locally-based Manor Estates Housing Association.

The remaining five will be ‘golden share, a form of discounted price available to purchase by those on the housing waiting list’. Most of the affordable homes will be constructed early into the build process.

Approval of the Springfield site at the upcoming City of Edinburgh development management sub-committee will confirm more than £2.2million in Section 75 funding. This includes £2.15m towards education, £29,500 to improving transport infrastructure and around £37,000 towards the expansion of the local healthcare centre.

Following extensive engagement with the local community, the plans also include a range of traffic calming measures at the adjoining Bo’ness Road, as well as improved crossings, footpath connections to Society Road and Bo’ness road and a dedicated cycleway.

Keith Giblett, Chair of Queensferry and District Community Council, said: “We’ve welcomed the extent to which CALA has been willing to listen to the community. Pleasingly, it has resulted in material changes to the proposed development and the area around it, including vital works to Bo’ness road in the vicinity of the primary school.

“Go-ahead will provide a major and timely contribution towards facilities in and around South Queensferry – and we’d look forward to getting an understanding from the council on how that money will be spent.”

The development will benefit from exceptional views out to the Forth and its bridges and a broad mix of homes put forward by CALA includes 57 apartments, alongside three, four and five bedroom properties, boosting supply for a wide segment of the market.

The 44 affordable homes will feature a mix of one to three bedroom homes. CALA hopes to be able to begin work at the development as early as autumn 2021.

Derek Lawson, Strategic Land Director at CALA Homes, said: “This development has been years in the making and we must thank the local community for engaging throughout. In particular, the area around the development will be much more pedestrian and cyclist friendly – with extensive footpath connectivity.

“This process has resulted in final proposals that will boost the local area considerably, as well as providing a wide range of family homes to meet the needs of a strong local market.”

Originally identified for housing almost 30 years ago, the site, which extends to 7.5 hectares, forms part of a wider area of land originally owned by CALA, following the grant of residential planning permission dating back to 1991.

The land was then acquired by the Scottish Office in 1994 for the new forth crossing – Queensferry Crossing. With the bridge now complete, the Scottish Ministers have been in the process of disposing of surplus land. The regulations relating to disposal require that surplus land is initially offered to previous landowners, which in this case is CALA Homes.

CALA has a strong history working in the South Queensferry area, recently completing its development at nearby Dalmeny Park, where it delivered 156 private homes on a brownfield site formerly owned by Agilent. This also included the delivery of 112 affordable homes.

Protecting Scotland against COVID

Appeal for those who missed vaccine appointments to come forward  

Anyone who was part of vaccine priority groups 1-9 and missed their original appointment is being asked to come forward to arrange their vaccination.

This includes everyone 50 or over, adults on the shielding list, anyone with underlying health conditions, and unpaid carers.

Invitations have been issued to everyone aged 40 or over, with 30-39-year olds starting to be invited now. In the specific areas of Glasgow affected by the current outbreak, all 18-39 year olds are being invited with older age groups first.

Anyone who believes they should have had a letter by now with details of either their first or second dose should call the national helpline or fill out the missing appointments form on the NHS Inform site.

The system for handling missed appointments has recently been streamlined in order to speed up the process.

More than three million people – two thirds of the adult population – have now received their first dose. However, in response to the new variant currently circulating in parts of the UK, and in line with updated JCVI advice, second doses which are not already scheduled, are being brought forward from 12 weeks to eight weeks across Scotland where supply allows.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Gregor Smith said: “Our vaccination programme has been extremely successful, and we’ve seen very high uptake rates across all age groups. However, we know that there will inevitably be a small number of people who, for a variety of reasons, may not have taken up their original appointment.

“Our message to you is clear – it is not too late, and you are still welcome. Please contact us to make an appointment today.

“It continues to be vitally important that everyone takes up the opportunity to get both doses of their vaccination when their opportunity arrives. I want to emphasise that the second dose offers greater and longer lasting protection, and should not be missed.

“Vaccination is crucial in protecting ourselves, our families and communities and helping us on the path back to normality.

“Anyone who missed their original appointment, or thinks they may have been missed, should contact the Vaccination Helpline on 0800 013 8013 or fill out the missing appointment form on the NHS Inform website. They can also help you find other ways to get your coronavirus vaccination if you are unable to leave your home for your appointment on medical grounds.

“People who have been vaccinated should still continue to get tested and engage with contact tracing teams if they are a contact of a positive case. While the latest evidence suggests vaccines provide a high level of protection, they don’t yet provide a guarantee that you can’t still get the virus or pass it on to others around you.”

Rebel, rebel: Munro disciplined

Cllr Gordon Munro has had the Labour group whip removed following his abstention on the Council budget vote.

The Leith councillor believes the SNP, Labour’s partners in the sc-called Capital Coalition, is not standing up for Edinburgh.

Gordon Munro said: “I stand by my decision to abstain in the budget vote. Edinburgh needs full and fair funding. It needs to prosecute its case forcefully which it commits to do in the coalition agreement.

“I accept the decision taken by Edinburgh Labour.’’

Labour Group leader Cllr Cammy Day said: “As part of our Labour Party rules, and by not supporting the budget proposals, an internal disciplinary process from Edinburgh Labour has agreed that the Labour Whip will be removed from Cllr Gordon Munro until return of Summer recess 2021.

“Gordon is a long standing, hard working councillor and a valued member of the Labour Group.”

Despite losing the Labour whip Councillor Munro, who also abstained in last year’s Budget vote, will still be expected to support the Capital Coalition in any forthcoming votes.

Edinburgh Leisure joins forces with NappiRunz to support families to get active

Edinburgh Leisure is joining forces with city-based charity, NappiRunz, to support families struggling with nappy poverty by offering free swim nappies at four of their swimming venues.

The swim nappies will be available at Edinburgh Leisure’s Gracemount Leisure Centre, Drumbrae Leisure Centre, Ainslie Park Leisure Centre and the Royal Commonwealth Pool. Customers will be able to request a single nappy per child, per visit, no questions asked.

Ed Bethune, Duty Manager at Gracemount Leisure Centre said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Nappirunz in providing free swim nappies to families who might have found the cost of nappies prohibitive to come swimming and get active.

“All a customer needs to do to receive a swim nappy is to ask one of Welcome Hosts at the reception desk in each centre. No questions will be asked by us, other than to check what size the customer needs.”

The scheme will start on Wednesday, 19 May and will be dependent on stock levels. As Nappirunz receive more stock, they will deliver more to the four sites.

Set up in 2015 by Toyin Ware, NappiRunz provides support to families by collecting unused nappies from the local community and donating them to other charities and organisations that support families in need.

Toyin Ware said: “Nappy poverty can have such a huge impact on not just the hygiene and wellbeing needs of the child but for the parent or caregiver too.

“It’s great that another charity, Edinburgh Leisure, can help in our cause by distributing the swim nappies, meaning families will have one less barrier to keeping active.” 

To find out more about donating any unused nappies of any type, visit: Nappy Donations Edinburgh | NappiRunz

Edinburgh Leisure is a charity on a mission to help people lead healthier, happier, more active lives.  They run over 50 sport and leisure venues and are committed to creating opportunities for everyone to get active and stay active.

Their Active Communities Programme harnesses the power of physical activity and sport to tackle inequalities and combat the effects of inactivity.

For more information:   www.edinburghleisure.co.uk

GMB Scotland press for proper employment status for 2,800 HM Coastguard rescue workers

GMB Scotland is pressing for proper employment status for more than 2,800 HM Coastguard rescue workers based at 310 rescue stations around the UK.  About 900 of these workers are based in 116 rescue stations around the coast of mainland Scotland and the Islands. 

The duties of HM Coastguard rescue workers include help rescue people trapped on the coast, for example on cliffs, stuck in mud or in the water, search for missing people, report and deal with pollution and other hazards and help emergency services and local authorities during emergencies, for example flooding.  

These HM Coastguard rescue workers can be called out at any time of the day or night so they work irregular hours. They may have to work in hazardous situations for long hours and may have to carry out physically demanding tasks. 

HM Coastguard rescue worker can have other employment. Required skills include: first aid, water rescue, map work, search techniques, communications and skills needed in for local area, for example rope rescue, mud rescue etc. 

GMB Scotland is demanding that their status as workers is properly recognised and the work they do is properly valued and recognised.

Like for other recent high profile workers in irregular employment across the UK the union is prepared to litigate to obtain justice for these brave men and women. 

Numbers of HM Coastguard rescue workers on irregular hours by Areas across the UK 

Area 1 Scotland & Orkney Islands 137 
Area 2 North Scotland 126 
Area 3 East Scotland 97 
Area 4 Inner Clyde to River Tay and East Scottish Border 134 
Area 5 North East England 122 
Area 6 East of England (Yorkshire, Humberside & Lincolnshire) 134 
Area 7 East Anglia 155 
Area 8 South East England 152 
Area 9 : Southern England including Isle of Wight 202 
Area 10 : South West England 175 
Area 11 : Cornwall including Isles of Scilly 162 
Area 12 : North Devon including Severn Estuary 176 
Area 13 : South East Wales to Mid-Wales 203 
Area 14 : North West Wales 162 
Area 15 : Great Orme to West Scottish Border including the Lakes 152 
Area 16 : Solway to Firth of Clyde including Northern Ireland 190 
Area 17 : Kintyre to Mull, Isle of Arran and Inner Hebrides 159 
Area 18 : Loch Linnhe to Outer Hebrides including Skye & the Small Isles 160 

 Gary Smith, GMB Scotland Secretary, said: “These 2,800 brave men and women who work in all weathers to rescue people and save lives are denied even the most basic rights of respect and recognition by their employer HM Coastguard. 

“Staff with over 30 years experience are being axed without the basic right of being represented by their Union. The HM Coastguard rescue workers risk their lives to help and save others but are treated worse than any other Government worker. Urgent action needs to be taken to show respect for these unsung heroes. 

“The union is prepared to litigate for these workers, so they can be properly recognised as part of the HM Coastguard rescue workforce and to ensure their basic employment rights are respected.”