Which? urges clarity on financial help for bank customers

Which? is calling on the financial regulator to urgently provide greater clarity on temporary measures to help people struggling financially because of coronavirus, as new research reveals the huge toll the outbreak is expected to take on people’s finances.

A survey by the consumer champion carried out between 20-22 March, just before the government asked people to stay at home to stop the spread of coronavirus, highlights that significant numbers of people are expecting to struggle with their finances over the next year.

With the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) set to introduce temporary measures tomorrow designed to help consumers falling into financial difficulty as a result of the crisis, Which? can reveal people of all levels of working status are now expecting their household finances to worsen over the next 12 months, with those who work part time reporting the highest level of concern.

Taking the proportion of people expecting their financial situation to get better and subtracting the proportion who expects it to get worse, confidence among part-time workers was at -56 percentage points. The figure stands at -36 for those in full time work.

Of those that are retired, confidence in the future of their household finances stood at -49 for those on a state pension only and -45 for those with a private pension.

The research also shows that consumer confidence in the economy has plummeted. When asked whether the economy would be better or worse in 12 months’ time, confidence fell from -17 in February to -78 in March.

Worryingly, the financial impact of coronavirus follows a period in which large numbers of people were already reporting having cut back on spending, with 39 per cent of consumers in 2019 reporting that they reduced spending on essential items or took money from savings to cover their spending.

This indicates that a significant number of people may have already been close to the point of relying on credit to help manage their personal finances, and the impact of coronavirus could have pushed them to the point where they now need to depend on existing credit cards, loans or overdrafts.

Measures proposed by the FCA last week, due to come into force on Thursday, are designed to provide a temporary solution for consumers who until now have been financially stable. These include a temporary payment freeze on loans and credit cards as well as zero interest on existing overdrafts up to £500, with both put in place for three months.

However, while Which? is generally supportive of the plans, reassurance is needed that the measures can be consistently applied for customers across all banks, and that customers who take up these options will be fully aware of any longer term implications of using them.

This requires the FCA to be as explicit as possible about precisely when the payment holiday period starts – whether it is from the proposed launch date of 9 April, or from the moment the consumer requests support at any point during those three months.

There also needs to be a clear, industry-wide exit strategy for the temporary measures, which must ensure that customers do not end up in unnecessary financial hardship.

There is particular concern about how consumers will be moved off of their £500 interest free overdrafts after three months.

The consumer champion says it is vital that banks do not immediately place consumers back to their original arranged overdraft and rates at the end of any holiday period, and the FCA should consider  “easing off” interest-free overdraft arrangements in a way that does not affect credit scores.

The consumer champion believes that greater transparency will make it easier for people to access services online and make it clear that only those in the most urgent need should seek to directly contact their financial institutions. This should reduce the burden on call centres, providing a greater chance of consumers getting the help they need in good time.

Gareth Shaw, Head of Money at Which?, said: “The impact of the coronavirus outbreak is going to cause a sharp shock to huge numbers of people across the country, and many who were previously in good financial health will now require help from their banks to see them through the coming months.

“While the FCA has taken positive steps to provide assistance, there needs to be urgent clarity so that banks can apply this support consistently for everybody who is eligible, and customers can decide whether these measures represent the best option available to them.”

Student nurses step up to join coronavirus workforce

Thousands offer their skills to support response

More than 2,000 final year nursing and midwifery students have stepped forward to join the NHS Scotland workforce during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has praised the commitment and enthusiasm of those who are taking on frontline roles early, ahead of formally joining the workforce at the end of August.

So far around 12,000 students and returners from health and social care have come forward to offer their skills and expertise during the pandemic.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “We are asking a lot of nursing and midwifery students to step up at this unprecedented time when they have already experienced significant disruption as they come to the end of their courses. Their skills and experience will be vital in the coming months as we work to save as many lives as possible.

“Our response to the COVID-19 outbreak is going to require a huge effort across all areas of health and social care. It is still possible for others to offer their support, and if they are willing and able I would encourage them to do so.

“The commitment and enthusiasm of these volunteers, as with all of our NHS workers, deserves recognition and the gratitude of every one of us in Scotland.”

Chief Nursing Officer Fiona McQueen said: “I want to thank each and every student who has volunteered their support so far. The response we have received shows the incredible spirit of our future NHS workforce – your dedication is truly inspirational.”

Adam McVey: I’ve never been prouder

My street, like most, has been out applauding the efforts of those frontline NHS workers fighting the virus that has temporarily changed the way we live our lives (writes city council leader Councillor ADAM McVEY).

The gratitude and thanks to our doctors, nurses and other NHS staff is universal. It’s been inspiring to see the community spirit in these unprecedented times. It’s not just our collective applauding but the willingness of so many of our citizens to roll up their sleeves and volunteer to help those in our community in need.

Thousands of Edinburghers have signed up through readyscotland.org and volunteeredinburgh.org.uk to help make and deliver food or pick up prescriptions for those who can’t access themselves to help our City with in this enormous effort to keep all of us safe. Thank you to everyone who is putting their community and City first by doing what help they can.

Just as important as what we’re doing is what we’re not doing. For now some of our liberties have been curtailed, we’ve been asked to avoid contact with our loved ones, avoid travel and to change how we do everything like the way we work. The advice from the experts is that by staying at home we can reduce the spread of the virus and save lives.

Pictures of Princes Street, Royal Mile, Leith Walk, Dalry Road- all usually bustling with people – are empty. It’s a strong sign that we’re all listening to the message. So, to all of us who are giving up so much of what we would normally do and staying indoors, thank you.

As well as the community response, the public, private sector and third sector response has been heartening too.

Every part of the City has worked quickly to help the most vulnerable in our City and collaboration between organisations has been more than ever before.

Government and Council working with organisations like streetwork to fund and deliver safe places in our hotels for people experiencing homelessness is just one example of hundreds of the kind of coming together and “get things done” attitude which has been so important in acting swiftly to protect our more vulnerable citizens.

This too has also been about what hasn’t happened as much as what is happening. The businesses that have closed have done so knowing it will cause them serious issues. Indeed, our summer festivals have postponed until 2021 with huge impacts for our City as yet undetermined.

Thank you to the organisations who have thrown themselves feet first into solving these mammoth challenges and those who have taken bold decisions to help keep us safe. 

The Council will keep you as best informed as we can on our dedicated COVID-19 webpage, which you can access from the Council’s homepage. It has information for businesses, parents, high risk residents and information on key services which are subject to change.

Our effort as a Council has been to try and sustain as many of our core functions as possible but it hasn’t been easy. Staff numbers are down across the board due to many reasons attached to COVID-19 and it’s meant having to make changes and service reductions in areas like waste as well as the many public service we’ve had to suspend altogether.

Thank you to the people of Edinburgh for their understanding as we try our best to keep delivering for you.

I want to save my last thank you for the Council staff. It’s hard to put into words the dedication our Council officers have shown over the last few weeks but it has epitomised public service.

Our City would simply not be able to function without them. Those who have worked long days without taking a day off to make sure our City planned properly for everything we needed.

Those who are out day after day doing their jobs in essential services to keep green spaces open for our daily exercise, our bins emptied or key buildings cleaned and open. I’ve never been prouder of Edinburgh Council and I hope the City joins me in thanking our staff for all they are doing for us.

This article first published in Monday’s Edinburgh Evening News

More funding for our frontline pharmacies

Additional funding of £5.5 million will be provided to community pharmacies to help them cope with increased pressures from coronavirus.

Pharmacy workloads almost doubled during March – with increased prescriptions, staff overtime and a higher level of consultations all resulting in additional costs for the service.

The additional funding will be added to the network’s March payments.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “I want to thank all community pharmacy teams for their incredible hard work throughout this pandemic. They are doing an invaluable job to ensure people continue to receive vital medicines and care through this period of unprecedented challenge for the NHS.

“Given the exceptional situation we are in, I have taken the unusual step of asking community pharmacies to remain open on Good Friday and Easter Monday – where it is possible to do so. This will help to alleviate some pressure from out-of-hours services.

“Working with the Community Pharmacy Scotland we have agreed this initial package of additional funding for community pharmacies to help them meet some of the costs of responding to COVID-19 and to allow them to continue to meet the increased demand on their crucial services.”

The additional funding is intended to help with costs including:

• additional staff hours and locum costs
• the increased amount of medicine prescriptions
• modifications to premises such as installation of protective screens
• additional cleaning costs
• increased phone consultations

Last month it was announced that community pharmacists would perform an enhanced role during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Labradors take the lead as UK’s most popular dog breed

Protectivity research has revealed which dog breeds have seen the biggest rise and fall in registration numbers over the last two decades.

  • The Labrador takes the crown of the most popular dog breed with 35,347 registrations in newly released Kennel Club Club data, overtaking the French Bulldog.

  • When looking at breed types, utility breeds have seen the biggest increase in registrations, with a 163% rise since 1990. 

  • The Dogue de Bordeaux is revealed to have had the largest increase in registrations, with a 22,217% rise, from just 6 registrations in 1990 to 1,339 in 2019.

  • Surprisingly, the Yorkshire Terrier has experienced the greatest fall in registration numbers with just 644 registrations in 2019 compared to a huge 24,015 in 1990, as owners are favouring continental breeds over the classic British breeds.

Pet business insurance provider Protectivity has analysed data from The Kennel Club to reveal which dog breeds are the most popular and which have seen the biggest rise and fall in registration numbers in the UK between 1990 and 2019. You can view the piece here.

As a nation of animal lovers, dogs are one of our most popular pets, and with over a quarter of adults owning one, we all have our own favourite breeds. Traditionally, we’ve seen Spaniels, Labradors and Terriers among the more commonly owned breeds, but in recent years we’ve also seen ‘designer’ dog breeds become much more popular, with these posh pups costing over £1000 to buy in some cases.

French Bulldogs lose their spot as the top dog

Looking at the number of registrations in the UK in 2019, the Labrador Retriever comes in as the top breed with 35,347 registrations, overtaking last year’s top breed the French Bulldog, which has had 33,661 registrations. The “Frenchie”, as it’s more affectionately known, has risen to popularity after becoming the breed of choice for celebrities such as the Beckhams, Lady Gaga and Holly Willoughby, amongst others. However, the spike in French Bulldog purchases has also caused the RSPCA to see a 236% increase in the number of this breed entering their care over the last seven years.

The top ten sees our old favourite breeds such as the Cocker Spaniel, Golden Retriever and Dachshund, but also includes a more surprising entry in the form of the Miniature Schnauzer. Ranked as one of the most ‘average’ dogs by the Royal Veterinary College, the lack of breed-related problems and tolerant nature make the Miniature Schnauzer a good option for any aspiring dog owners, with their smart mustachioed appearance also winning the hearts of many.

The top five most popular dog breeds are:

Rank

Breed

Registrations in 2019

1

Retriever (Labrador)

35,347

2

French Bulldog

33,661

3

Spaniel (Cocker)

21,663

4

Bulldog

9,922

5

Spaniel (English Springer)

8,638

Which breeds have seen the biggest rise and fall in registrations?

The nation’s trendiest dog since 1990 goes to the Dogue de Bordeaux. With a huge 22,217% increase in registrations, the breed has seen a massive surge in popularity, even placing above the French Bulldog which comes in second with a 13,639% increase.

Despite having a long history of working roles including as a guard dog, these gentle giants make a brilliant dog to have around children, with their calm and affectionate nature making them a loyal family member.

However, it’s the biggest fallers that might be more surprising, with the Yorkshire Terrier having seen a 97% decrease in registrations. The number of registrations of the breed have been steadily declining year on year, highlighting how fewer litters are being produced.

This decline may also in part be as a result of the overall increase in registrations for popular European breeds such as the French Bulldog, causing a saturation of more small breeds in the market.

The five breeds with the greatest increase in registrations are:

Rank

Breed

Difference in registrations from 1990 to 2019 (%)

1

Dogue de Bordeaux

22,217%

2

French Bulldog

13,639%

3

Bracco Italiano

5,850%

4

Belgian Shepherd Dog (Malinois)

2,183%

5

Retriever (Nova Scotia Duck Tolling)

2,125%

The five breeds with the greatest decrease in registrations are:

Rank

Breed

Difference in registrations from 1990 to 2019 (%)

1

Yorkshire Terrier

-97%

2

West Highland White Terrier

-92%

3

Pekingese

-91%

4

Polish Lowland Sheepdog

-88%

5

Cairn Terrier

-88%

Utility breeds see a surge in popularity

When looking at the wider breed types, the change in popularity of breeds can be seen further. With a 163% surge in popularity, Utility breeds have risen by quite some margin, while Pastoral, Toy and Terrier breeds have all experienced declines of over 50%.

Within the Pastoral breed group, over 80% of the breeds analysed have experienced a decline, including larger breeds such as the Old English Sheepdog, Bearded Collie and Shetland Sheepdog. T

his downward trend in larger breeds may also be reflective of the increase in people living in city centre locations, where the urban lifestyle is much more suited to smaller dogs.

Sean Walsh, Marketing Manager from Protectivity Insurance said: “Dogs are some of our most loved pets, as they become deeply embedded and irreplaceable members of the family. Each family or owner will have their own criteria when choosing a dog, in order to ensure that the needs of the breed are met with their lifestyle.

“As a result, it’s interesting to see how our modern lifestyles have created a shift in popularity towards smaller dog breeds, rather than the larger Retrievers and German Shepherds which were once much more popular”

Deadline extended to win a brand new team kit

As a result of the Covid-19 outbreak, UK branded products and clothing specialist Recognition Express has extended the deadline for U16  Junior and juvenile  football clubs across England and Scotland  to nominate their unsung club heroes.

The prize is a brand- new strip for the whole team next season and the extended deadline for free online entry is now 30 April.

The Recognition Express franchise has local branches across England and Scotland each run by owner operators who play an active part in the communities they serve.

Nigel Toplis, managing director of Recognition Express, said: “Our annual Unsung Heroes competition is a fantastic way to recognise those who support junior football clubs.

“In these unprecedented times we appreciate that clubs need all the help they can get, which is why we are extending the deadline for entries.

“Anyone who goes over and above for the club can be nominated; from coaches and caretakers to club secretaries and groundsmen, anyone whose selflessness and commitment allows girls and boys to enjoy football in a safe, friendly and welcoming environment.

“With club sponsorship hard to come by in the best of times and with the added financial pressure facing mums and dads at the moment, Recognition Express wants to offer local teams the chance to start next season on a high note with in a brand new strip, in a design of their choosing.

“As specialists in recognition products, promotional items and branded clothing, it makes sense for us to combine donating a new team strip to a local junior football clubs whilst recognising an unsung hero. It gives us the chance to recognise the contribution these unsung heroes make and give something back to the communities our franchisees serve.”

Anyone can nominate a junior football club hero. The competition is open to all under 16’s junior and juvenile football clubs in England and Scotland.

To enter visit https://www.recognition-express.com/nominate-football-hero and complete the simple entry form.

The competition closes on Thursday 30  April 2020 and the winner will be announced from Monday 11 May.

How to make food stretch further

From freezing leftovers to serving smaller portion sizes and bulking out dishes with vegetables, families have been offered advice on how to make their food shop last longer.

Penny-pinching gurus from TheMoneyPig.com have revealed six ways to help make the food Brits have in their cupboards last longer than normal, if households are self-isolating.

By taking an inventory of all the food in the cupboards and freezer, families will be able to create meals around the food they have in the house, without needing to buy extra ingredients.

Padding dishes out with cheap vegetables will also help reduce the amount of meat needed, and it’ll also help make more portions whilst bringing the cost down.

A spokesperson from TheMoneyPig.com said: “In these difficult times it’s important to make sure that the food you have managed to buy lasts as long as possible, whilst also keeping everyone full.

“That means throwing little to nothing away and adding cheap ingredients to meals like Spaghetti Bolognese or Chilli con Carne to really bulk them out.

“A lot of these suggestions are to do with the way you store food, and ensuring you use up tins with the shortest use by date first.

“Opting for cheaper options of some ingredients will also help keep the price of dishes down, and of course being able to make more portions out of the same dish will help with this too.”

Here are six ways TheMoneyPig.com says you can make food go further:

  1. Freeze

The amount of foods that you can actually freeze is quite surprising, meaning it’s kept in an edible state for longer. As long as you freeze and defrost the foods safely, they should be able to stay in the freezer for as long as you need them to. Everything from meat and milk to fruit and eggs can be stored in the freezer.

If you have extra portions of dishes, these can also be frozen for a later date instead of being thrown out.

  1. Cupboard

Many people will have cupboards and pantries full of old tins which they haven’t used. Try and create meals around the tins with the nearest sell-by dates, as the newer tins will last longer. This also means that you may not need to buy as much food as you may have previously thought.

  1. Inventory

Write an inventory of all the food you have in the house. You can then create and make meals with these foods instead of needing to buy ingredients for recipes you would normally eat. As your inventory and list decreases you will also be able to see what food you need to buy when you go shopping. Doing this will also force you to be a bit more creative with the meals you make, pushing you out of your comfort zone by learning new recipes.

  1. Vegetables

Using vegetables, beans and pulses to fill out dishes such as Bolognese and other pastas means that the amount of meat needed is reduced. You will get more portions out of the dish which will help reduce costs. It will also be much healthier, helping to reach the goal of 5 fruit and veg a day.

  1. Portion control

As easy as it is to assume a chicken breast will feed just one person, weighing the raw weight of ingredients will ensure that everyone is eating adequately without overeating, meaning you can get more meals out of your food.

  1. Drink

The more liquid you drink, especially water, the fuller you will feel. Although you should still be eating your main meals, drink lots of water before and during mealtimes, and filling up on water may help keep the snacking at bay, which means these foods can be used in larger meals later on.

 

Don’t miss out: claim Child Benefit by phone or post, HMRC tells new parents

Parents of new-borns will still be able to claim Child Benefit despite the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19), HMRC announced today.

Even though General Register Offices remain closed for now, parents can still claim Child Benefit without having to register their child’s birth first to ensure that they do not miss out.

First time parents will need to fill in Child Benefit Claim form CH2 found online and send it to the Child Benefit Office. If they haven’t registered the birth because of COVID-19, they should add a note with their claim to let us know.

If they already claim Child Benefit, they can complete the form or add their new-born’s details over the phone on 0300 200 3100. They will need their National Insurance number or Child Benefit number.

Child Benefit claims can be backdated by up to 3 months.

This announcement is timely as Child Benefit payments increased from 6 April to a weekly rate of £21.05 for the first child and £13.95 for each additional child. Child Benefit is paid into a parent’s bank account, usually every 4 weeks.

Only one person can claim Child Benefit for a child. For couples with one partner not working or paying National Insurance contributions (NICs), making the claim in their name will help protect their State Pension.

Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Jesse Norman, said: “We need people to stay at home in order to protect the NHS and save lives. Today’s change means new parents won’t miss out financially and can keep their families safe.

The government will do whatever it takes to support people and the NHS during this outbreak, and HMRC is working around the clock to help families and businesses across the UK.

Angela MacDonald, Director General for Customer Services at HMRC, said: “It’s really important that new parents remember to register for Child Benefit, even during these unprecedented times.

“The increase in Child Benefit is a boost for family budgets but there’s more to claiming than the payments. We’re encouraging people to claim so they don’t miss out on National Insurance credits that help protect their State Pension. It also helps children to get their National Insurance number automatically at 16.”

HMRC is reminding High Income Child Benefit Charge customers of the importance of claiming Child Benefit, even if they choose to opt out of receiving monetary benefits.

The tax charge applies to anyone with an income over £50,000 who claims Child Benefit or whose partner claims it. Even if you do have to pay the tax charge, you could still be better off by claiming Child Benefit – the tax is 1% of Child Benefit for each £100 of income over £50,000.

You can use the Child Benefit tax calculator to work out how much you may have to pay, or you can opt out of receiving Child Benefit payments altogether when you complete the form, so you won’t have to pay the charge but will still protect your State Pension.

If you need help or support with this, call Granton Information Centre on 0131 551 2459 or 0131 552 0458, email info@gic.org.uk

Free pet boarding at LOVE Gorgie Farm during coronavirus crisis

LOVE Gorgie Farm is offering free small pet boarding services to aid all those pet owners who are unwell or need to be admitted into the hospital.

By taking care of the animals free of charge, the beloved urban farm intends to help to those who are unwell or have to be temporarily admitted into the hospital to focus on their health and eliminate any extra stress that having to look after pets may cause.

Although donations are welcomed, LOVE Gorgie Farm will not be charging for pet boarding services during the coronavirus crisis and owners will only have to cover food costs.

Animals eligible for these services will be rabbits and guinea pigs, rodents, reptiles caged birds and poultry.

The farm currently operates as a foodbank for the most vulnerable and delivers free breakfast every morning to the children of the community now that schools are closed.

However, its team is still working behind closed doors in maintaining the site and taking care of the animals.

Following the Government’s advice, LOVE Gorgie Farm decided to temporarily close its doors amid the coronavirus outbreak only after reopening to the public at the end of February.

Lynn Bell, CEO of LOVE Learning, the education and social care charity operating LOVE Gorgie Farm, said: “We understand how stressful it can be to feel like you are neglecting your pets when you can not give them the love and attention that they deserve. However, those feeling unwell during this pandemic must focus their energy on their health and on getting better.

“That’s why if you are sick during these critical times, we want to help take some of this stress away by providing an environment full of love and care to your pet whilst you focus on your own recovery.”

Those wanting to get in touch with the farm should contact gorgie@l-o-v-e.org.uk

NHS Lothian sets up staff testing centre at Chalmers Centre

NHS Lothian has transformed one of its health centres into a mass drive-through staff COVID-19 testing centre.

Every day, scores of NHS Lothian staff are being tested in their cars at the Chalmers Sexual Health Centre in Edinburgh, in a bid to reduce unnecessary absence and bolster frontline services.

To date, 670 staff, including doctors and nurses and their household contacts, have attended appointments at the testing station to be swabbed for the virus.

If they have symptoms and are tested within the first 72 hours, a negative result, can end family or self-isolation and allow a return to work if they are well. This is even more valuable to staff who are self-isolating for 14 days because of household contacts who may have symptoms.

Dr Tracey Gillies, Medical Director, NHS Lothian, said up to 160 staff have been tested in a day and of those around 86 per cent had already tested negative for COVID-19.

She added: “Providing access to staff testing is critical. It not only gives our colleagues reassurance, but enables staff, if they feel well enough, to return to work.

“Across NHS Lothian, we have seen fantastic cooperation, flexibility and willingness from all our teams, and this staff testing facility really does encapsulate that. Every single member of staff is doing their bit and for that, I would like to say a huge thank you.”

Regular services at Chalmers have been greatly reduced over recent days and weeks, and as a result, has meant that the centre had quiet areas, with many members of staff who could be re-deployed into different roles.

A massive operation swung into force and the area was quickly transformed into a mass testing centre, with a team of dedicated and expert staff, capable of carrying out hundreds of tests every week and returning results by text message within 48 hours.

Dr Alastair Leckie, Director of Occupational Health Services, NHS Lothian, said the teams drew on the experience and expertise gained from drive-through patient testing which was created out of the Regional Infectious Diseases Unit at the Western General Hospital during the early days of the pandemic.

He said: “The experience we gained from our drive-through patient testing has been invaluable. It helped us to know what was needed to run the service, but crucially how we could make it bigger.

“Our staff have told us time and time again that they want to be at work, helping patients and supporting colleagues. Testing provides reassurance for staff, helping to get them back to work quicker, and reducing unnecessary periods of self-isolation.

“A monumental amount of work has taken place in a very short period of time to provide this service and we are incredibly pleased and proud to see it working. Already we are looking at how we can roll this model out to other locations.”

Staff are told to report symptoms as soon as they first appear and are given an appointment at the testing centre within 72 hours.

They drive to the testing centre in the city centre and follow the signs into the facility, which is based in the car park. They are called forward in turn and a member of the team, in protective clothing, approaches their car. A mouth swab is taken and the staff member is told to drive home.

Dr Dan Clutterbuck, Consultant in Sexual Health Medicine, NHS Lothian, said: “The Sexual Health team are well used to carrying out high volume testing, and I am delighted that we could use these skills, experience and expertise to scale up our staff testing service.

“The model we have developed here is easily replicated, and our team are working with others across the organisation to enable this to happen.”