Six million Britons to claim benefits

Six million Britons to claim benefits

The total number of people claiming benefits in the UK has been forecast to rise to more than 6 million when official figures are published later this month, according to the Conservative think-tank Policy Exchange.

The latest official figures, published in February, showed that the total was 5.8 million. This included 1.4 million on job seekers’ allowance and 2.6 million on employment support – until recently known as incapacity benefit. People claiming other benefits – as lone parents, carers and because of disability – are also included.

Read more on this story in The Independent

Social housing plans to be abandoned as government cuts tenants’ rent

Plans to build thousands of new social homes will have to be abandoned because of the Government’s decision to cut the amount tenants will have to pay in rent next year, The Times has learnt. Housing associations will warn today that their income will fall by at least £260 million next year if the Government continues to link social housing rent to inflation.

The retail prices index is expected to fall below minus 2 per cent in September, the month when rent is set for the next year, presenting the prospect of real cuts in social rental payments for the first time.

Read more on this story in The Times

One in three nurses shuns swine flu vaccine

One in three nurses say they will not be immunised against swine flu, despite being offered the vaccine as a priority to protect patients.

Concerns about the vaccine’s safety and a perception that the infection is mild are among reasons that NHS staff gave for refusing to have the jab, a survey of nearly 1,500 staff found.
Read more on this story in The Times

Heath Ledger’s Joker ‘exacerbates stereotypes about mental health’

Heath Ledger’s Oscar-winning depiction of the Joker in the latest Batman film gives the public the wrong impression of people with mental health problems, charities have warned. Hollywood shows schizophrenics and those with other mental illnesses only as either stupid or evil, according to a new report for the Time to Change Campaign, which is backed by the Mind and Rethink charities.

Read more on this story in The Daily Telegraph

Afghan asylum seeker detained for using fake passport suing the government for causing him depression

A failed asylum seeker who entered the country using a fake passport is suing the Government for £150,000 claiming his detention caused him depression.

Fridoon Sadiqi says he started having mental health problems, including post traumatic stress disorder, after he was held for three weeks while his case was investigated.

Read more on this story in The Daily Mail