The great DWP railcard mystery

by Steve Rose

Have you seen this card before? I’d be very surprised if you had because the DWP have made almost no effort to tell you it exists.  You are able to claim if you have been unemployed for six months or more without referral to the catastrophic work programme (9 months for 18-24 year olds and 12 months for over 25s). It also extends to those claiming incapacity benefit, ESA or income support (provided you are found fit for work). In November last year, the New Deal railcard was quietly re-named the Jobcentre Plus Travel Discount Card.
This lovely piece of green plastic entitles you to 50% Off Anytime Day and Off-Peak Day tickets (including Off-Peak Day Travelcards for travel starting outside London Zones 1-9).  Including weekly, monthly and longer period Season Tickets and Travelcards (up to 3 months in length).
You can link it to your Oyster Card and get the same amount off (PAYG) fares in zones 1-6. Brilliant! Where do I sign up? You simply visit your local Job Centre Plus, assuming of course that staff will know of this scheme. My personal adviser certainly did not.
One of the many stipulations for claiming JSA involves you searching for work with ninety minutes of your home.  Within this three-month gap, I had interviews that proved rather expensive in places like Poole and London. Whilst I had a 16-25 railcard, I could have saved more had I been made aware I was eligible for it.
I challenge you to visit your local job centre, ask a member of staff, and find a leaflet inside that explains this scheme. There was never anything in my local centre. Maybe I looked in the wrong direction or asked the wrong question. Should we be expected to know this? I fear many like me now on the work programme (or yet to be referred) do not know about this card.
It was recently announced that some of the biggest bus companies (Arriva, First, Go-Ahead, National Express and Stagecoach) and some local operators will offer free bus fare to the unemployed.  This scheme will cover 70% of the country. However, according to this Stagecoach press release, you need to fall within the remit of the discount card to apply. Therefore, those, like me, on the work programme, once again miss discounted travel.
Iain Duncan Smith famously told us to “get on the bus” to find work. Well, Mr Smith, in rural areas near me services are cut and I’m no longer eligible for discounted public transport. Thank you. Thank you very much.
It’s hard enough affording most things on £56.45 a week without navigating the expensive dysfunction of public transport.

Hodge the DODGE

Here is a comment on the post:

Why Guido Won’t Be Apologising to Hodge the Dodge

This morning the Telegraph issued a carefully-worded apology to question-dodging Margaret Hodge:

“Contrary to our report “Hodge faces challenge over family firm’s taxes” (Nov 20), Stemcor, in which Ms Hodge has a small shareholding, has not abused transfer pricing to avoid tax. We accept that there is no inconsistency or hypocrisy in Ms Hodge criticising other companies for tax avoidance and apologise to her for any contrary impression.”

Note the very specific assertion that Stemcor did not abuse transfer pricing to avoid tax. Guido never made that claim. The paper’s willingness to describe a million pound plus shareholding as “small” is odd, and crucially there is no mention of Hodge’s use of shares held in trusts. She has still yet to reply to our repeated questions, which followed a very different line to the Telegraph’s accusations and have been sent again to her today. Guido stands by everything we have written.

 Never forget, never forgive says:

December 13, 2012 at 12:12 pm

In 1985, Demetrious Panton complained about abuse that he had suffered while in Islington council’s care in the 1970s and 1980s. He did not receive an official reply until 1989, in which the council denied responsibility.
In 1990, Liz Davies, a senior social worker employed by the borough and her manager, David Cofie, raised concerns about sexual abuse of children in Islington Council care. Correspondence between Margaret Hodge and the director of social work indicates that she declined a request for extra resources to investigate.
In 2003, following Hodge’s appointment as Minister for Children, Demetrious Panton went public with his allegation that he was abused in Islington Council care and had repeatedly raised this issue with no effect. He accused Hodge of being ultimately responsible for the abuse that he suffered. Following a media campaign conducted by several national newspapers calling for her to resign from her new post, she responded to Panton by letter, in which she referred to him as ‘extremely disturbed’.
Panton then passed the letter to the press which planned to publish it, only to be judicially restrained from doing so at the instruction of Hodge. The letter was eventually published, mainly on the grounds that the blocking of the letter was seen as disproportionate. Hodge was forced to publicly apologise and offered to contribute to a charity of Panton’s choosing as recompense.


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Hodge apologises to abuse victim

Hodge: 'Genuinely sorry' for comments

Children's Minister Margaret Hodge has said sorry to the sex abuse victim she branded "extremely disturbed". Mrs Hodge said she would like to "apologise unreservedly" to Demetrious Panton for the description.
She had made the remarks in a letter of complaint to the BBC about an inquiry into a child abuse scandal in London's Islington where she was council leader.
But Mr Panton said Mrs Hodge should "do the decent thing" and resign. The Conservatives also said she should go. 
MORE ...

Full text of Hodge's letter

This is the full text of Children's Minister Margaret Hodge's letter to Demetrious Panton.
 

Dear Mr Panton, I am writing to say sorry for the distress caused to you in recent days.
I would like to apologise unreservedly for using the words 'is an extremely disturbed person' with reference to you. I assure you I will not repeat those words again.
I know you suffered appalling abuse in the 1970s when you were young and vulnerable from the very people who should have protected and cared for you.
Anyone in your situation would rightly feel angry and let down after so many years of being disbelieved.
I have never sought to belittle or invalidate the experience of those who have suffered physical or sexual abuse.
Over many decades, all victims of abuse in children's homes in Islington and elsewhere were betrayed by those in whose care their safety and well-being was entrusted.
I wish you all the best for the future and am genuinely sorry for having contributed to your pain and anger.
Yours sincerely,

Margaret Hodge MP

See for yourself on the BBC web site ...


So Margaret Hodge KNOWS about the abuse :

"I know you suffered appalling abuse in the 1970s when you were young and vulnerable from the very people who should have protected and cared for you."

 What else does she know? One does not get to the dizzy heights that Hodges has and willing to state publicly that SHE KNOWS about "appalling abuse" without being in some sort of inner circle and to state this publicly when she has not, to my limited knowledge, come forward to prosecute or testify her 'KNOWLEDGE' - The word 'I KNOW' does not imply I understand or I empathise it means I KNOW - KNOWLEDGE OF.
This is ONE seemingly innocuous MP, there are over 600 of them, quite a few ARE innocent, if there is such an MP, and I venture they are NOT involved, yet if they knew anything of this nature they WOULD come forward regardless of the harm they may come to under the military wing of this dictatorship. However there are many in THAT house that do know what is going on and it is time they washed their laundry in the OPEN.




MARGARET, thank you, you have personally opened that can that little bit more and let us see the contents. We do not see it all YET but WE WILL. You have now put yourself in danger as did Kelly but Kelly was one of the good guys. I do not see you being a good guy, quite the opposite.
Anyhow, YOU 'KNOW' how your kind deal with whistle blowers and it is 'THAT CLUB' we the people wish to bring down, HOWEVER you have made it clear YOU are NOT part of 'we the people' and I as many will 'WASH our hands of the consequences of your actions.'

Remember wisely the quote by Martin-Niemöller

First they came for the communists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.
Then they came for the socialists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for me,
and there was no one left to speak for me.

 You have chosen your side by remaining SILENT whilst all along knowing that Demetrious Panton suffered on your watch. When the KNOCK comes or the letter from your handler comes or the order from above comes to remove you as it did for Kelly and many others. You will not find any support from this quarter, UNLESS you stand tall and TELL everything you DO KNOW and name NAMES.
THEN you will have 'WE the PEOPLE' covering your back.


Ignore these offers at your peril; BUT NOT from this quarter - We the PEOPLE are none violent and do not cause harm, WE are peaceful. BE CLEAR ON THIS.

Namaste, rev phil;

 

Everyone should read this booklet

 A sovereign nation or country is only truly sovereign if it has complete control over its own money supply. The selected ten quotes I have added on the next page all show that we, the ordinary decent people of Great Britain, have a real problem on our hands. Since the establishment of the Bank of England in 1694, there has been a gradual and orchestrated attempt by a few wealthy families to ensure that all money for the country’s use is created by them out of thin air and as debt. It is vital for the future well-being of our country that money must once again serve the people and not the other way round. This complex system of money supply that can only result in spiraling debt, increasing fear and abject misery must now be taken down lawfully and without violence. Almost one hundred years ago at the outbreak of the First World War, a little known historical precedent took place which is now the key to our freedom from the private bankers and their unlawful debt and control over us.

So here’s the little known story of The Bradbury Pound
…… enjoy and be inspired!

Justin Walker
November 2012

 

This ‘system’ results in enslavement and servitude. It creates dreadful unhappiness amongst ordinary decent people and causes wars, debt, starvation, pollution and environmental destruction. It feeds on greed, fear and division. It forces people onto the corporate treadmills of mass mindless production and mass mindless consumption. It uses lies, deception, intimidation and entrapment at all times. It is a system that is so clever and so cunning that most of the world is completely oblivious to its existence. It is a system that allows a few winners at the expense of a huge number of losers. It is a system that considers itself to be unbeatable and indestructible and is now so arrogant that it believes it can control everything and everyone on its terms.

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If your interest is spiked, go ahead and read all of the booklet you will be amased and astounded.
We have been led by the nose for far too long and those responsible need to to spend the rest of their natural lives behind bars - AND after those that require it have been hanged (executed) - IN PRIVATE - but whitnessed, for their CRIMES of TREASON.

NOT to the MONARCH but to us 'WE THE PEOPLE'

ENNJOY:-
Bankers Bradbury and the carnage on the Western Front!