Local News

Redcar MP Anna Turley has joined with Redcar & Cleveland Citizens Advice to call for the Universal Credit rollout to be paused before more people are forced into debt and poverty;

A court has heard how 66-year-old woman swindled companies out of nearly £15,000 in a three-year spending spree;

...and our areas hugely popular National Festival of Thrift has been shortlisted for two national awards.

Redcar MP Anna Turley has joined with Redcar & Cleveland Citizens Advice to call for the Universal Credit rollout to be paused before more people are forced into debt and poverty.

The welfare reform was originally designed to simplify the system by rolling six working-age benefits for people in or out of work into one monthly payment.

However, claimants have to wait a minimum of six weeks before receiving any payment under Universal Credit.

The Government's own statistics show that one in four new claims are not being paid in full in six weeks, and 1 in 10 are waiting more than 10 weeks. The delay is forcing people into rent arrears and debt.

Applicants also have to call a helpline to complete their claim at a cost of 55p per minute.

In Redcar and Cleveland only newly unemployed people are affected by Universal Credit.

A court has heard how 66-year-old woman swindled companies out of nearly £15,000 in a three-year spending spree.

Teesside Crown Court heard yesterday how Carol Smith of Eston used false documents to obtain a car, mobile phones, and loans between 2012 and 2015, using a fake ID which she claimed she bought online.

However the court also heard that her spending might have been influenced by medication she had been prescribed.

Smith, of Birkdale Drive in Eston, admitted 12 charges of fraud and asked for four similar offences to be taken into account.

She was given a 14-month prison sentence suspended for two years with supervision.

Our areas hugely popular National Festival of Thrift has been shortlisted for two national awards.

The UK’s national celebration of sustainable living, which attracted over 45,000 visitors to Kirkleatham near Redcar over the weekend of 23 and 24 September, is shortlisted for the best family festival as well as best medium festival categories in this year’s UK Festival Awards.

The winners are decided by a combination of public vote and industry judges.

Voting is via the UK Festival Awards website at festivalawards.com