People with disabilities are being wrongly denied the financial support they are entitled to, causing hardship, stress and anxiety. That’s the conclusion of a new report from Citizens Advice Exeter.
The leading local advice charity is calling for the Government to tackle the flawed system which determines whether people are eligible as a result of a disability for benefits.
Its research reveals many people in Exeter and across the country are having their applications for personal independence payment (PIP) or employment and support allowance (ESA) rejected, only for the...
Macmillan Cancer Support has revealed that in 2016 it gave out grants totalling approximately £124,8001, to Devon residents who were struggling with the financial hardship that cancer can bring. Across the south west region, the charity provided just over £849,3001 in grants to help keep cancer patients financially afloat last year. With hundreds of Devon cancer patients relying on charity handouts to stay above the breadline, Macmillan Cancer Support is calling on the Government to change the law to ensure banks do more to ‘play their part’ as the financial crisis for cancer patients...
One of a pair of convicted rogue builders has been ordered to pay back more than £11,000 of his illegal earnings.
John Carroll, 26, of Cricklade, who is serving 38-months in prison for fraud, and Swansea’s John Rice, 21, who has served a 12 week sentence for money laundering had conned a string of victims in South West England and Wales. At a hearing Judge Graham Cottle ruled that Rice had earned £28,950 by laundering Carroll’s illegal proceeds and ordered him to repay what remained in his possession, £11,650, which will go to his victims.
Firefighters in the South West, along with the TUC, raised more than £1,000 at the 3 day Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival in July for the Grenfell Firefighters’ Support Fund.
A cheque was presented last week (Wednesday 23 August) by Fire Brigades Union (FBU) South West official Tam McFarlane to a group of heroic firefighters from Battersea fire station who responded to the Grenfell fire. McFarlane was joined by Nigel Costley, South West TUC regional secretary, and Joanne Kaye, South West TUC vice-chair.
Tam McFarlane said: “The support and solidarity shown by everyone at the...
A total of 35 worthy community schemes have had Parishes Together Fund applications approved by the decision making panel of East Devon District councillors between April 2016 and March 2017. The same funding is available again now.
Designed to provide financial solutions to local issues, the Parishes Together Fund is a joint East Devon District Council and Devon County Council initiative in which the sum of £1.10 per elector in each parish is put into a central pot, which parish and town councils can then apply to for funding towards community projects. All projects, apart from...
Every Spring and Autumn Freemasons from all around Devon meet to support local organisations and charities who are require financial assistance, amongst those included are Schools, Youth Centres and locally based charities including Hospices, Hospital Services and Cancer Charities.
The money is raised through the “WAKE FUND” a trust conceived by Right Worshipful Brother William Alexander Kneel, the Provincial Grand Master of Devonshire from 1970 to 1984, the late owner of Kneels laundry & dry cleaners (Now Johnsons) . Since the idea was initiated the fund has grown through the...
When it comes to budgeting and spending patterns, over two fifths (43%) of Brits say their parents have been their biggest influencer on their money behaviour while one in 10 (11%) attribute this to their partner, that’s according to new analysis from Santander UK.
Interestingly, 40 million people (78%) believe that being good with money is a learned behaviour that anyone can pick up with practice. The study, which investigates the savings habits of the nation, also reveals that over a quarter of Brits (28 %) say they overspend on a weekly basis, by a collective £788 million each...
Leading local advice charity, Citizens Advice Exeter, has released its latest advice trend statistics.
In the period 1 April 2016 – 28 February 2017 the charity helped 7267 people directly with advice and information. The advice trends over the period were as follows:
Welfare benefits Overall, the charity dealt with 10.3% more welfare benefit enquiries. The main increases being:
• 20.7% increase about disability benefits (PIP/DLA) • 12.4% increase about employment and support allowance • 2.6% increase about attendance allowance
Devon Freemasons have donated £7,500 to Devon Community Foundation to help support people in need across the county. Last week the Chief Executive DCF, Martha Wilkinson was delighted to be presented with the cheque by Ian Kingsbury, the Provincial Grand Master of Devonshire Freemasons.
The generous gift brings the total donated over the last 4 years to £27,000 and will be allocated to the Foundation’s Community Grants, supporting hundreds of voluntary and community groups offering local people in need a helping hand.
Ian Kingsbury who was accompanied by the Devonshire...
Darts Farm which has just joined Exeter Pound features in the 2017 2nd Edition of the Exeter Pound Guide published today.
Five thousand copies will be available this week from the 166 businesses in the scheme.
Martyn Goss, Chair of Exeter Pound Board said: "All our local independent businesses are enterprising, colourful, creative and above all unique! We are particularly welcome Darts Farm, a very well known and successful independent local business with a nationwide reputation." Michael Dart from Darts Farm added: "We are proud to be joining forces with Exeter Pound....
