The Care Trust Plus, in partnership with North East Lincolnshire Council, will be delivering emergency food parcels alongside the existing meals on wheels service to elderly and vulnerable people across North East Lincolnshire during the bad weather.

These parcels contain a loaf of bread, one litre of milk, a box of cup-a-soup, a box of ready-mix porridge and the first package will also contain a foil heat saver blanket.

A decision, based on the weather, will be taken every Monday as to whether these packages will be needed. If it is decided to go ahead, deliveries will take place on Wednesdays.

Lance Gardner, winter lead director for the Care Trust Plus, said: “Poor weather conditions have a huge impact on older and vulnerable people. These parcels will help ensure they have enough food to stay indoors and keep safe.”

The Care Trust Plus falls collaborative have also been distributing winter survival packs consisting of a foil blanket, whistle, dried fruit, powdered milk, gloves, emergency contact numbers, useful information for bad weather conditions and a message in a bottle. They have successfully delivered 1,000 packs to vulnerable elderly people throughout North East Lincolnshire.

The message being given to all elderly and vulnerable residents is don’t go out unless it is absolutely necessary.

Mr Gardner added: “We are urging vulnerable and older people to stay at home and take extra precautions to stay safe over the snowy period.“We are asking people to check up on friends, relatives and neighbours. Take a moment to think about elderly people and their needs.

“It is also important that people stay warm in their homes. Keep the main rooms in use during the day at a minimum of 21°C (70°F) and bedrooms at a minimum of 18°C (65°F) at night when asleep and remember to wear warm, layered clothing.

“If you have concerns about someone you are supporting you can contact A3 on (01472) 256256. A3 provides 24-hour access seven days a week to health and social care advice and services for the general public and professionals.”

Home care services are still running as per normal arrangements, however there may be slight delays as people take more care on the roads.

Liberal Democrat Health Minister, Paul Burstow has written an article about public health in Britain, which originally appeared on the Lib Dem Voice website:

Britain is now the most obese nation in Europe. We have among the worst rates of sexually transmitted infections on record, rising levels of harm from alcohol, and over 80,000 lives lost every year because of smoking. These are the public health challenges the Coalition Government faces.

And what of Labour’s public health legacy?  Under Labour inequalities in health and life expectancy between rich and poor got worse.  As a result people in the poorest areas can expect to live up to 7 years less than people in richer areas.

Under Labour huge amounts of money was spent on public health, but it was spent on tackling the effects, instead of identifying the causes.  Where Britain spent big, other countries spent better.

Promoting healthier lifestyles through top-down government diktats does not work.  That does not mean we sit back and do nothing.

Leadership and action is needed.  That is why we are launching a radical plan to go further and faster in tackling today’s causes of premature death and illness and reduce health inequalities, with a public health service to make it happen.

Today we have set out our plans for a new public health service in a White Paper entitled Healthy Lives, Healthy People.  We set out a new approach that builds from the grassroots, promotes accountability, local freedom, and protects funding for public health to tackle the preventable causes of ill-health.

An end to central control and a new opportunity for local government to lead with the freedom, responsibility and ring-fenced funding to innovate and develop local solutions to the local public health challenges they face.  For the first time in a generation, central Government will not be pulling the strings.

Directors of Public Health will be employed by local government and be the ambassadors and agents for action on health issues for the local population.  In practice, this means that they will lead discussion about how the ring-fenced money is spent to improve health.  By putting local government in the driving seat, we will empower local communities to come together to tackle the challenges they face.

Local government already supports people’s health and wellbeing through their work on transport, decent housing, public space and leisure facilities, social care, children’s services and environmental health.
Putting public health in local government opens up new opportunities for a much more joined up approach.

As the White Paper sets out, new health and wellbeing boards will begin to join up the way we design and deliver health, social care and public health.  These new roles for local government come as a direct result of Liberal Democrats shaping policy in the Department of Health.  Welcomed in the recent Health White Paper consultation our reforms create huge opportunities for healthier, happier communities.

Big changes will be taking place nationally too, with health agencies being brought together to create a dedicated new public health service – Public Health England – to support local innovation.  With a ringfenced budget of at least £4billion, it will provide strong disease control protection and advice, and spread information and best practice on the latest innovations and advances in behavioural science from around the world.

There will be new financial incentives rewarding local government for their progress on improving health and reducing health inequalities, and greater transparency so people can see the results and hold Councils to account.

Our new health premium will take into account health inequalities and reward progress on specific public health outcomes.  The premium will be simple and developed with key partners.  Disadvantaged areas will see a greater premium if they make progress, recognising that they face the greatest challenges.

This White Paper marks the most fundamental shift in how we tackle our public health challenges since the inception of the NHS itself.  We have to be bold because so many of the lifestyle driven health problems we see today are already at alarming levels.  Too many people are dying too young, spending too long suffering from preventable ill-health, and the gap between rich and poor isn’t improving.

Our reforms will foster a more innovative, integrated and dynamic approach to improving public health, with local innovation replacing central control, and people and communities directly driving the change we need to build a stronger, healthier society for everybody.

Paul Burstow is Minister of State for the Department of Health

Liberal Democrat Leader and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has written to National Union of Students president Aaron Porter to explain the Government’s higher education funding proposals and respond to his ‘Right to Recall’ campaign.

The full text of the letter is below:

Dear Aaron,

Thank you for writing to me about your ‘Right to Recall’ campaign.

The idea of a right to recall was something I proposed when I first became leader of the Liberal Democrats and I am proud that it is now part of the Coalition Agreement. However my proposal was for it to apply to MPs who were found guilty of serious wrongdoing by the parliamentary authorities. My intention has always been that it should be for people found to be breaching parliamentary rules, the example I often used was that of Derek Conway.

While the Liberal Democrats have not been able to keep their pledge on tuition fees I believe we have played an important role in proposing a new system that is in line with our fair, progressive values.

That fairness includes ending the discrimination against part-time students; making sure that graduates do not start repayments until they are earning a suitable wage at a higher level than they do now; and ensuring that the lowest earning graduates will pay back less overall than they do currently.

For example, a nurse with a starting salary of £21,000 increasing to £27,000 in real terms over 20 years would pay an average of £7 a month over 30 years. Under the current system, they would be paying back at least £45 a month immediately.

I know your preferred option is for a Graduate Tax. As you know, that is something we also looked at but rejected, partly because we felt it was actually more unfair. Under a Graduate Tax people on below-average incomes would end up paying more than they would under our proposals.

If we are agreed that people should only start repaying after they graduate and that those repayments should be linked to the ability to pay then the important question is which system offers the fairest method of repayment. I firmly believe that a Graduate Contribution Scheme is fairer and more progressive than Graduate Tax.

I understand and respect the fact that you will continue to argue the case for your own preferred system and that debate is one that will continue after a new funding system is introduced. Equally I understand that part of that campaign will involve the NUS trying to pressure the Liberal Democrats.

However, I also believe that all of us involved in this debate have a greater responsibility to ensure that we do not let our genuinely held disagreements over policy mean that we sabotage an aim that we all share – to encourage people from poorer backgrounds to go to university.

Like me I am sure you have regularly spoken to people who believe that the new proposals will mean them having to pay before they go to university or say that they cannot afford the fees. As you know, there is no upfront charge and the repayments only apply to graduates who earn over £21,000. If the proposals are passed by Parliament I believe it is crucial that all of us are able to ensure that people know the true picture.

There is one thing in this debate that I believe unites all of us – both parties in the coalition; your fellow members in the Labour Party; the NUS and people throughout the country who care about higher education – and that is that the opportunity to go to university is one that everyone should feel they have. It would be a tragedy if we inadvertently allowed our debate about the methods to damage our shared goal.

I will be in touch to arrange a meeting with you to discuss this. I do not expect to change your current position, nor am I trying to stop you continuing to campaign for what you believe in, even after Parliament votes on these proposals. But I do believe that the nature of that debate, and the language we use, is important if it is not to have consequences that none of us want.

Yours sincerely,

Nick Clegg

“The NHS is a vital cornerstone of British society but it desperately needs to be brought into the 21st century,” says Paul Burstow.

Commenting on the Government’s Public Health White Paper, Liberal Democrat Health Minister, Paul Burstow said:

“The NHS is a vital cornerstone of British society but it desperately needs to be brought into the 21st century. 

“Labour’s obsession with targets and dictating from the centre has resulted in too many people dying too young or suffering from preventable illnesses and has led to huge health inequalities in different parts of the country.

“These plans are about local freedom and accountability, closing the gap between rich and poor and tackling preventable causes of ill health.”

Home Heat Helpline is a free national service run by gas and electricity suppliers to help customers who are considered to be vulnerable. The helpline can help you to access the assistance you may be eligible for, particularly if you:

• are of pensionable age
• have young children and are on a low income, or
• are disabled or have a long-term health condition.

The helpline may be able to help you by:

• helping you to identify ways to save energy
• explaining how you may be able to get reduced tariffs (more affordable prices for gas and electricity)
• helping you to apply for grants for free home insulation
• putting you on the Priority Service Register for customers with disabilities and special needs – the services on offer include: bills
  in Braille, large print and audio formats, getting meters moved to more convenient location, gas appliance safety checks and safety passwords so you know when a caller is from the gas or electricity company
• helping you to agree a flexible payment option if you have fallen behind on your bills
• carrying out a benefits entitlement check to see if you’re getting everything you are entitled to
• providing a disconnection safety net which means that you will not be cut off even if you are unable to pay your bill.

Home Heat Helpline has an online enquiry form which you can use to provide basic details of your situation and to ask them to call you back. Their website provides lots of useful information, or you can download their Little book of energy for advice and tips on reducing your heating costs

Community Advice Services are  open from Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm 

To make sure you are getting all of the benefits to you are entitled to, call into the main offices in Kent Street any day Monday to Friday between 9am and 12 noon for a free benefit check. It will only take a few minutes of your time!

You can now find the Community Advice Service on Facebook at http://tinyurl.com/3498v2q

Forecast indicates that Tuesday will see further snow

Sleet and snow showers coming in from the North Sea affected the region overnight, turning occasionally heavy.  Gritters treated the network during the evening and again in the early hours of the morning.  All main roads are running clear, however side roads have become slippy due to slushy deposits and the refreezing of melt water.

The provisional forecast indicates that Tuesday will see further snow continue to affect the region.  Strong winds may also cause any lying snow to drift.  Temperatures will stay below freezing for the majority of the period, with an ongoing risk of ice due to snow compaction.

Currently, all available resources are deployed treating side roads, footways and refilling salt bins.

THE council’s refuse and recycling services have resumed today, following a slight improvement in road conditions.

Crews will not enter side roads if they do not feel they are safe to do so. Crews will collect waste from main roads from yesterday’s rounds, if it is safe to do so and time allows.

Residents are thanked for their patience during this time. Missed collections will be entitled to put out three extra bags with their next scheduled collection.

Research commissioned by the Home Heat Helpline and carried out by YouGov has found that millions of people are not receiving free help with their energy bills because they do not think the assistance is for “people like me”.

While 5.2 million households are estimated to be eligible for free insulation grants and reduced tariffs from their energy suppliers only 12% of these have claimed free help, which neans that many households are missing out on  savings on their household energy bills which typically amount to £260 a year.

With the icy temperatures and snow spreading across the country, Home Heat Helpline and Age UK urged people to take advantage of the help on offer.

According t the survey, nearly half (47%) of people who had not claimed said they thought the benefit being offered was not meant for “people like me”, almost two thirds (64%) of those who were eligible said they either did not feel they qualified for assistance or were not sure, and almost half (45%) of those surveyed believed the help would not save much money.

Christine McGourty, of the Home Heat Helpline, said:

“Free help is available to people struggling to keep warm this winter, but too many are failing to claim because they don’t think the help on offer is meant for them.

“We need to break down those barriers so that more of us claim what we’re entitled to.

“The British public aren’t too proud to claim for help but they appear to think it’s only meant for people worse off than them.

“We want to change that perception and tell people now that the help on offer is actually for people just like themselves and could make a huge difference.”

Mervyn Kohler, of Age UK, said:

“Far too many households struggle to keep warm during the winter, yet energy suppliers actually offer various support packages to vulnerable and older households, and the key to getting the extra support is a call to the Home Heat Helpline.

“The problem is that many people just don’t realise they’re absolutely entitled to this support.

“You may not think of yourself as being eligible, but one in five of you are, and it’s well worth a quick phone call to find out what’s on offer from the energy suppliers – for free.”

People wanting to know if they are eligible for help should call the Home Heat Helpline on 0800 33 66 99 today”.

A report from the Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) has said that a quarter of farming households are living below the poverty line, and it has urged ministers to help farmers access benefits and develop their businesses.

The poorest 25% of farms have a combined household income of less than £20,000 a year, and a third of those have failed to make a profit over the last three years.

The CRC said many farmers in the UK have diversified their business or found additional ways to earn money other than from farming in order to survive, and 17% of farms are making more money from their other enterprises than they do from traditional farming activities, but some do not have the skills or opportunity to branch into new businesses such as farm shops, producing food or letting out farm buildings.

Struggling farmers are more likely to be older people grazing livestock in upland areas including the South Pennines, the South West moors such as Exmoor and Dartmoor, the North Pennines, the Borders and the Lake District.

The problems are particularly difficult for tenant farmers, as they do not own their land, and are sometimes prevented from diversifying their business under the terms of their tenancy agreement, or find it difficult to access the capital to set up new ventures.

The CRC  report also says that while farmers are able to claim the same benefits as anyone else when times are tough, the take-up of welfare payments is lower in rural areas than in towns,with about 11% of working age adults in rural districts claiming out of work benefits, compared to a figure of 16% in towns.

Only 23 of the 601 Jobcentre Plus offices are in rural areas and the lack of information, transport and internet access makes it hard for people in the countryside to make the most of welfare services, and the report says that many farmers are reluctant to take benefits because they are independent and there is a social stigma attached.

Some households also find it difficult to submit up-to-date accounts, and tenant farmers struggle to access housing benefit because their tenancy agreements do not separate the rental costs for their home from that for the land.

The CRC has called for the Department for Work and Pensions to actively promote the take-up of benefits for farming households and for the Department for Business Innovation and Skills to support farmers to develop their businesses.

CRC chairman Dr Stuart Burgess said:

“While many farming households have successfully increased production, resilience and farm incomes, one in four are living in poverty. These struggling farms are likely to have grazing livestock and be located in upland areas. Many are left trapped in poverty without the resources or support to earn a living wage. Tackling poverty among farming households is long overdue. The Government should actively promote farm business support and the take-up of income-related benefits to eligible farming households.”