Residents of North East Lincolnshire will be interested to know that the recent cold weather has triggered a payment of £25.00 to those who qualify.

During a very cold winter, the costs of heating can quickly add up. If you’re receiving certain benefits, you may be able to get a Cold Weather Payment for each period of very cold weather in your area. You can find out whether you qualify for help this winter from the DirectGov website.

Cold Weather Payments help people, who get certain income-related benefits, with their increased heating costs caused by periods of very cold weather during winter.

A cold weather payment is made if the average recorded temperature falls to zero degrees Celsius or below over seven consecutive days or if it is forecast there will be an averagetemperarure of zero degrees Celsius or below for seven days in a row.

How the Cold Weather Payments scheme works

The Cold Weather Payments scheme runs every winterbetween November 1st and March 31st.

A network of weather stations gathers temperature information. This is used to see whether there has been a ‘period of very cold weather’ in any postcode area.

When there is a period of very cold weather in your postcode area, a Cold Weather Payment is made to eligible people who live there.

When there hasn’t been a period of very cold weather in your postcode area, a Cold Weather Payment will not be paid.

People who live near to each other but in different postcode areas might get Cold Weather payments at different times.

How to find out if Cold Weather Payments have been made in your postcode area

You can find out if a Cold Weather Payment has been made in your postcode area by using the Postcode Search

Following the publishing of new figures yesterday, which revealed a 96% increase in the number of apprenticeships available to young people in Westmorland and Lonsdale in 2011, the President of the Liberal Democrats, Tim Farro,n has called on 2012 to be the Year of the Apprentice.

This news comes as the Coalition Government has launched the National Apprenticeships Week, which will seek to build on last year’s success with events in schools and businesses.

Commenting, Tim said:

“This is a dramatic increase in the number of apprenticeships from just 370 in 2010 to an impressive 720 in 2011, which will make a huge difference to the lives of young people in our local area.

“Thanks to the work of local businesses, and other employers, with the support of the Government, more young people across the South Lakes than ever before now have the opportunity to benefit from a variety of apprenticeships that will help to provide them with the skills needed to get jobs and build up their careers.

“Our apprentices are putting businesses on stronger ground to be successful and create jobs and growth in our area, that’s why we must now work even harder to ensure even better results to well and truly make 2012 the Year of the Apprentice.”

Commenting further, Liberal Democrat Business Secretary, Vince Cable said:

“National Apprenticeships Week is the time to celebrate the countless achievements of learners and employers, and to call on more firms to hire an apprentice and enjoy the competitive advantage they can bring to a business.

“I am very proud of the fact that at a time of financial constraint this Coalition Government has prioritised investment in apprenticeships. This has led to the creation of record numbers of apprenticeships combined with tough new standards to drive up quality.

“Apprenticeships are at the centre of the Coalition’s skills policy because we know that they work. Not only do they provide individuals with the skills they need for prosperous and rewarding careers, they also boost businesses’ profits and drive growth in the wider economy.

“We are providing extra help to enable small employers to hire their first apprentices. We will also continue to develop new advanced and higher-level apprenticeships to deliver the world-class skills individuals and firms need to get ahead.”

It has been estimated that consumers are losing out by £4.1 billion a year by not switching to the cheapest energy deal. Which? and 38 Degrees are offering you the chance to be part of a UK first – using collective power to get a market-leading energy deal – in The Big Switch.

Richard Lloyd, executive director of Which?, said:

“We are urging anyone who is angry about the state of the energy market to sign up.

“The Big Switch is the first chance to do this in the UK, and an opportunity for the energy suppliers to demonstrate that they’re serious about changing their ways and putting consumers first”

Consumers can register their interest through The Big Switch website until the end of March, when energy companies will be invited to submit a market leading deal and take part in a reverse auction.

Which? is joined by 38 Degrees and broadcaster Jonathan Maitland, who also want to see energy customers getting a better deal.

Research from Which? on the energy market shows that UK consumers could save on average £4 billion per year just by switching to the cheapest energy deal, but figures from the energy regulator Ofgem show that six out of 10 people have never switched their gas and electricity.

Richard Lloyd said:

“It’s a £4 billion free kick for the energy companies if so many of us stick with their more expensive tariffs.”

He added

“The government, regulator and energy companies have failed to move quickly enough to improve things for consumers when so many are struggling to pay their bills.”

How does The Big Switch work?

Step 1 – Consumers register their interest via The Big Switch website.

Step 2 – Which? negotiates on behalf of the people who have signed up. We’ll aim to secure a market-leading energy deal.

Step 3 – You choose. We’ll email you with details of the deal that we’ve secured, and you can decide whether to take up the offer.

There is no guarantee of a deal, but the more peoplethat join together, the greater the bargaining power of the group. You can encourage your friends and family to sign up too by directing them to The Big Switch website.

Liberal Democrat Energy secretary Edward Davey said:

“I’m delighted that Which? have developed their Big Switch, as I have long believed that collective purchasing will be a game-changer in terms of handing power back to consumers.”

Collective switching has already been tried and tested with great success in other countries and Which? are confidentthat it will be a success in the UK too.

Using the combined switching power of thousands of consumers, will place consumers in a great bargaining position to get a cheaper deal

You can read more at : http://ht.ly/8VAXV

The Office for Fair Trading has announced that Major UK electrical retailers have offered legal undertakings to improve the way the extended warranties market works.

The retailers have promised measures that include improving the information they provide to shoppers, and the launch of a comparison website.

This follows today’s OFT market study on extended warranties, which highlights competition concerns in the £1 billion per year market that could mean consumers are not getting the best value for money.

As a result of the OFT’s concerns, Dixons, Comet and Argos, the largest retail providers of extended warranties, have offered undertakings which the OFT will now consult on whether to accept, instead of referring the market to the Competition Commission (CC) for a detailed investigation.

The OFT’s market study found that, despite some improvements in the market including some lower prices, several competition concerns remain. In particular:

- Competition remains limited by the retailers’ ‘point of sale’ advantage in being able to sell extended warranties at the same time as they sell the electrical goods.

- Only around a quarter of consumers shop around for extended warranties, which remains low compared to many other insurance products.

When buying an extended warranty at the same time as an electrical appliance, shoppers do not have enough relevant information to make an informed decision about whether the extended warranty is value for money.

Pay As You Go (PAYG) warranties, where shoppers pay for a rolling monthly contract, can be very expensive if held for lengthy periods and can be considerably more expensive than comparable fixed term warranties.

To address these concerns, Dixons, Comet and Argos have agreed to:

- establish, maintain and publicise an extended warranties comparison website, to make shopping around easier
provide more accessible information via in-store leaflets, including on the availability of alternative providers
conduct regular independent mystery shopping exercises to help ensure shoppers get accurate information from sales staff – and report back to the OFT on the results

- provide clear on-shelf information about the annual equivalent prices of PAYG warranties to help shoppers understand the longer term costs of those products. This currently affects Dixons, which is the only one of these three retailers to sell PAYG warranties.

Ann Pope, Director in the OFT’s Goods and Consumer Group, said:

“Millions of extended warranties are sold in the UK each year and we remain concerned that, despite recent improvements, this market does not work as well as it could for consumers. We welcome the retailers’ initiative in offering undertakings and we now want to hear from consumers and others whether they think these will lead to improvements.

If these undertakings are accepted by the OFT it would allow us to address the competition concerns more quickly and also reduce the burdens of further, detailed investigation.”

The OFT expects to reach a final decision on whether to accept the undertakings later this Spring.

As part of the OFT’s Know Your Consumer Rights campaign the OFT has produced a short online film to inform shoppers about their statutory rights when buying electrical goods and to encourage them to shop around before buying an extended warranty.

Commenting on Liberal Democrat Transport Minister Norman Baker’s announcement of £15m to boost cycling, including £8m for transport charity Sustrans to enhance cycle routes and £7m to make it easier for cyclists to use the railways, Co-Chair of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Party Committee on Transport, Julian Huppert said:

“Promoting cycling and green transport is the right thing to do and I am delighted Liberal Democrats in the Coalition Government are taking action.

“This comes at a crucial time. Just five days ago The Times launched a cycle campaign in response to the shocking increase in fatalities among cyclists on our roads.

“It is absolutely essential people should be able to walk to work or cycle to school in a safe environment. The extra £8m for Sustrans will go a long way to achieving this.

“And the £7m for improved rail-cycle links will ensure that we continue to build a transport network which puts passengers first.”

Liberal Democrat Business Secretary, Vince Cable, has said he is “very proud” that the government is prioritising investment in apprenticeships despite financial constraint.

At the launch of the biggest ever apprenticeship week, with over 500 events planned across the country, he said:

“Apprenticeships are at the centre of the government’s skills policy because we know that they work.

“Not only do they provide individuals with the skills they need for prosperous and rewarding careers, they also boost businesses’ profits and drive growth in the wider economy.”

Head of resourcing at Network Rail Adrian Thomas said:

“We recruit smart and ambitious women and men through our apprenticeship scheme who we know if supported can go on to higher academic achievement. As a growing sector, rail needs to recruit and retain top quality engineers for the future.

“Our recruitment experience tells us that many young people find the route to higher education in engineering closed because of their GCSE choices, which has a knock on effect to A level and degree options.

“By reopening the academic doors to those who have not taken the traditional route, we hope to attract more talented women to apply and nurture that engineering expertise that will make our business stronger, more successful and better value for the British public.”

Official figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency show that women get better grades at university than men with 66% achieving a first or 2:1 compared to 60% of men. However only 15% of people taking engineering or technology undergraduate degrees are women.

As part of a new government initiative, small firms who take up their first apprentice by 2012 will be able to apply for an incentive of £1,500

The Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has underlined his support for apprenticeships with a message marking the beginning of the fifth National Apprenticeship Week. In the message the Deputy Prime Minister highlights that apprentices will now more accessible to small businesses with the introduction of a £1500 cash incentive for small businesses taking on their first apprentice under the age of 24.

Read the full transcript of the Deputy Prime Minister’s message:

“
I am delighted that the fifth National Apprenticeship Week looks set to be the biggest and best yet…”

With hundreds of events taking place across England.

I’ve long believed that we, as a country, need to put apprenticeships right at the heart of how we educate and train people.

It’s high time we broke down the outdated divide between the academic route and a more vocational path.

Not least because, if we want to get our economy growing strongly again…

We need to make the most of all of our ambitious, talented and hardworking young people.

We know that firms which employ apprentices say it makes them more productive.

We know the vast majority of consumers say they would rather use companies that employ apprentices;

And we know that, for so many young men and women, these programmes open the door to a long-lasting and successful career.

That’s win-win all round, and it’s why the Coalition Government has committed record investment to apprenticeship schemes….

Creating more places than ever before.

Recently we’ve seen some big British names announce they’ll be taking on more apprentices – HSBC, Jaguar, McDonalds, Asda…

And that is fantastic news.

But we’re also making it much easier for small firms to take people on…

Cutting red tape so it isn’t a bureaucratic nightmare…

And introducing a new £1500 cash incentive for small businesses taking on their first apprentice under the age of 24…

Part of the Government’s Youth Contract, which aims to help over 400,000 young people into work.

I want to see apprenticeships become part of the bloodstream of the British economy…

And it’s that level of ambition I want us all to celebrate and commit to this week.

Energy market reforms which will make it easier for consumers to get the best deal have been backed by Liberal Democrat MP for Cambridge, Julian Huppert.

He was given the chance to have his say on the plans at an event organised by energy regulator, Ofgem at the House of Commons.

Under the proposals, each energy supplier will have to offer a no frills tariff with a simple unit price and a fixed standing charge.

It is expected that around 75% of consumers on standard tariffs will benefit from the changes.

Energy companies would also be required to make their bills, annual statements and other communications to their customers clearer and easier to understand and they would be bound by new, enforceable standards of conduct.

Julian said:

“Any simplification of the energy market which makes it easier for consumers to understand the different tariffs available and exactly what they are being charged for is extremely welcome.

“We need the system to be completely transparent so that consumers can get the best value for money while at the same time saving energy where they can.

“These are very difficult times and we have seen energy prices going up and up. Consumers need to be confident that their energy supplier is the best one for their needs and if not, they need to be able to swap with ease.”

Ofgem is currently consulting on its proposals which were drawn up after identified competition was being stifled by a combination of complex tariffs, poor supplier behaviour and a lack of transparency.

The video, titled ‘A Parents’ and Carers’ Guide to the Internet’ is designed to educate viewers on how they can support their child’s online activities.

CEOP is encouraging organisations to hold their own lunchtime session for staff to enable parents to watch the programme together and discuss the issues raised.

The 20-minute interactive video is designed to reach families that have never thought about online safety before, while also giving professionals who work with children the right tools to engage with families.

Kristina Gregory, Manager for Crimestoppers’ Youth Brand, Fearless, said:

“The internet is an ever growing social tool with social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter giving children even more opportunities to interact online.

“We support CEOP and the work they are doing and would encourage parents to take this opportunity to watch this video to ensure they know what their child’s life online is like.”

Families across the UK are being encouraged to discover the digital world together as new research shows young people look to their parents for internet safety support.

The research – released as part of Safer Internet Day 2012 – reveals that three quarters of 9-16 year olds feel they benefit from talking to their parents about their internet use.

It also shows that parents who talk to their children about the internet help to protect against potential online risks.

But it’s not just a one way street.

The Safer Internet Day 2012 research also reveals that two thirds of young people help their parents or carers use the internet, including one in six who help with safety features like privacy settings.

Connecting Generations
Connecting Generations is the theme of this year’s Safer Internet Day and highlights the benefits of sharing internet safety know-how at home.

To help families test out their internet safety know-how together, the UK Safer Internet Centre – which is responsible for co-ordinating Safer Internet Day activities in the UK – has launched a free, online quiz.

The Internet Safety IQ Test covers safety issues related to social networks, online entertainment, internet-gaming and mobiles – and awards users with an Internet Safety IQ score.

It also provides top tips on how to discover the digital world safely, from how to secure privacy settings, to how to enjoy film and music from safe, official websites.

Try out the Internet Safety IQ test

Online behaviour
The UK Safer Internet Centre website also offers five conversation starters to help parents and children discuss online behaviour together.

A 12-hour radio broadcast will also be hosted on the site throughout Safer Internet Day to help listeners share their inspiring stories and words of advice around popular online safety issues.

Safer Internet Day is an annual initiative which promotes safer and more responsible use of online technology and mobile phones, especially among children and young people across the world.

Hundreds of high-profile partners are supporting Safer Internet Day, 2012 including Ofcom.

Click here for more information on the research that Ofcom undertakes in this area