by Paul Scully | Jul 15, 2016 | News |
Today I visited the Job Centre Plus at Helena House at the north end of Sutton High Street.
Sutton is a ‘test and learn’ centre and was therefore chosen to be the first to trial the roll out of Universal Credit in the UK.
Universal Credit is a new type of benefit designed to support people who are on a low income or out of work. It will replace six existing benefits and is currently being rolled out across the UK. The new system is based on a single monthly payment, transferred directly into a bank account.
Universal Credit will replace:
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
- Income Support
- Child Tax Credit
- Working Tax Credit
- Housing Benefit
I went along to see Universal Credit in action, to discuss what have been the benefits and challenges of moving to Universal Credit, and to learn more about what the Job Centre was doing in Sutton.
I was pleased to hear that the introduction of Universal Credit had overall gone well, and that claimants and staff were positive about the new system. In addition, the benefit of being a ‘test and learn’ centre is that they have the chance to feedback on what is going well or otherwise.
Universal Credit has also allowed the Job Centre to refocus its efforts on social justice, which it has already put at the heart of its operations. The flexibility of the benefit, which caters to each individual’s specific needs, has allowed them to better identify claimants with more intensive issues when it comes to finding work, and putting in place a support mechanism for them.
I want to thank Sutton Job Centre for having me and taking me through Universal Credit, and I’m glad to see such an efficient operation helping the people of Sutton who need them.
by Paul Scully | May 27, 2016 | News |
I popped by HSBC in Sutton today for a meeting with the regional director and local area manager to discuss bank closures.
Last year, HSBC closed their branch in Worcester Park. This had only a limited impact as the post office was nearby and customers could also go to Cheam. However, just weeks after Lloyds Bank closed their doors in Cheam Village, HSBC have also decided to close their Cheam Village branch, leaving Santander as the last bank in town.
HSBC explained to me that they have done an assessment and there are only a handful of customers who solely use the Cheam Village branch for all banking needs, i.e. do not use other branches or bank online. They said this was a difficult decision to make as they had been in Cheam since the 1930s, but they have been determined to make contact with all of the customers who only use the Cheam branch to give them one-to-one help in transitioning to the new arrangements by having an extra member of staff there one day a week. They also reassured me that there would be no staff cuts in Cheam, who will be relocated elsewhere.
As with other banks I’ve met, we discussed how banking was changing, and how they personally have adapted their branches, getting their staff out behind the counter and to the front of house with tablets to better assist customers. They also used the opportunity to inform me of the work they do in the local community, including the three-year deal they’ve embarked on with Alzheimer’s UK and Dementia Friends. In addition, they spoke of their apprenticeship programme and how they are one of the largest apprenticeship providers in the UK.
I relayed residents’ concerns about the closure, not least of which that there will only be one bank left in Cheam following the closure. As with other bank closures, I raised the particular issue of elderly, disabled and business customers, who will be the most affected by the changes. The post office on Upper Mulgrave Road can be used for most banking needs, but it is still quite a distance for elderly and disabled customers to get to from the Village, and Sutton is even further. Parking is difficult around Sutton Town Centre and small businesses who need to make more regular cash deposits are going to find it difficult to transport large amounts of cash down the High Street securely.
Cheam Councillor, Holly Ramsey, is putting petitions in shops around Cheam Village calling on HSBC to stay open in Cheam and you can sign online here. I will send this to the Chief Executive before the closure date.
by Paul Scully | May 19, 2016 | News |
Recently I went to visit a Jobs Club in Sutton to hear back from people on the last session of their course.
The Club, based at the Salvation Army on Benhill Avenue, was aimed helping people who had been out of work for an extended period of time back into the workplace.
I went along to hear about how they had found the course, but also to hear about their experiences of navigating the welfare system. They raised concerns about how people are treated when they visit the local Job Centre Plus, about the smoothness of the transition to Universal Credit, problems in getting DBS checks returned in good time, added difficulties of age and criminal convictions being barriers to employment and also the flexibility of the system as a whole.
I fed these issues back to the new Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, the Rt Hon Stephen Crabb MP, on their behalf, and have asked him to look into and respond to their concerns.
It was useful for me to hear these stories first hand, and I want to pay tribute to Mark and all the other staff at the group who do such a good job, for inviting me along to listen and discuss these issues.
by Paul Scully | May 18, 2016 | News |
On Sunday I visited St Raphael’s Hospice to support them as they hosted their Craft Fair to raise funds for the Hospice.
My wife and I joined Councillor Jane Pascoe to have a look around the beautiful handmade crafts, products and gifts that local people put on sale to help the Hospice, and picked up a few items myself.
I’m always delighted to visit the Hospice and pay tribute to the work they do. St Raphael’s Hospice cares for over 1,000 patients every year. They provide palliative care for terminally ill patients, as well as supporting their friends and families. If you would like to find out more or even make a donation to the Hospice, then please click here.
Thank you to everyone who welcome me to the event and I hope the event was a success.
by Paul Scully | May 16, 2016 | News |
Just a few weeks after Lloyds Bank closed their branch in Cheam Village, HSBC have announced that they will be closing their Cheam Village branch and Santander have announced that they will be closing their North Cheam branch.
This means that North Cheam will have no bank left at all and Santander will become the last bank left in Cheam Village.
Last week, I met with the Divisional Managing Director for London and the East from Santander to discuss their North Cheam branch closing, and the projected future for their Cheam Village branch. He took me through the justification for closing their North Cheam branch, which was largely based on the very low percentage of customers who do all their banking in branch who only use that branch. He also advised me that they believe that, unlike their competitors, they are not pushing for their customers to use online banking if they’re not prepared to do so. They sent out 20,000 letters advising of the closure, and only one letter of dissatisfaction came back, so they believe the impact of the closure will be very low, particularly as the Post Office next door has an ATM and can be used for many banking needs. Finally, all staff will be relocated to Cheam Village, meaning no job losses. They have no plans to close their Worcester Park, Cheam Village or Sutton High Street branches.
In turn, I expressed my concern that as the last bank in town, it would be particularly difficult for elderly and vulnerable customers, but also small businesses owners who need to make more regular cash deposits, to transition to using a branch further away. He promised to feed those comments back to
I will be meeting representatives from HSBC next week, but in the meantime, Conservative Councillor for Cheam, Holly Ramsey, is going to be putting a petition in shops in Cheam to stop the closure of HSBC in Cheam Village. If you would like to sign, look out for it or sign online here.
