2013 September

Useful links to Sept 27: Hurt from the cuts; Loan policy supports unwise lending

Benefit sanctions hitting homeless people hardest. Homeless Link has commissioned a report called A High Cost to Pay (pdf) that highlights the difficulties of the most vulnerable people in attending benefit dependant interviews. There is a call for Jobcentre Plus advisors to better understand the predicament of homeless people. Homeless Link found that the sanctions […]

FOI ideas: the Ministry of Justice data that isn’t published – but could be?

The Ministry of Justice is inviting suggestions on data that might be opened up – but the list of 43 datasets also provides lot of ideas for Freedom of Information requests. Let us know if you do anything with them!

Useful links to Sept 16th: reassess mental illness; axe bedroom tax; the new poor; CPAG update

These are some welfare links we found interesting during the second week of September. What were Ian Duncan Smith’s ‘welfare reforms’ really about?. Guardian, Sue Marsh, spokeswoman and author of Diary of a Benefit Scrounger says the reforms are frightening the most vulnerable. Hard evidence: are migrants draining the welfare system?. The Conversation. The evidence […]

Get the UCU data: higher education zero hour contracts

We’ve been reporting on the use of zero hour contracts in higher education, following FOI requests by the University and Colleges Union (UCU). Of 162 requests sent by the UCU, 142 replied. Edinburgh and Glasgow universities – both members of the Russell research … Continue reading

Teachers at top universities on zero hour contracts

Four of the UK’s top universities are among those employing the most lecturers on zero hour contracts leading to insecure and uncertain work. Research from University and Colleges Union (UCU) shows Bath, Edinburgh, Lancaster and Glasgow universities together employ 5,500 … Continue reading

The £1m cost of policing the Northern Ireland Olympic torch relay

Help Me Investigate contributor Gesbeen Mohammad has written for Northern Ireland investigative site The Muckraker on the costs of policing the Olympic Torch Relay in the region. She writes: “The final bill for taxpayers came to £1,029,749 – £205,950 for … Continue reading

Useful posts to Sept 6: welfare reforms mauled;whose upturn? dreading UC

These are some welfare links we found interesting during the first week of September. Britain 2013: children of poor families are still left behind.Guardian, Society, Poverty. Has Britain moved on since the Born to Fail? report of the early 70′s, … Continue reading

Web security book reviewed on OJB

Over on the Online Journalism Blog I’ve reviewed Deep Web for Journalists by Alan Pearce. It’s a much-recommended book for users of this site too – read the review for a summary of some of the key takeaways.

Help build an interagency map across the UK

As scores of citizens battle to keep food on the table, supporting agencies try to be effective while facing more pressure due to welfare cuts. But where are they based? From the Citizens Advice Bureau to the Trussell Trust what … Continue reading

Reporting the water industry – key performance indicators

If you’re interested in learning more about how the water industry works, Ofwat’s pages on regulating the industry provide information on the industry itself, what water and sewerage companies have to do to keep their licences, and how they are regulated. You can also find links to the water companies’ annual reports, including their ‘key performance indicators‘ The […]