11 hours agoworld NewsComments Off on Ex-Man City star who Trent Alexander-Arnold branded ‘toughest opponent’ joins eighth-tier minnows on free transfer
TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD’S toughest-ever opponent Brandon Barker has joined an eighth-tier side.
The winger has signed for Avro FC, who are 14th in the Northern Premier League Western Division.
GettyFormer Rangers star Brandon Barker has signed for Arvo FC[/caption]
The winger once gave Trent Alexander-Arnold the runaround as a Man City youth playerGettyGettyAlexander-Arnold named Barker as the toughest opponent he has faced[/caption]
Barker, 28, most recently played for Morecambe in League Two but was released last summer after making just two appearances.
He will now line up for Arvo after injuries have caused him to slide down the leagues.
Barker played for the likes of Rangers, Hibernian and Preston after coming through the ranks at Manchester City.
He made one appearance for the Citizens but made a name for himself while playing for the academy.
In one memorable match he ran Alexander-Arnold ragged in the Liverpool star’s Anfield debut.
Alexander-Arnold has not forgotten the stern test he was given and has since spoken of Barker highly.
Asked who the toughest opponent he ever played against is, Alexander-Arnold said: “I would say Brandon Barker, played for [Manchester] City.
“I was 18, playing for the Under-21s, first ever time at Anfield, got beat 3-0. He scored two and got an assist. I came off at 60.
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“Still to this day, he’s the opponent I think that just destroyed me, man. I’ve never had it like that before.
“At that point I’m thinking: ‘this kid is going to be the best player in the world’ because I’d never seen someone move so quickly and sharp and effectively, so I’d say Brandon Barker.”
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11 hours agoworld NewsComments Off on Warning for anyone claiming benefits as RECORD half a million have payments cut or stopped
MORE than half a million households claiming Universal Credit had their payments stopped last year.
The latest figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show that 602,000 people were hit with sanctions between November 2023 and October 2024.
AlamyHundreds of thousands of people on Universal Credit were sanctioned last year[/caption]
What’s more, the sanction rate soared to its highest level on record in October last year, leaving 61,527 claimants with their payments slashed or stopped altogether.
The Universal Credit sanction rate fell to 5.6% in October 2024, down by 1.6 percentage points compared to November 2023.
Despite this, 551,790 of the sanctioned households had their payments cut or stopped because they failed to attend a mandatory interview with a work coach in Jobcentres.
Over 24,870 were penalised for choosing not to work and another 15,340 claimants had their payments changed because they failed to go on employment programmes.
Meanwhile, 8,400 were sanctioned for failing to disclose a valid reason for quitting a job.
When you claim Universal Credit or any benefit, you sign yourself up for commitments that you have to meet to get the financial support.
This may be from showing you’re actively looking for a job to being on time for appointments.
But if you fail to do what you promised in that agreement, you could see the benefit money taken away from you.
Exactly how much you’ll have taken off your claim depends on what you’ve done – or not done.
Any penalties you might face will only apply to the standard element of your claim – so extra cash you get through the housing or childcare elements will still be paid.
REASONS YOU CAN BE SANCTIONED
There are several major reasons why you could be sanctioned if you claim Universal Credit.
Here are five mistakes that could see your payments stopped:
Not applying or looking for work
Part of the Claimant Commitment includes spending 35 hours a week looking for work, which you will need to keep a record of to show your work coach.
The same goes if you’re not putting the hours in to look.
If your Jobcentre work coach doesn’t feel you’re doing enough to get back into work, you can be sanctioned.
Refusing a job offer
If you’ve been offered a job, you’re expected to take it – so long as it’s within reason.
This is because the benefits system supports you while you’re out of work but with the goal of helping you find a job again.
Refusing a job offer just because you don’t want it will see you sanctioned at the highest level.
Quitting your job without good reason
Quitting your job without a good reason could see you sanctioned too.
There’s no set definition of what a good reason is, but it might include unaffordable childcare costs.
You might have your benefit payments reduced.
Being late to appointments and interviews
Often, people on Universal Credit are required to attend interviews and appointments with the Jobcentre in order to update them on their search for work, for example.
These are held face to face or can be over the phone or via video chat.
If you’re late for these appointments and interviews, you could see your payments cut.
If you have a good reason why you can’t attend a meeting, then you should let the Jobcentre know immediately.
But if you fail to turn up to a meeting you’ll likely be sanctioned until you visit your next review.
If you’ve repeatedly missed meetings, the sanctions may be stricter and last longer.
Not updating your information
The amount of Universal Credit you are entitled to depends on many factors surrounding your individual circumstances.
That might be how many hours you work or how many children you have.
But failing to report a change in circumstances, like moving house or getting a new job, could see you sanctioned.
In the worst cases, you may be committing benefit fraud and could even face legal action.
HOW TO APPEAL A SANCTION
If you think you’ve been sanctioned unfairly, you can contact the DWP and ask for a “mandatory reconsideration”.
You have one month from when you were notified about the sanction to do so.
If you’ve been sanctioned unfairly, the first thing you must do is check the level of sanction and for how long your money has been reduced.
You’ll then need to contact the DWP for a mandatory reconsideration if you think they’ve made the wrong decision.
Citizens Advice says you should have been told:
Why you’ve received a sanction
The level of sanction you’ve been given
How long the sanction will last
How much money will be taken away from your Universal Credit payment
The date the sanction decision was made
It is still worth applying for a mandatory reconsideration if you have missed the one-month deadline for a good reason, such as being in hospital.
You can apply for a mandatory reconsideration in several ways – just remember to include as much supporting evidence as possible.
If you have an online Universal Credit account, you can write a message to the DWP explaining why you disagree with the decision.
You can also print off and fill out the CRMR1 mandatory reconsideration request form on gov.uk, but remember to allow time for your letter to get to the DWP before your deadline window.
You can also call the Universal Credit helpline on 0800 328 5644.
Letters should be sent to DWP Complaints, Post Handling Site B, Wolverhampton, WV99 2GY.
What if I don’t agree with the decision?
If you disagree with the decision of your mandatory reconsideration, you can appeal to a First-Tier tribunal.
Claimants have one month to do this, although this is extended to 13 months for exceptional circumstances.
You’ll need to download and fill in the SSCS1 form from the HM Courts and Tribunals Service website.
The form will ask for you:
Name and contact details
National Insurance number
Reasons for appealing
Send this, along with the outcome of your mandatory reconsideration of which you should have received two copies, to: HMCTS Appeals Centre, PO Box 1203, Bradford, BD1 9WP.
The DWP will be asked to respond to your appeal within 28 days.
Are you missing out on benefits?
YOU can use a benefits calculator to help check that you are not missing out on money you are entitled to
Entitledto’s free calculator determines whether you qualify for various benefits, tax credit and Universal Credit.
MoneySavingExpert.com and charity StepChange both have benefits tools powered by Entitledto’s data.
You can use Policy in Practice’s calculator to determine which benefits you could receive and how much cash you’ll have left over each month after paying for housing costs.
Your exact entitlement will only be clear when you make a claim, but calculators can indicate what you might be eligible for.
11 hours agoworld NewsComments Off on Jacqueline Jossa forced to defend bizarre moment Lauren Branning character ‘smelt Sonia’s knickers’ on live EastEnders
JACQUELINE Jossa has been forced to defend a bizarre moment where her EastEnders character appeared to “smell Sonia’s knickers”.
BBCEastEnders fans were shocked during the live episode after it looked like Lauren ‘smelt’ sonia’s underwear[/caption]
BBCLauren pulled the pants up to her face[/caption]
GettyActress Jac Jossa has defended the bizarre moment[/caption]
The knicker incident happened when Lauren appeared to lift up Sonia’s pants and “sniff them”, before tossing them to the side.
Bianca had thrown the pants to Lauren as Sonia prepared to give birth during the live episode.
However, Jacqueline has now defended the moment and made it clear to fans what exactly happened.
Taking to social media, she said: “Just to clarify I didn’t sniff them, I was checking what they were and lifting them in shot, no sniffing.
“They hit me in the face so I think I just lifted them up to make sure it was in the shot, this is amazing.”
The star finished her response with lots of laughing face emojis.
FANS REACT
After the knicker incident aired on Thursday, fans immediately took to social media in shock.
One person wrote: “Did Sonia just sniff Sonia’s knickers?!”
Another echoed: “Lauren definitely just sniffed Sonia’s pants.”
She told The Sun how a traumatic burglary last summer was the catalyst for changing her whole attitude and making her reassess what is important in her life – her family.
It also helped her decide that she’d had enough of explaining what is going on in her marriage to husband of nearly eight years, Dan.
BBCJac has played Lauren Branning on and off for 15 years[/caption]
They’ve been together for more than a decade and have been dogged by split rumours since before they got married.
Recently, the whispers were over news the couple were selling their forever home inEssex, with the formerTOWIEstar buying a separate property in his name.
But the pair insist they’re still together and are just reassessing their assets.
“People seem to think they know more about my life than I do,” she sighs.
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THE beloved British soap has been captivating audiences for decades.
EastEnders follows the lives of the residents of Walford as they navigate love, loss, family drama, and community struggles.
“They were saying: ‘Jacqueline didn’t spend Christmas with Daniel.’ But all I have to do is post pictures of us together with Christmas hats on.
“We lie in bed next to each other, laughing and reading stuff online about us.
“The speculation is ridiculous, but at the same time, I know it comes with the job, so I do understand it. I read things about Mark Wright and Michelle Keegan and go: ‘Really? Is that true?’ But I’m sure they are happy. It’s not my business what other people think or want to read.
“But apart from me being back on EastEnders, I haven’t put myself out there in that space. I haven’t done any reality shows recently and neither has Dan.
“I’m constantly working, and so is he [Dan runs an online competition website and a tattoo studio]. We just crack on with our day jobs and looking after our kids. He is a fantastic dad. I’m done going on to social media trying to explain it.”
