Medical Centre in Harlesden responds to allegation they are breaking guidelines over charging for copies of patient records

 

The Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group has taken up what they see as over-charging by a Harlesden medical practice, Freuchen Medical Centre,  for printouts of people's medical records. It is difficult for people to access disability benefits, especially with an invisible illness, unless they have proof of their conditions. Claimants understand the importance of documentation and are forced to pay  the fee for a copy of their records.  KUWG say the practice is full of people who have no money at all and no understanding of the system, with a large immigrant and refugee client base, and to whom this illegal fee will be acting as a very effective barrier.

In the letter sent to the practice in December 2022, KUWG said: 

It is most surprising that your Data Protection Officer seems unaware of the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation and Data Protection Act 2018 with regards to patients access to their medical records. Perhaps you might bring their attention to the BMA guidance on access to medical records, which is available in full as a PDF download from the BMA website at  www.bma.org.uk/advice-and-support/ethics/confidentiality-and-health-records/access-to-health-records

 

For your convenience, here is a copy of the relevant paragraphs:

 

4.8Can a fee be charged?

 

“Initial access must be provided free of charge (including postage costs) unless the request is ‘manifestly unfounded’ or ‘excessive’ – in which case a ‘reasonable’ fee can be charged. These circumstances are likely to be rare and should be assessed on a case by case basis.

 

The ICO has advised us that a request may be deemed ‘manifestly unfounded’ if the requestor makes it clear they are only requesting the information to cause disruption to the organisation or if the requestor makes completely unsubstantiated accusations against the controller. If however, the requestor has some form of genuine intention in obtaining their information, it is unlikely the request could be deemed as manifestly unfounded.

 

A request could be deemed as ‘excessive’ if an individual was to receive information via a subject access request (SAR), and then request a copy of the same information within a short period of time. In this scenario, the organisation could charge a reasonable fee based on the administrative costs of providing further copies or refuse the request.”

The KUWG had  not received a response so Wembley Matters yesterday asked Freuchen Medical Centre for a statement on the allegations. They responded:

With reference to youe allegations and information surrounding GDPR and Data Protecvtion 2018, subject access requests and patient access to medical records. We acknowledge these and are aware of these regulations. These are clearly documented and followed in our practice policy.

All patients have the right to access their medical records, whether electronically or in printer form. However, for patients who are deemed to have requsted excessively and wish to request printed copies, there is an administration fee associated with the service. The fee is necessary to cover the costs of printing paper and ink, as well as adminstrative time involved, as this is not covered by the NHS,

Our primary goal is to ensure that patients have convenient access to their medical information, and we encourage the use of electronic records as a more sustainable and cost-effective option. Nevertheless, we understand that some patients may have specific preferences or needs that require require physical copies.

Unfortunately, without further information surrounding the specific case it is difficult to comment further.

We are extremely mindful of the socio-economic deprivation prevalent in the area in which we operate, with multiple vulnerable groups. Charges for non-Nhs work which falls outside of our contractuak obligations are completed in order to help these  vulnerable groups, often without any charges being applied to them.

Commenting on the statement KUWG said

The fact that they have a reason for breaking the provisions of the Data Protection Act doesnt make it legal or correct. Anyone breaking a law will have a reason. The guidelines are clear.

 

In most GP practices if you ask for a copy of your summary care record it is done on demand at the click of a button by the receptionist and involves no more than 3 pages of printing. Even if they were allowed to charge a fee, £5 is exorbitant for a minute's work and between one and 3 pages of printing. 

 

Where people want a full printout of their records this can more be problematic for the surgery because there can be a great many pages, and many practices ask for the full amount of time given under the Data Protection Act ie 40 days. But the Act still says that this should be provided for free. We note the response from the practice states that the fee is only for people who 'prefer to receive printed copies' but nowhere on the price list is it stated that they are offering a free digital alternative. This is irrelevant but surprising. They do have a right to charge what they like for copies of any data that is not held elecronically and which needs to be scanned and printed by hand, like specialist reports from hospitals but that's all. They also have a right to charge for letters. But not for printouts of people's data.

 

 

 

 

Universal Credit in Brent - an overview

Giselle Winston, of Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group, gave a detailed overview of Universal Credit as it begins to roll out in Brent, at Friday's meeting at Chalkhill Community Centyre organised by Unite Community.

Universal Credit in Brent - Information & Campaign Meeting Nov 23rd - Chalkhill Community Centre

Stop and Fix Universal Credit - demonstration Neasden Parade on Saturday

From Unite Community

This year Christmas will be cancelled for thousands of families claiming the government’s new all-in-one benefit, Universal Credit. 

Unite is calling on the government to stop and fix Universal Credit before even more families will be forced to use food banks and struggle to heat their homes this Christmas.

The government has also admitted that the Universal Credit helpline for claimants will be closed for the majority of the Christmas period, making life even more difficult for claimants needing advice and emergency help. 

Unite Community members and campaigners will be holding street stalls in 70 towns and city centres across the UK on Saturday 2 December to help raise awareness of who will be affected by Universal Credit.The Brent event, with Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group,  will be at Noon until 2pm on Saturday at Neasden Parade, Neasden Shopping Centre. Other demonstrations listed HERE

As well as the long waits for the benefit there are other problems with Universal Credit such as the complex online-only application process and the housing benefit element not being paid direct to landlords causing rent arrears and in some cases eviction.  

Liane Groves, Head of Unite Community says:

Despite knowing that Universal Credit causes serious problems for those claiming it the government is ploughing ahead regardless while claimants are descending into debt, relying on food banks and getting into rent arrears and in many cases are being evicted from their homes. 

In order to claim Universal Credit claimants need an internet connection which many simply can’t afford. 

Unite is demanding a cut in the long waits to receive money, for people to be able to apply in job centres not just online, better help for people when the system fails, landlords to be paid directly to avoid people getting into rent arrears and losing their homes, and an end to benefit sanctions for people in and out of work. 

In Britain there are currently 505,549 households receiving Universal Credit but a further 1,513,970 will be put on this winter and this figure is expected to reach 5,915,290 once the government has finished rolling it out fully by March 2022. 

Over 1.2 million low paid part-time workers will also be affected by Universal Credit and for the first time ever people in work could face being sanctioned (having their benefits stopped) if they don’t prove to the job centre that they’re searching for better paid work or more hours. 

The Trussell Trust, the UK’s biggest foodbank, says demand in areas where Universal Credit has already been rolled out has increased by an average of 30 per cent and landlords report a huge increase in rent arrears.  

Community members will be handing out leaflets with information and getting people to sign a petition to call on the government to stop the roll out of Universal Credit and fix the problems with it. 

Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group protest over Kilburn and Neasden Job Centre closures

 Video by Shootroot LINK

The Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group (KUWG) demonstrated outside the Department of Work and Pensions on Monday against the closure of Job Centres including local ones in Kilburn and Neasden.

KUWG said:

 Our local Jobcentres, Kilburn and Neasden, serve one of the most deprived areas in the country. If they are closed then over half of the borough of Camden and around two thirds of Brent will be more than half a mile from the nearest jobcentre, i.e. more than a mile round trip. These areas contain heavily populated areas: a lot of people are going to be affected.

In amongst the people who can't use the internet are hundreds of thousands of people who have lost their disability benefit because they aren't disabled enough for the Tories. They may be able to walk just 200 metres, or sometimes panic when out and get lost, or nor be able to plan a journey to places they don’t know, or have epilepsy. They may be seriously depressed or suffering from brain fog brought on by medication or illnesses like Fibromyalgia. They may be recovering from cancer or waiting for a heart operation. They may have variable conditions that mean that they can't guarantee being able to go out at all on any particular day.

Save Our Job Centres - protest November 6th

Via Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group

Monday November 6^th 3-4pm

Department of Work and Pensions, Caxton House, 12 Tothill St, Westminster, SW1H

The government has already closed 24 jobcentres since August this year. They plan to close a further 78 Jobcentres by April of 2018.

16 of these Jobcentres are in London.

The poor and vulnerable need local jobcentres, not some superhub that they have to walk miles to reach.

Benefit money is too little to cover regular trips on public transport. People will have to walk. And don't be late or too ill to walk over a mile each way as often as the jobcentre demands– you'll be up for a sanction!

The Tories say that much of the jobcentres' work is now done online, but 5.3 million people in Britain have never used the internet, and 10 million lack the basic digital skills. And millions of these people will be in receipt of benefits.

You can't use the internet if you are learning disabled.

You can't use the internet if you can't afford a computer or a mobile phone contract or or the fee for using library or internet cafe

You can't use the internet if you are illiterate (and six to eight million Britons are borderline or fully illiterate)

Our local Jobcentres, Kilburn and Neasden, serve one of the most deprived areas in the country. If they are closed then over half of the borough of Camden and around two thirds of Brent will be more than half a mile from the nearest jobcentre, i.e. more than a mile round trip. These areas contain heavily populated areas: a lot of people are going to be affected.

In amongst the people who can't use the internet are hundreds of thousands of people who have lost their disability benefit because they aren't disabled enough for the Tories. They may be able to walk just 200 metres, or sometimes panic when out and get lost, or nor be able to plan a journey to places they don’t know, or have epilepsy. They may be seriously depressed or suffering from brain fog brought on by medication or illnesses like Fibromyalgia. They may be recovering from cancer or waiting for a heart operation. They may have variable conditions that mean that they can't guarantee being able to go out at all on any particular day.

But if you miss an appointment, or are simply late, you'll be considered for a sanction!

Let's meet outside the DWP's headquarters at Caxton House and let them know what we think about this.

Save our Jobcentres!

The 16 London jobcentres that are closing are:
Highgate, 24 November 2017
Edgware, 8 December 2017
Finchley, 12 January 2018
Dagenham, 19 January 2018
Southall, January 2018
Kingston, February 2018
Brixton,- 9 February 2018
Neasden 16 February 2018
Clapham 23 February 2018
Kilburn, March 2018
Hammersmith 9 March 2018
Croydon, 16 March 2018
Wandsworth, 23 March 2018
Leytonstone,- 30 March 2018
Hounslow, 10 Montague Road,

An account of a recent meeting on the issue can be found on the Brent Green Party blog HERE

Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group join in national demonstrations against punitive benefit sanctions

Outside Kilburn Job Centre today

Members of Unite Community, Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group and local activists protested outside Kilburn Job Centre today as part of a national protest day on sanctions.

Unite said:

Members came together across Britain today in a national day of action to stop benefits sanctions, with demonstrations in cities and towns up and down the country at over 80 job centres.

At the main demonstration, protestors gathered in London outside the Houses of Parliament and marched onwards to the Treasury and then to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to reiterate their call for the government to stop its ‘cruel and ineffective’ benefit sanctions regime.

Unite wants to highlight the shocking impact the government’s benefit sanctions are having on individuals, driving people further into poverty, misery and even death.

Since the Tories first came into power in May 2010 over 3m individuals have been referred for a sanction 8m times.

Punitive sanctions have resulted in over 318,000 people having their welfare payments cut or stopped without warning in the last year, affecting thousands of children and dependant adults. Sanctions are given for reasons such as missing or being late for appointments with the job centre, or being too sick to ‘actively seek work’.

According to the Trussell Trust, one of the main providers of food banks, more than 500,000 three day emergency food parcels have been distributed to people in crisis in the first half of 2016/17 – over 188,500 to children. The most common reason given for people turning to the food bank charity is problems and delays with their benefits.

Unite is also concerned that if people do not appeal against their first sanction, if they are sanctioned again, they will be sanctioned for longer – leaving people without money for three months or up to three years depending on the level of ‘offence’.

Figures released by DWP in December 2016 show that of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) for between 1 and 2 years during 2010 to 2015, 37 per cent were sanctioned, after challenges; of those claiming between 2 and 3 years, half (49 per cent) were sanctioned; and of those claiming between 3 and 4 years, 85 per cent were sanctioned.

Head of Unite Community Liam Groves said:

The government really needs to stop the cruel use of benefit sanctions which are destroying lives. The stress they are putting on people, and the effect on their children and wider families, is unacceptable. We should all be shocked.
 
The government has shown no evidence that benefit sanctions are working. The opposite is true, when people are in survival mode, fighting to put food on their family’s table or stressing how they will pay their bills means their mental and physical heath suffers and finding work is so much harder.

Rather than punishing the unemployed for not having a job the government should be helping people get jobs. People need a hand up – not a slap down.

Unite Scotland Community co-ordinator Jamie Caldwell highlighted the dire situation facing claimants in Scotland:

Last year an estimated total of 25,000 benefit claimants were sanctioned across Scotland – many of whom were left with nothing. What kind of a country are we living in, where a government can deliberately set out to leave children without enough to eat? It’s heart-breaking for that to happen in developing countries, but it’s a source of national scandal and shame in a rich country like the UK.

Unite in the Community co-ordinator Albert Hewitt explained that Northern Ireland’s working class has to date largely escaped the full brunt of the Tory government’s so-called welfare reforms, including benefits sanctions:

But with the Fresh Start agreement, this situation has changed. Despite the mitigation measures agreed as part of that agreement, the most vulnerable are being hard-hit by the range of punishing changes.

Unfortunately as a result of the Fresh Start Agreement, benefits sanctions are becoming an increasing reality for many of the most vulnerable in working-class communities across Northern Ireland.

Join Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group actions against Tory policies

From Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group (KUWG)

 

DON’T LET THERESA MAY AND HER SYCHOPHANTIC & PYSCHOPATHIC FRIENDS RUIN US! THEIR ‘IDEAS’ ARE ABSOLUTELY STINKING RUBBISH!!!!!!

The Tories espouse the crap ideas that making unemployed people’s lives harder will incentivise them to get work. For the rich MORE monies and bonuses incentivise them…1 rule for the real parasites, another for people already down on their luck.

One stupid cost-cutting exercise is to close 78 jobcentres including KILBURN and NEASDEN. KUWG have petitioned claimants at those jobcentres and found out nobody knew, as not even in a consultation process, and people signed our petition to keep them open. It is yet another tactic to make travelling more onerous to get us late to appointments or not turn up, so we can get sanctioned. Pure evil! We have sent petitions to local MPs Tulip Siddiq and Dawn Butler and to the West London DWP Office so this rotten government can’t say  that there was no opposition. We will continue to try to prevent these closures, with more petitioning, letters, leafleting, protests etc.

The PCS Union, who have staff in jobcentres, have organised on 28th March 12:45pm to 16:45pm a lobby of Parliament to stop Jobcentres closures...turn up & contact your MP.

Unite Community have organised a National “No to Benefits Sanctions” day of protest on Thursday  March 30th with local jobcentre protests with a demonstration at 2pm same day outside the DWP Headquarters Caxton House, Tothill Street, Westminster. Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group will be outside KILBURN Jobcentre tween noon- 1pm that day.

NO TO THE “NASTY” TORY PARTY, WHICH IS GETTING EVEN NASTIER! Yuk!!

Solidarity as more Brent residents are summonsed by Brent Council for non-payment of Council Tax

Members of Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group, Brent Trades Council,  Ealing Housing Co-op, Unite Community, Brent Fightback and Brent Green Party stood outside Willesden Magistrates Court today when a new tranche of Brent residents appeared in response to summonses issued by Brent Council for non-payment of Council Tax.

Following Council Tax benefit changes many residents who previously did not have to pay the full amount, and in some cases any, now have to pay. Brent Council's scheme expects more in payment than many other local authorities, some of which have chosen to maintain 100% council tax benefit.

Speaking to local residents as they arrived it became clear that these weren't the 'idle and feckless scroungers' as stereotyped by ConDems and the media.

They were often people on low pay or zero hours contracts who found themselves having to choose between paying their rent or paying the Concil Tax. Needless to say they opted to pay rent to keep a roof over their heads.

Previously Muhummed Butt, leader of Brent Council,  has justified the summonses as the only way to force residents to engage with the Council about their arrears. Today a Brent Council officer was in court to give advice before any formal proceedings and some residents came out having settled terms for payment or been referred for further help with benefits. One resident was complimentary about the helpfulness of the officer.

It does seem a pity that residents had to go to court at all, with all the associated worry and stigma, and I hope backbench councillors and the Opposition will explore with the Cabinet how to better enagage people before matters reach this stage.

Preferably of course it would be best to revise the scheme so that people are not faced with the unpalatable choice of having to choose between payment of Council Tax and payment of rent or purchase of food.  However, the Council approved the scheme earlier this year with only slight modifications, despite protests.

Contacts:
www.unitetheunion.org/community   Pilgrim.tucker@unitetheunion.org
http://kilburnunemployed.blogspot.com/  kilburnuwg@gmail.com
Zacchaeus 2000 - Justice for Debtors http://z2k.org/

Housing groups call urgent meeting with Brent councilors and Brent Community Housing

Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group, Brent Housing Action, Housing 4 All, London Radical Housing Network, Residents of South Kilburn and Barham Park Estates and Unite Community have  jointly convened a meeting about housing in Brent.

They have invited Kilburn councillor Rita Conneely and lead member for Regeneration and Housing Cllr Margaret McLellan to the meeting along with Brent Community Housing staff.

A particular focus will be recent developments on the South Kilburn and Barham Park estates.

The meeting will take place between 11am and 1pm at CASA LATINA, PRIORY HOUSE, 10 KINGSGATE PLACE, NW6 4TA on Wednesday 13th August.

BACKGROUND

Barham Park LINK

South Kilburn  LINK

Making sure unemployed workers are no 'push over' or 'sanctions fodder'

Spreading the word

Guest blog by Alan Wheatley of the Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group

One of our statements/slogans is 'Benefiting Brent & Camden & Beyond'. The major focus in our weekly business meetings is casework. It's a great 'crowd gatherer' to the point that our meetings attract as many as 12 on a regular basis, with some coming from as far away as Hackney, Wandsworth and Bromley though our core is predominantly from the boroughs of Brent and Camden. We are also very ethnically diverse, with African-Caribbean, Indian/White British mixed race, Serbian and Greek representation. We are also well-balanced by gender, and while most are disabled we also have people not applying for disability benefits. In more of an andragogy  LINK of the oppressed than a pedagogy LINK, our casework sessions reflect the fact that we've 'all been there' and can pool our knowledge and expertise in response to what is thrown at us by increasingly oppressive jobcentre workers and privatised contractors.

ARE THEY TAKING THE PISS OR TRYING TO DRAW BLOOD?

 The armoury of tactics and strategies that jobcentre and privatised contractor staff throw at JSA, Work Programme and ex-Work Programme clients to make them sanctions fodder include the entrapment of getting them to fill in their personal details and signature on forms before whatever they are supposed to be agreeing to has been written yet, or the staff member obscuring everything but the signature space. Yet another ploy that is becoming more and more the norm for people who have been parked on the Work Programme for a year is to be told to apply for as many as 14 jobs per week and to sign on at the jobcentre not just fortnightly but five days a week!

How many hours per week would a quality processing of one job application per week take? Multiply that by even 7 and add the practicalities of signing on five days per week and would you not be working more than a 48 hour EU Working Time Directive week? And people re-registering at the jobcentre after being 'parked' on the Work Programme for a year are also told to show their last six months bank statements.(1)

Yet this is abuse that follows on from a year of neglect. Consider the bargaining power issues in the fact that the claimant has no real bargaining power and their 'client adviser' at the Work Programme company can have as many as 250 people on their caseload.(2) But a counter-response that the Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group is finding increasingly effective is to make sure that a person going for, say, a re-registration interview at the jobcentre does not go alone. We reckon that that kind of 'first aid' makes whatever follow-up tribunal action less taxing or even unnecessary. The oppressor — who has probably been threatened with being sanctioned themselves if they do not meet targets — realises that the person in front of them is not 'a push over'.(3)

Notes:
(1) See reference to 'payment-by-results' at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Work_Programme_%28United_Kingdom
 (2) http://indusdelta.co.uk/discussion/work_programme_case_loads/6453
(3) Some abusers arguably do not need to be threatened with sanctions to collude in the sanctioning of benefit claimants. Perhaps what Transline are more concerned about in the case of their worker Kelly Stone is that she broke 'commercial confidentiality' rather than that she delighted in a sense of the negative influence she could have on others' lives? http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/recruitment-worker-kelly-stone-suspended-2162766

Homebase hammered over unpaid labour at its Willesden store

Following insider information that Willesden Homebase (now owned by Argos)  was still using unpaid labour through the Coalition's Workfare scheme it was picketed today by Brent Housing Action, Brent Fightback and Kilburn Unemployed Workers.

The protesters pointed out to customers that people should be paid at least a living wage for the job they are asked to do. Being forced to work for no pay, with the threat that benefits will be removed for non-compliance, just makes matters worse.

With the Homebase and Argos parent group, Home Retail Group, expecting £80m profit this year, they can afford to pay their workers. After all they can afford to pay their CEO £1.1m while at the same time cutting overtime and hours at its Haringey store.

At least one customer decided not to shop at Homebase after hearing the protesters' case and others reduced their purchases. One customer's children started a spontaneous chant of 'Homebase-pay your workers'. Customers were generally responsive and shared their own stories of housing and employment difficulties.

The campaign is asking people to:

• Boycott Homebase until they agree to pay staff properly
• Speak to the manager of the Willesden branch and say you don't agree with them using unpaid labour
• Contact Homebase HQ on 0845 603 6677 or 01908 692 301 or info@homebase.co.uk

Campaigning on youth unemployment in Brent

Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group will be hosting a talk by TUC envoy David Braniff at the regular KUWG meeting on Thursday, 21 June that starts at 3pm. David is setting up a campaign on youth unemployment in Brent. The  meeting is at Kingsgate Community Centre, 107 Kingsgate Road, NW6 2JH and lasts until 5pm.

Kilburn Unemployed Workers oppose 'Council tax on free speech'

Alan Wheatley of Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group arrived at Brent Council's Scrutiny Committee meeting last night, with just approved press statement on the leaflet licensing fiasco. He came straight from the KUWG meeting that ended at 5pm the same day on the Camden side of Kilburn. He writes of his experience of the meeting:

"The seating arrangement in the scrutiny committee room was such that we observers were effectively excluded from hearing properly, as the scrutiny committee all sat round a table and we were clearly outsiders, with extremely limited capacity to input into the meeting.

"That image seemed to be an artistic installation representing what Brent Council's Council Tax on free speech will do to our public witnessing of the impact of despotic central and local government policies on local people."

This is KUWG's press statement:

Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group has joined Brent Fightback and Brent Trades Council in opposition to what it calls “Brent Council's Council Tax on free speech.”

Brent Council plans to institute licensing of organisations other than charities and political parties that deliver leaflets in the Borough of Brent. “This is not only an attack on free speech,” said Alan Wheatley, a spokesperson for the group. “It is also a way for despotic local and central government to bury disclosure of how widespread oppressive measures such as the sanctioning of benefit claimants actually are.”

“The Council say that they do not want the reputation of the Borough of Brent tarnished by littering over the time of the Olympics. As usual, the Council has its priorities wrong while at the same time it is throwing people in South Kilburn onto the street and central government's attacks on poor people exacerbate the desolation and isolation that come with poverty.

“The Olympics serve as a branding platform for global corporations such as McDonalds that are notorious for shoddy employment practices and for product that leaves loads of street litter. Our leaflets, by contrast, help counteract the desolation and isolation that vulnerable benefit claimants experience via Kilburn Jobcentre and the JobCentre Plus network. Our leafleters are not paid, and to make our resources stretch further, we display our leaflets rather than thrust them under people's noses. People ask us for the leaflets that tell of our weekly meetings at Kingsgate Community Centre on the Camden side of Kilburn, and more. Further, people who attend our meetings who have had bad treatment at the jobcentre and/or through the testing procedures of Atos Healthcare that reduce the number of disability benefit claimants without curing them of their ailments, feel less inclined to throw themselves under a bus.

“We know of people who have won their tribunals for entitlement to Employment & Support Allowance and had but a month in which to enjoy their back money before dying in this the year of Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee. The wait for a tribunal is about a year these days. Serial re-testing of claimants adds to their stress. The Royal Family, who cost the taxpayer much more per head, are comparatively in glowing heath.

“Through the invitation to our meetings that our leaflets represent, people who have been subjected to bullying that goes through the Chancellor of the Exchequer and ministers at the Department for Work & Pensions begin to feel better about themselves.

“Brent Council's proposed daily leaflet licensing fee of £75 is greater than the sum total of £67.50 weekly Jobseekers Allowance plus £5 per week earnings disregard for a single person aged over 25. That fee would hit us and our members hard,” s/he said. “Non-claimants generally remain blithely ignorant of the facts of how low state benefits are, and the fact that the £5 per week 'earnings disregard' has remained unchanged since 1988, but our leaflets help to set the record straight about that and the sanctions against claimants that are now routine.”

Kilburn Unemployed Workers Group meets every Thursday at Kingsgate Community Centre, 107 Kingsgate Road, NW6 2JH from 3pm to 5pm. With a dearth of such groups around London, KUWG helps benefit claimants in Brent and Camden and beyond to the help they need, when they need it.