Burnham needs welfare cuts. Young people on universal credit may be in his sights

Just like Sir Keir Starmer – the man he is likely to replace as prime minister – Andy Burnham wants to drive down the welfare bill, and to do this by helping young people into work.

In his wide-ranging speech on Monday, in which he outlined his vision for Britain, the former Greater Manchester mayor gave a hint of how he might do this.

Burnham referred to Labour grandee Alan Milburn in glowing terms, saying he would “take very seriously” his recommendations into youth unemployment in a forthcoming report.

One source told The i Paper they expect Milburn to recommend restricting access to universal credit (UC) for Neets – those not in education, employment or training – as the other side of the coin to employment support.

Caroline’s mother Christine has called for an apology from the press and police over how she was treated before she died.

She made a documentary called Search for the Truth for Disney+ last year

Caroline Flack’s death has become a tragic parable about cancel culture, responsible use of social media, the intrusion of the tabloid press, the sensation of reality TV and the misunderstandings and stigmas about mental ill health, from which we were all supposed to learn and in which each of us who watched on as voyeurs was complicit. 

The summer’s first full Moon is lighting up skies across the country this week.

To see the Stawberry Moon, look towards the south-east after sunset. That will be after around 9.20pm on Tuesday, 30 June. The moon will track southwards through the night, setting in the south-west before sunrise on Wednesday.

Angry people on social media claim the current high temperatures are nothing special but they ignore the long-term trends

Millions of Britons could pay higher energy bills than they need to if they do not submit a meter reading before the price cap rises on Wednesday.

The price cap, set by the regulator Ofcom, is set to rise, affecting 5.3 million households on a standard tariff.

How much the price cap will increase from Wednesday, 1 July.

The average gas and electricity bill will jump to £1,862 a year.

There are currently 27 fixed deals available that are cheaper than July’s price cap, with average savings of £285, so act now to save yourself money.  The price cap is going up, but your bills don’t have to.

People are future-proofing their homes for sustainability and to protect themselves against unpredictable energy costs

People who have a strong chest and back may be less likely to have a heart attack, according to a new study.

Researchers said that people with strong pecs, back muscles and torso are also less likely to die within the next decade.

Experts from the British Heart Foundation (BHF) said that it is “not just about being muscly”, as the size of people’s muscles was not linked to their risk of a heart attack or early death.

It said that all kinds of exercise, and not just strength training, can improve muscle density.

It is fascinating that people’s skeletal muscle could be linked to their risk of having a heart attack. I am now personally interested in exercises like cycling, planks and pilates, which I enjoy and may have an effect on these muscles.

What are the things that you do to keep yourself healthy? Your mind might jump straight to the run you do a couple of times a week, or the choices you make about what to eat, the amount of sleep you manage to get each night or the friends who make you feel seen and heard. And you’d be right. These are all things that keep us healthy.

But staff say many people treat their shops like a tip.

Here they share the most useful donations they get, and the
ones that drive them mad.

The quality of donations over the last year has diminished.

Claire Stockman, head of retail for St
Luke’s Hospice [pictured], says many donations include used items from fast fashion like Boohoo and Primark, which they cannot sell for more than £2, if at all.

of what comes into St Luke’s Hospice is unsellable, Stockman says.

She adds its soiled, damaged beyond
repair or smelly.

Harriet, a volunteer at Crisis in Dalston,
says people bring in clothes that are dirty and stained – things that they cannot sell
on Vinted.

She also sees dirty kitchenware and technology that no longer works.

There was a box donated after someone’s family had passed and in it were all these medals. I researched them and the whole collection ended up going for £2,340…

A good donation is anything new with tags on, anything that hasn’t been opened, or higher quality items.

Items that have been well looked after are more likely to sell and generate a better price for charity too.

Harriet adds that knick-knacks and wine glasses are surprise hits in her branch.

Here, psychologists, career consultants and sleep experts give their best advice on how
to beat the gloom that the
work week is looming…

Pave the way on Friday

Psychologist Maria-Teresa Daher-Cusack says to wrap up tasks and not to leave big or difficult things for Monday. And write a to-do list for the next week so you know what to expect when you return after the weekend.

Get outside early

Doctor Naheed Ali says getting out on a Sunday morning – not sleeping late – helps regulate the circadian rhythm that can become skewed over the weekend.

On Sunday spend time away from technology to allow yourself a personal reset away from doom scrolling.

Put yourself in the best position to rest by avoiding large meals, screens and caffeine.

If possible don’t stack your Mondays with high-pressure tasks.

Don’t just save joyful things for the weekend. On lunch breaks, try to do something you enjoy.

If the Sunday scaries are constant, listen to them. If every Sunday fills you with dread and nothing seems to quell it it’s worth asking if it’s the job, the culture or the career itself. No one should spend half their weekend bracing for impact… ” says Victoria McLean

But no country’s energy system is 100 per cent secure and large-scale blackouts, although rare, are possible.

Here’s how to prepare, and what could happen, if we do have a blackout.

If the UK’s power went down tomorrow, these are the ways it is likely to impact you first.

For EV owners that are already on the road, Professor Keith Bell, who works in electricity planning, recommends that those with an EV with reasonable charge use it as a generator, like your own store of electricity.

In the case of the power system going down, petrol isn’t a totally safe option as queues at petrol stations could be huge and places are likely to run out of fuel.

The longer the power takes to return the worse things are likely to get. In 2021 Storm Arwen physically damaged power lines across the UK.

During the 1977 New York blackout, which lasted 25 hours, there was civil unrest, resulting in widespread looting and arson, although intense heatwaves are thought to have exacerbated the situation.

To get updates during a power cut – a car radio can be used, but in severe weather it might be safer to stay inside.

A minimum of 2.5-3 litres of drinking water per person per day is recommended.

The Government recommends opting for torches over candles, for safety reasons.

Using screens in a way that benefits your child’s development is key and balancing educational content and entertainment with offline activities ensures a well-rounded routine.

For younger children, try scavenger hunts, garden games and nature walks. For older ones, hikes
and biking trips.

Designated screen-free times helps children develop a routine that balances screen use with other activities.

It’s an excellent way
to bond and develop critical thinking skills.

Getting creative, through drawing, painting or model construction, enhances cognitive skills and offers an alternative to screens.

Arrange playdates or group activities with friends, or for older kids try an overnight camping trip in the garden.

Showing that you value offline time encourages your children to do the same.

Implement a reward system where screen time is earned through positive behaviour. 

Discuss the importance of balancing screen time with your children so they understand the reasons behind the rules.

Speaking to The i Paper recently, Burnham said the welfare bill should be reduced by “rethinking the education system” and supporting young people into work rather than “crude cuts” to raise money to help boost the defence budget.

He has promised to offer a “much greater supply” of 45-day work placements and apprenticeships for young people.

These are mandatory industry placements integrated into UK T-levels that were initially introduced under the Conservatives and have been expanded under Labour.

A spokesperson for the new Makerfield MP said he has “talked about supporting young people into work as the most effective and sustainable way to grow the economy and lower the welfare bill”.

The former mayor said on Monday he wanted to “reduce the welfare bill in a way that is fair and lasting and helps people move forward”, with plans for the “devolution of employment support”, giving regional mayors more powers to work with local organisations and support young people into employment.

His ideas are not wholly new though, and were set in motion by Sir Keir Starmer, who has struggled to cut the benefits bill.

An attempt to slash the welfare bill last summer triggered a mutiny by Labour MPs, which meant planned cuts to universal credit and disability benefits were watered down.

UC health is a means-tested benefit payment for welfare claimants assessed as having limited capability for work due to a health condition or disability. It is separate from personal independence payments (PIP) which are not based on a person’s income or work status.

As result, last November, the former Labour minister Alan Milburn was commissioned by Starmer to write a report into youth joblessness – and how to tackle the problem of Neets.

He produced his initial findings in May – the findings Burnham said on Monday he “took very seriously”.

These warned of a “lost generation” of young people not in education, employment or training and stated that the Government spends 25 times as much on benefits for young people as it does on supporting them into work.

Milburn’s full recommendations are not due until the autumn – by which time Burnham will probably be prime minister – but they are expected to include removing entitlements for younger people, alongside supportive measures to get them into work as a carrot and stick approach.

The new conditions for receiving benefits have not yet been outlined, with Milburn expected to set out the full recommendations in the coming months.

Ministers have already paused proposals to cut access to out-of-work sickness benefits for under-22s until at least the autumn, when Milburn’s report is due to be published.

His idea is for regional mayors to have devolved power and cash to deliver employment schemes, but there would still be central control over benefit entitlements.

Milburn’s interim report criticised the fact that young people receiving the higher rate of UC due to a health condition had no requirement to look for work.

It is expected therefore that his final report could recommend the withdrawal of benefits if work placements are not accepted.

With Burnham citing the report in glowing terms on Monday, it is probable he will continue with the current Government’s expected policy of removing the entitlements in combination with support offered for young people.

Dame Meg Hillier, an influential Labour MP, previously told The i Paper that Milburn’s review of youth joblessness published at the end of last month had been a “game-changer” and that opinion in the Parliamentary Labour Party is “worlds apart” from last year.