Areyou oneof the3,200 onthe blacklist? - BWI

Yourmoney
Fuelandtravelcosts
goingup?Claimyour
taxrefundnow
byJANPOST,oftaxspecialistsRift
There is never a good time for an increase in
fuel duty, but in the middle of a recession it
has come at the worst possible time for anyone
who has to use their car for work. According
to the RAC, the cost of running an average family
car has increased by £300 since the start of this
year, and with VAT due to revert back to 17.5 per
cent at the end of this year fuel bills and running
costs will rise yet again.
As well as raking in all that extra duty, the Revenue
is also receiving an added bonus because literally
thousands of people who could claim tax
refunds for their travelling expenses fail to do so.
The unclaimed amount runs into many millions
of pounds a year – money that should be going
back into the pockets of people who work hard
for their living rather than into Government coffers.
Here at Rift we help hundreds of workers every
year to claim back the money they are entitled to
and, with finances becoming increasingly tight
for so many people, the repayments – which
range from £600 to £800 per tax year – can make
a huge difference in times of financial hardship.
For people who are claiming for more than one
tax year, this can mean a payment of thousands
of pounds.
So do you qualify for a tax refund?
● Are you permanently employed?
● Are you paid under PAYE?
● Do you drive your own vehicle to different
sites?
If you can answer “Yes” to these questions then
you probably do. And of course you don’t have to
work for a builder or construction company. Rift
consultants regularly travel around the country
talking to workers from the buildings departments
of local authorities. Plumbers, electricians,
painters and decorators as well as general building
and maintenance workers can all claim if
they meet the criteria. Of course not everyone can
claim, but it costs nothing to find out.
No doubt there will be some readers who are
thinking: “If only I was still working then
perhaps I could claim”. But if you have
recently been laid off or made redundant then do
not despair. Claims can go back for as long as six
years, so if you have qualified for a refund at any
time since the spring of 2003, but have never
made a claim, then you could be owed money.
Why let the Revenue hang onto your money?
Our professional, friendly staff will discuss your
claim with you, complete the paperwork and, if
necessary, negotiate with the Revenue on your
behalf. They are available during the evenings
and at weekends so you don’t have to take any
time off work. Thousands of workers have already
discovered how easy it is. Why not call us on
01233-653 973 today and join them.
SamFairgrieve,left,withMidlandsRegionalSecretarySteveMurphygivinghimachequefrom
UCATTtohelp himwithsubsistencewhileinCalgary.
Samtoshowworldhisbrickieskills
UCATT member Sam Fairgrieve, 21, from
Leicester, who works for Jelson Homes, has
been chosen to represent the UK in bricklaying
at the WorldSkills competition in Calgary,
Canada, this September. One of 26 young
people, Sam will compete at the highest level
as part of Team UK, which will feature experts
in skills ranging from plumbing to landscape
gardening and from cooking to floristry.
Receiving a cheque from UCATT to help him
financially while away, Sam said: “I’m looking
forward to going to Calgary. It’s a privilege to
have the opportunity to represent my country
Inbrief
Callforschoolsasbestosaudit
Backing for the UCATT policy of a full asbestos
audit in all public buildings has come from a
top safety body’s call for action on asbestos in
schools. Sixteen teachers die on average each
year from asbestos-related disease and an
urgent audit must be carried out, according to
the British Safety Council (BSC). It reported in
August that there had been 228 asbestosrelated
deaths among teachers in the UK over
the past 14 years.
Optionformorepaternityleave
Under new proposals announced by the Government
in September, mothers will be able to
choose to transfer the last six months of their
maternity leave to the father, with three
months paid. The aim is to give families more
flexibility in how they balance work and care
of children and to enable fathers to play a bigger
part in bringing up their children, say ministers.
Statutory maternity pay is currently
£123.06 a week.
Formaldehydeactionurged
European unions and employers want strict
limits on formaldehyde in furniture production.
A declaration from the European Federation
of Building and Wood Workers and the
and I hope to do myself proud.”
UCATT Midlands Regional Secretary Steve
Murphy said: “This is a wonderful
achievement by Sam and his colleagues and
shows what talent we are fortunate to have in
the construction industry. Sam has been a
UCATT member since he started his career as a
bricklayer and the union is proud to be able to
offer him support on his forthcoming trip to the
WorldSkills finals in Calgary.”
At WorldSkills over 200,000 spectators are
expected to watch a total of over 900
competitors from 51 countries.
European Furniture Manufacturers’ Federation
calls for it to put on the new of list dangerous
substances under the European
Union’s Chemical Agents Directive. The International
Agency for Research on Cancer classifies
formaldehyde as carcinogenic. It is used
mainly in the production of resins that are
used as adhesives and binders for wood products,
glasswool and rockwool.
Underestimatingthedangers
Workers massively underestimate the risk of
suffering a serious workplace injury, according
to research by the Health and Safety Executive.
It reveals that almost half of Britain’s
workers know someone who has been injured
at work but, on average, employees think that
just 3,000 people were killed or seriously
injured at work last year, compared with the
official figure of 137,000 workplace deaths
and serious injuries.
CORRECTIONS
● Apologies to UCATT members at Skanska’s
Kings Mill and Mansfield Community hospital
sites who took part in Workers’ Memorial
Day on 28 April. A photo of them was
wrongly captioned in our last issue to say that
they were from Skanska’s Walsall site.
● In the same issue, London & Home Counties
Regional Council member Terry Arbour
was wrongly identified as Malcolm Davies in a
photo of wreath-laying at London’s Building
Worker memorial. Apologies to them both.
20●UCATTBuildingWorker●Autumn2009