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10 CAB News CAB - Practical Issues A few months ago I wrote in The Messenger about the work I do volunteering with Salford Citizens Advice Bureau. Experience working as a solicitor really does give you a head start in advising and helping CAB clients. However, it is a bit of a shock to the system moving from a situation where you know the answer to most questions a client may ask to a situation where initially you know very little about most questions troubling a CAB client. There is plenty of help for volunteers from their manager, from their CB training and from an online system called Advisernet but nevertheless you are in quite a different situation. So I thought I would write a column for The Messenger every few months which covers some areas where CAB clients have particular needs. Areas such as benefits, immigration and debt to name only three. Sometimes all these three will come in one enquiry. And the first subject I have is the benefit known as Universal Credit (UC). Despite much coverage in the media about the delays to the government’s major programme of reforming the benefit system, much of UC has already been rolled out across Greater Manchester. CAB are dealing with hundreds of people with enquires about the new system. The idea behind UC is that it will eventually replace all other means tested benefits such as income based Jobseeker’s Allowance and Housing Benefit. Instead of a client applying for several means tested benefits one claim for UC will cover all their means tested needs. And UC is supposed to be flexible so that when a client’s circumstances change then the amount of UC will change as well. Here are some of the new benefit’s main features: Universal Credit tops up your earnings When a client starts work the amount of Universal Credit they get may gradually reduce as they earn more. But unlike Jobseeker’s Allowance, their payment won’t stop just because they work more than 16 hours a week. Work Allowance In some cases, people may be eligible for a work allowance. A work allowance is the amount that can be earned before Universal Credit payment is affected. Once earnings are more than the works allowance, UC payments will be reduced at a 65% taper. Therefore for every pound earned over the work allowance, UC will be reduced by 65 pence. Payments will change as earnings change. From April <strong>2016</strong>, the range of work allowances available was simplified. People will be eligible for a work allowance if they (and/or their partner) either: • have responsibility for a child and/or • have limited capability for work The monthly work allowances are set at: £192 (per household) If Universal Credit includes housing support £397 (per household) If they do not receive housing support If people have earnings but they (or their partner) are not responsible for a child or do not have limited capability for work they will not be eligible for a work allowance. Total income Total income will be their earnings plus any new UC payment. The more earned, the higher total income will be until no Universal Credit is available. A claim continues when someone starts work. A client can take temporary or seasonal jobs without worrying about making a brand new claim or any gaps between paydays as they move in and out of work. A claim will stay live for up to six months, even if no UC is awarded during such time. Other support to help you earn more The government’s aim is to support people on UC to increase their earnings and ultimately move off benefits altogether. These changes were brought in along with a range of measures to help clients earn more. These include: • bringing in the National Living Wage - which is set to reach over £9 an hour by 2020 • increasing the personal tax allowance to £11,000 • increasing and providing support for eligible costs of childcare in Universal Credit to 85% and doubling the free early years provision to 30 hours a week for working parents of 3 and 4 year olds Practical issues The underlying force behind the introduction of UC is to encourage clients back into work and also to encourage clients to take responsibility for their own personal circumstances. There are therefore particular areas where clients have difficulties • All claims for UC must be made online. Quite a number of clients have no access to a computer and have no skills is using one. This is having to change. • When awarded, UC is paid monthly save for exceptional circumstances. Many current benefits are paid on a weekly basis so clients have to get used to a different way of budgeting • When a claim for UC includes rent the payment of UC is made in full to the client who is then responsible for paying the rent. In the past Housing Benefit has been paid direct to the Landlord. Clients and their landlords are therefore not used to the new UC regime. This leads to many situations where the client has not budgeted for the rent and there are significant arrears. Stephen Hindmarsh • UC is currently being rolled out in various areas of the UK which include Greater Manchester. Currently not every category of new claimant is required to claim UC and clients on existing means tested benefits stay on those benefits. So CAB will be advising on both UC and the existing means tested benefits for some time to come. That’s it for UC. I’ll have another topic in a couple of months time. Stephen Hindmarsh CAB Volunteer Past President of Manchester Law Society Legal Indemnity Title Insurance Take a break... Seeing as issuing Legal Indemnity Title Insurance with GCS is so easy, why not take a break... Find out what our little bear Samuel has been up to at: www.gcs-title.co.uk/charity Call 01435 868050 to speak to an underwriter today or email underwriters@gcs-title.co.uk www.gcs-title.co.uk 01435 868050 underwriters@gcs-title.co.uk Guaranteed Conveyancing Solutions Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Registered in England and Wales No. 3623950 Legal Indemnity Insurance
Kuits welcomes local students to its Legal Taster Workshops Manchester commerical law firm Kuits welcomed a group of aspiring solicitors onto a three-day legal taster workshop this month, designed to offer students an overview of the legal profession and what it takes to work at the firm. Students from across the Greater Manchester region joined both senior and junior lawyers at Kuits’ brand new offices at Blackfriars House to consider and practise some of the key skills needed by solicitors, and experience the culture at the UK200-listed firm. The undergraduates were also invited to discuss what a typical working day looks like with the firm’s solicitors and trainees, receiving guidance on the different entry routes to qualification. Students listened to presentations about commercial property, corporate, intellectual property, employment, banking, litigation and licensing before working on a central case study that looked at a hypothetical, newly-formed company. Alison Pearse, Head of HR at Kuits, explains: “The practical exercise, where we looked at the setting up and running of a business, fo- cused upon some of the core skills the undergraduates will need as solicitors – such as team working, planning and communication. “We took students through the sorts of legal issues businesses face when they are at the beginning of their journeys – lease agreements, licences, shareholder agreements – to what advice they would need on the day-to-day running, such as reputation management, brand protection, complying with employment law, by bringing in our teams who are experts in these fields. “By using one example and applying all of the different sorts of law we practise at Kuits, it gave students a unique introduction not only to the world of law, but to Kuits as well. We were really pleased at how this brought what we do to life and by the great feedback we received from attendees.” A student who attended the Legal Workshop said: “The workshop was incredibly informative and developed my knowledge of different practice areas significantly. It was very well organised and enjoyable throughout, helping me understand and learn more about the law, Local News 11 Landmark ruling changes future of Asbestosis Compensation Claims Victims pursuing asbestosis compensation claims could now be helped by a landmark ruling by the Court of Appeal. On 29 July, <strong>2016</strong>, the Court of Appeal decided that employers who had only been responsible for a small proportion of an employee’s asbestos exposure had to pay compensation, even if it couldn’t be proved that the additional exposure they were responsible for had made the symptoms worse. The case in question involved Albert Carder, now 86, a retired electrician who was exposed to asbestos whilst working at Exeter University in the 1980s. Most of his exposure to asbestos dust took place earlier in his career with other employers before he worked at the university. At a High Court hearing in July last year, it was reported that his employment at the university contributed 2.3 per cent of the total asbestos dose. It caused Mr Carder to suffer no additional symptoms and the extent that the disease had been made worse by this was not measurable. Judges found in his favour and lawyers for the university took the case to the Court of Appeal. But passing judgement, Master of the Rolls Lord Dyson, at the Court of Appeal, upheld the High Court’s ruling. He said Mr Carder’s exposure at the university had increased the severity of the disease by a ‘small, albeit not measurable’ extent. Lord Dyson added: “It is conceded that the increase was material. In my view this concession is critical.In these circumstances, the judge was right to hold that Mr Carder was slightly worse off as a result of the 2.3 per cent exposure for which the appellant was responsible.” What Does This Mean For People Pursuing Asbestosis Compensation Claims? This means that employers cannot avoid responsibility to pay asbestosis compensation because they were only one of a large number of employers, each of whom contributed a small part of the total dose, on the grounds that “their bit” taken on its own couldn’t be shown to have been responsible for the symptoms. An example of the absurdity of the employer’s argument can be shown in the following way: An employee develops as- but most importantly that Kuits is a great place to work.” Kuits is planning to repeat the workshops with different groups of students twice a year, with the next cohort scheduled for December. The firm is working closely with local educational institutions to ensure the workshops draw students from a diverse range of backgrounds and circumstances. Steve Eccleston, Managing Partner for Kuits, said: “We recognise that not everyone with an interest in law follows a set path into the discipline, and we work very hard to make sure our hiring processes cater for people with different backgrounds, experiences and skill sets. “While technical excellence is important, today’s lawyer also needs to be able to think commercially, be a team player and provide an outstanding client experience – these are the attributes that we actively look for in our people to ensure we are not only the best at what we do, but also retain our culture and reputation as a firm that people really enjoy working for.” bestosis and has a 30 per cent respiratory disability from the disease. If he were exposed by only one employer, that employer would have to pay all the compensation. If he had 50 employers, each responsible for two per cent of the asbestos dose, then he would recover nothing for the same level of disability, for each employer would argue that their “bit” on its own had not made the symptoms worse. The Court of Appeal has stated that this approach is wrong. If an employer has contributed to the dose which caused the disease, they have to pay a proportion of the compensation. This is only fair. Depending on the extent of the damage done, the life expectancy of a person suffering asbestosis varies and can get worse over time. People with asbestosis have a higher risk of developing other asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma and lung cancer. Asbestos fibres are nearly 700 times smaller than a human hair. Asbestos dust is odourless, tasteless and indestructible. Asbestos dust and fibres continue to kill more than 100,000 workers around the world every year. Law Society Excellence Awards Two Manchester Law Society member firms have been shortlisted in the annual Law Society Excellence Awards. Jackson and Canter have been shorlisted in three categories: Excellence in Client Service, and Excellence in Pro Bono and Chris Topping has been shortlisted as Human Rights Lawyer of the Year. Andrew Holroyd, Executive Chairman of Jackson & Canter told the Messenger: “We are delighted to be shortlisted in three categories in the Law Society Excellence Awards. Our Excellence in Client Service is recognised by our only being the second law firm to achieve Customer Service Excellence accreditation and our Foundation has made a difference through its work. Chris Topping who never seeks the limelight certainly deserves recognition for his dedicated service of Police and Human rights law.” Roberts Jackson have also been shorlisted for Excellence in Client Care. Executive Directors, Gladys Swaim-Rutter said : “Over the last 12 months, the team at Roberts Jackson continue to work tirelessly to improve every aspect of the client journey. By continuously seeking to be innovative, the team have been able to drive initiatives which have resulted in the team securing a 23% increase in settlements on last year. The implementation of the firm’s balanced scorecard and trial committee has allowed the team to lower leakage whilst ensuring high quality and quick progression through key milestones for the client.” Patrick Walsh Tragically, people who are diagnosed with life-threatening asbestos-related diseases such as asbestosis and mesothelioma will have been exposed to asbestos decades before doctors were able to make the diagnosis. It is for this reason that any workers who suspect they may have been exposed to asbestos should register their concerns immediately. Patrick Walsh Principal Lawyer, Serious Injury Slater & Gordon Andrew Holroyd Gladys Swaim-Rutter
Page 1 and 2: September 2016 October 09 1 North W
Page 3 and 4: Contents 3 North West Law September
Page 5 and 6: 5 President’s Column 5 From the P
Page 7 and 8: Regulatory Affairs Committee Update
Page 9: OUR NEW 4 th Edition PACK Market le
Page 15 and 16: Talking Heads 15 Talking Heads This
Page 17 and 18: Charity & CSR 17 BPP Pro Bono Centr
Page 19 and 20: Local News MTSG News Thank You As t
Page 21 and 22: Christmas Party Feature 21 Christma
Page 23 and 24: Christmas Party Feature 23 DON’T
Page 25 and 26: Managed IT Services Managed IT Serv
Page 27 and 28: We have added a number of new benet
Page 29 and 30: October 09 The W rld according to F
Page 31 and 32: ‘We promote a friendly and profes

MM September 2016

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