No public money for the shirkers....

PRESS RELEASE States of Jersey Ministry for the Care of the Public Purse 27 August 2013 New proposals for States’ Members sanctions A new system of sanctions for States Members who fail to look for work while claiming States salaries has been proposed by the Minister for the Care of the Public Purse (CPP). The changes complement the increased help to find useful employment available through the ballot box and the significant investment made by the people to help locally elected politicians into creative work The new regulations will: • strengthen the public’s ability to reduce or remove States payments for those Members who repeatedly fail to look for work, or fail to fully respond to the voters’ needs or initiatives proposed by the paying public. They provide a new sanction to reduce the ability of States Members to freeload or to shirk from available work without good reason. The Minister for the Care of the Public Purse said that the vast majority of Members claiming salaries would be unaffected by the changes, which are designed to provide a strong deterrent to the minority who do not do enough work. Under the new proposals, any salary or expenses claimed by a Member as actively seeking to represent his or her electorate but failing to undertake meaningful representative activities will be issued with a written warning which will remain in force for a minimum of one year. Each further breach following that first warning will result in increasing financial penalties and the eventual loss of all salaries or expenses until the individual proves that they are genuinely looking for work. Any Member who leaves a voter unrepresented without a good reason will not be able to claim their salary or expenses component for 13 weeks. The Minister said: “There is an enormous amount of support available to help elected States Members increase their chances of useful employment, whether that is through training, seeking voter assistance, at the Department’s Scrutiny Panels or through direct engagement with local Parishioners in their constituencies. “Staying dormant and relying on the Media to call is not a lifestyle choice. The new regulations will send a clear message to the few who may be tempted to think it is. We will do everything we can to help them find work, but that failing to uphold their end of the bargain will result in a cut to their salary and expenses besides a likely final expulsion through the ballot box”. “The Department will not be penalising anyone who genuinely cannot find useful work, is exempt from doing so or has a good reason for leaving a ministry, such as being posted overseas temporarily on a jolly. Any Member who is thinking of leaving their post and may consequently need to claim the “Ogley Defence” should speak with our advisers about their options before making a decision to give up their duties.” The Minister said that States pay is an in-work benefit, designed to help Members in times of need and to encourage self-sufficiency. “The recent rises in unemployment among the general population have thrown into even sharper focus the need for increased penalties for all States Members who do not seek-out work. The intention of these changes is to protect public funds so that they can be properly targeted to people who are genuinely deserving of reward and recognition.” The new sanctions against States Members shirking employment are provided by regulations that were lodged with the States today. They are due to be debated on 8 October 2013. -ends-

Prove you exist...

That the Pensions Department of Ozouf's cost saving Treasury should have written to 4,000 Jersey people demanding that they prove their existence must be the Surrealist absurdity of this century. It certainly ranks with the "Can be Done film Company" phantasy for "most unlikely plot." How much it cost for the Treasury Mandarins to devise the lengthy form that was sent out to frighten the aged recipients is anybody's guess and they did not even have the courtesy to enclose a SAE either for the respondents' convenience. At least one known confused person attempted to deliver a completed form by hand to Cyril's Citidel aka Treasury HQ - only to be sent away with a flea in the ear for failing to read the small print that demanded proof in the shape of a personalised "utility bill". It will surely soon be necessary to show a gas bill in order to be allowed on a bus! But the most mysterious and worrying aspect of this silly episode must surely be the list of about 45 exclusive classes of "people of good standing in the community" who might be considered suitable (by farmer's son Pip and his comrades) to COUNTERSIGN the ridiculous form. If this motley "as listed" collection of pseudo respectables in Jersey society had a notion of good character they would surely refuse to have anything to do with this nonsense at all. But it just goes to show just how prejudiced is the thinking of those who run this government and its over egoed administration. Do they really think that in 2013 the character of a person might be judged just on the basis of the job they do or their rank! The range of inmates at La Moye Prison where the professional classes are as well represnted as any others ought to be enough to demonstrate the falacy. That Farmers are not included on the list whereas "Local States Members" are says a great deal in itself - but what a pity that the 4,000 or so recipients could not be organised to turn up on Senator Ozouf's doorstep, forming a not too orderly queue, seeking his "suitable signature." The exclusive list as sent out is published below - if your occupation is not inclded you must draw the obvious conclusion about your standing in Jersey society.... Accountant (CCAB recognised) Advocate, Airline Pilot, Assurance agent of a recognised company, Bank manager, Chairman/director of limited company, Chiropodist, Civil servant, Dentist/Doctor, Engineer (with professional qualification), Financial services intermediery (eg a stockbroker or insurance broker), Fire ervice official, Funeral director, Insurance agent of a recognised company, Journalist,Justice of the Peace, Lawyer, Legal secretary (fellow or associate member of the Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs), L:icensee of a public house, Local States Mamber, Manager/personnel officer (of a limited company), Member, associate or fellow of a professional body, Merchant Navy Officer, Minister of a recognised religion (including Christian Science),Notary Public, Nurse/Midwife, Officer of the armed services (active or retired), Optician, Paralegal (certified paralegal, qualified paralegal or associate member of the Institute of Paralegals),Parish Official, Person with honours (eg an OBE or MBE). Pharmacist, Photographer (professional, Police Officer, Salvation Army Worker, Social Worker, Solicitor, Surveyor, Teacher/lecturer, Trade union official, Travel agent (qualified), valuer or auctioneer (fellows and assocate members of the incorporated society), Warrant Officer and Chief Petty Officer.... ...the countersignatory should be a professional person, or a person of good standing in the community....

Mr M's truly amazing Social Security Appeal Tribunal

Something very unusual and exciting happened upstairs behind the Ann Summers shop in Bath Street today, Wednesday 14 August 2013. In fact it was the first time that it had occurred in recently recorded history, was in public and yours truly was there to witness it! (along with a fellow SSTAG supporter) Amazing but true! Yes – you guessed – it was that very rare creature a SOCIAL SECURITY APPEAL TRIBUNAL and was even more remarkable for some other reasons too…. Firstly, the person making the appeal – we shall call him Mr M – was not present (because he lives overseas) and was not even represented. Therefore he could not object to the public being present to observe the proceedings (dedicated readers of this page will know that the very few previous so called “public” hearings have been closed to the public (like us from SSTAG) on grounds of privacy. On this occasion we had reported at the JET desk at 9.15am in accordance with the instructions posted on the outside door and been told to wait... The three Appeal Panellists, Chair Advocate Thacker with Messrs Esnouf and Hall, entered the room at 9.30am precisely and proceeded, without making any introductions or clarifications, to discuss the contents of the applicant’s file with two officers from the Social Security Department. The officers gave their names but as is usual in such cases, they have been taught to mumble in a particularly skilful way at the SS Training Camp, so that it is impossible to hear who they are, from the public seats. One of the officers – the male one – as it later transpired - was the “deliberating officer” who had upheld the internal SS Departmental “reconsideration” of a fellow “deliberating officer’s” previous refusal of Mr M’s application for “invalidity benefit”. But it was the female officer who did most of the initial talking which was mainly answering questions from the Panel although she did read out a previously prepared “précis” of the case. It transpired that Mr M had lived overseas for many years and had long term health problems that included depression, heart problems and chronic fatigue syndrome. His overseas (foreign) doctor – a cardiologist – had consistently determined that Mr M was not capable of working and signed repeated certificates to say so. There was a reciprocal agreement in place between the government of Jersey and the foreign territory to accept each other’s medical certificates but the SS Determining officer wanted a foreign medical board assessment too. This was duly provided together with another one which hinted that Mr M might be capable of some light work – although it was disputed (in the correspondence) if the foreign Board doctors had ever (or properly) examined Mr M. According to the Jersey “invalidity law”, so the SS officer said, a medical certificate must state that the claimant is not fit for work. Anything less – such as might be fit for light work – negates any invalidity benefit claim. It is all or nothing, although there are OTHER benefits that might be applied for if appropriate… Listening from the public seats, a picture soon emerged of a determining officer who was determined to reject Mr M’s claim for benefit. The foreign cardiologist was dismissed as a mere “GP” and unsubstantial opinion, based upon little or no examination was to be preferred. To bolster up the rejection, no less than five Jersey doctors were subsequently employed to join the chorus that Mr M was fit for some light work, although not one of them had ever actually seen him! The SS determining officer’s final plea to the foreign administration to appoint yet another “medical board” fell on deaf ears – they had presumably grown tired of the Jersey SS Department, in spite of being paid to carry out the work. There was, in any case so it transpired, no provision within the Jersey law for yet another board at all but the officers considered it “practice” if necessary to call for one… Nevertheless, the determining officer persisted that “on a balance of probabilities” that Mr M was capable of some light work and upheld the previous decision to reject his invalidity claim. Fortunately, this tribunal was made of sterner stuff. At 10.20am the trio left the room to deliberate. They returned at 10.35am to announce that the appeal had been allowed. They would issue some written recommendations to the SS Department in due course. Presumably somebody would inform Mr M that he had won. But shall anybody inform Senator Le Gresley about this latest sad tale from his department’s failing administration?