The truth about Policing

Some alarmist literature has been circulating in the area claiming that Police patrols are being cut. That isn’t true in Westfield although there has been a police reorganisation which sees the “Neighbourhood” and “Reactive” policing teams now headquartered at the Acomb Police station.

Our Neighbourhood policing team continues to be:

PC  Colin Park – Gale Lane, Foxwood and Woodthorpe 

PC  Mark Antonelli – Chapelfields, Kingsway West and Dringhouses

 PCSO Chris Simpson – Chapelfields 
PCSO Grace Holohan – Front Street 
PCSO Laura Nunnen – Gale Lane/Cornlands Road (inc. York High) 
PCSO Chris Upton – Kingsway West 
PCSOs  Richard Tempest & Stacey Gibson- Foxwood

 Lindsey Stamp is the local Sergeant and Phil Cain the Inspector

You can contact the Neighbourhood Policing team by telephoning 0845 60 60 24 7

Residents who wish to report an incident in person can visit the Acomb Police station.

The current desk opening hours – which is manned by volunteers – at the Police station on Holgate Road are:

Monday 10:00am – 12:00 noon

Tuesday 2:00pm – 4:00pm

Wednesday 6:00pm – 8:00pm

Friday 2:oopm – 4:00pm

Saturday 10:00am – 12:00 noon

Closed Thursday and Sunday

The truth about winter fuel payments

  1. The Winter Fuel Allowance is continuing at exactly the same level as previously: £300 for households with someone over 85 and £200 for households with someone over 60.
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  3. The ADDITIONAL payments of £50 for households with someone over 60 and £100 for households with someone over 85, which were introduced in the 2008 budget and extended in the 2009 and both 2010 budgets will not be continued for this winter.
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  5. The Comprehensive Spending Review permanently increased to the rate of Cold Weather Payments to £25 per 7 day cold period (from £8.50).

The increase in CWP was a temporary measure introduced in the previous Government’s “energy package” for winter 2008/9, later extended in September 2009 for winter 2009/10. It was widely expected that this increase would not be continued in the Spending Review, given that Payments the previous winter cost the Government more than six times the amount they had budgeted. However, the Spending review surprised many by making this increase permanent.  

When introduced in 2008 the increase in Winter Fuel Allowance was described as “an additional one-off payment”. 

 Winter Fuel Allowance is quite inefficient as it is paid to everyone over 60 regardless of income and whether or not it is actually cold. They are also paid to British pensioners living in other European Union countries.

On the other hand Cold Weather Payments are much more qualified. They are paid only to pensioners on low incomes, for each 7 day period in the which the temperature is consistently below zero.

 

 

Pensions increase

We’ve had a number of enquiries about the new inflation linked state pension entitlements.
Minister for Pensions Steve Webb said: “We’ve taken a decision to restore the link with earnings and increase the basic State Pension by the highest of prices, earnings or 2.5 per cent. This triple guarantee will ensure that pensioners can expect a decent offering from the state in retirement.”

The Basic State Pension will increase by £4.50 to £102.15. Pensioners on a low income will benefit because most people who receive Pension Credit will get a £4.75 increase in guarantee credit. Cold Weather Payments will be permanently increased from £8.50 to £25.

The majority of working age benefits will increase by 3.1 per cent.

The new benefit rates will apply from the week beginning 11 April 2011.