600,000 London renters at risk of moving home if jobless or sick

Staff reporter(wp/es):
 The number of Londoners renting privately at risk of having to move home if they become jobless or lose their income due to sickness has soared to nearly 600,000, a new study warned today.

The analysis by leading insurer Royal London found the number of households in the capital in such a precarious financial position had more than doubled in just over a decade.
These “renters at risk” include many families whose children could have to change school if they were forced to move home.
The study, by former pensions minister Steve Webb who is now director of policy at Royal London, highlighted three main factors behind this “toxic cocktail” threatening working Londoners.
The number of renters has risen sharply as buying a home has become so expensive, employment has hit a record high and there have been cuts to housing benefit.
Latest figures show the number of working adults in London who could be affected by these factors, if they lost their income, rose to 867,000 in 2014/15, from 338,000 in 2003/04.

It would have reached 963,000 in 2016/17 if as expected the number has continued to rise at least in line with the trend over the past decade.
Some 790,000 of them are calculated to be renting in the private sector, with the remaining people in housing association or council homes.
Around three quarters of the 790,000 - or 592,000 - would run out of money for rent and other bills, according to the analysis, after three to six months.
The age breakdown of these “renters at risk” includes 44,000 under 25, 314,000 25 to 34-year-olds, 142,000 aged 35-44, 84,000 45 to 54-year-olds, and 8,000 aged 55 or over.
The study warns private renters could be affected in at least four ways:

* Couples who need both their salaries to pay the rent, and lost one of them, would in many cases not quality for housing benefit given its sharp earnings ‘taper’.

* Single people under 35 would usually only be entitled to housing benefit at shared accommodation rate.

* People with “spare bedrooms”, according to welfare rules, finding housing benefit not covering their actual rent.

* Housing benefit rates only meeting rent levels in the cheaper parts of an area.


Mr Webb said: “More needs to be done to help families living in rented accommodation to think through the implications of the very limited state safety net on which they might be relying.
“Unless they are able to resume paid work quickly, approaching 600,000 working people renting in the private sector in London could be at risk of not being able to pay the rent and having to move to cheaper accommodation, if they could find it.”
London and housing minister Gavin Barwell, MP for Croydon Central, has recognised more focus needs to be put on helping renters.
A Government spokesman said: “We’re creating a bigger, better private rented sector with up to £10 billion in Government-backed guarantees to attract more institutional investment in quality homes for rent.” Unemployment and sickness benefits ensured “a strong safety net for the most vulnerable”, he added.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan has also outlined plans for a “London Living Rent”, a new type of tenancy for newly-built affordable homes aimed at low and middle-income households, typically earning between £35,000 and £45,000 and currently renting privately, to help them save for a deposit by offering them a below-market rent.

man shot in Kentish Town north London street

Crime reporter(wp/es):
A young man is seriously injured in hospital today after he was shot in the street in north London.
Armed police and paramedics raced to the scene after the man, aged in his 20s, was gunned down in Kentish Town late last night.
He was rushed to hospital with a gunshot wound to the leg.
Emergency services were called to reports of a gun being fired in Prince of Wales Road at 10.35pm.
A resident, who lives nearby and asked not to be named, told the Standard: “I didn't hear the gun go off as I was watching bake off but it happened about 30m from my house.

“We noticed flashing lights outside our window and they weren't going away so we looked outside.
“We saw about 10-12 police officers, several cars, one unmarked. There were armed police there as well. Some were taking statements.
“There was an ambulance and a fire engine and the ambulance was there for about half an hour before it left. From what I heard it was happened near Talacre park.”
The man remains in hospital in a stable condition today, police said.
A Met Police spokesman said no arrests have been made.
Enquiries are ongoing.

Heathrow Airport worker's body found in River Thames

 
Pic: Maeusz Dajnowicz

Crime reporter(es/wp):

The body of a Heathrow airport worker was recovered from the Thames months after he was granted UK citizenship.
Mateusz Dajnowicz, 30, of Brentford, was found in the water near Kew Pier on September 22, a week after he was reported missing.
It is believed his body was spotted by a member of the public. Mr Dajnowicz’s friends, who had appealed online for help to find him, said he was last seen on CCTV leaving his flat, near Kew Bridge, on his own and wearing pyjamas.
His family flew in from Poland this week to identify his body and police are not treating his death as suspicious.

Mr Dajnowicz, who moved to London a decade ago, was working as a  manager for the airport’s cleaning contractor team after completing an apprenticeship in hospitality six months ago.
He had visited Brighton and Paris this summer. His friend Cassandra Hutchinson said: “He was such a nice lad, very hard-working and he really enjoyed his work. We all can’t believe it and are just in shock.”
Another friend, Gul Din, said: “He was just such a lovely soul and very fun-loving. If he ever saw a karaoke stand, he would be up there singing without a care in the world.”
Mr Dajnowicz had just started another course at work with the help of Anita Gomez, his assessor at HIT Training college, who said he would have gone on to do great things.
“He had one of the cutest smiles and would always have a joke for you,” she added. “He had just got his British citizenship about three months ago. He was so happy. It meant everything to him.”

Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe retires

Pic: Sir Bernard Hogan
Staff reporter(wp/es):
Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe announced today he was retiring after five years in charge of the Met Police.
The Commissioner, who had been expected to stay in the role until September, will continue until February to give enough time for a successor to be found.
Sir Bernard, who was first appointed to the role in September 2011, spoke today of his pride at leading London’s police force.

 Here is his statement in full:

"I am so proud of the remarkable men and women who serve Londoners as police officers and staff and make this such a safe place for people to live, work or visit.
"I want to thank all of them for what they do, and the risks they take each day to protect the public.
"I want to thank all the partners we work with in government, in City Hall and across London.

"And I want to thank the public for the support they show the Met, and have shown me personally, as we do our difficult jobs.
"I came into this job determined to fight crime and make the MPS the best, most professional police service.

"I wish my successor well as they take on this amazing responsibility.
"It has been a great privilege to be the Met's Commissioner. I have loved my time in the role and I have loved being a police officer.
"It's the most rewarding of jobs to protect good people and lock up the bad guys."

Stockwell Green mosque under investigation over 'promoting killing of Muslim Ahmadis sect'

Staff reporter(es/wp):
A London mosque is being investigated by the charities watchdog following allegations it promoted the killing of Muslims from a minority sect.
The Charity Commission announced the inquiry into Stockwell Green mosque today after reports that leaflets were found suggesting Ahmadis who did not convert to mainstream Islam within three days should face “capital punishment” — the death penalty.
Mosque leaders previously denied the leaflets were found at the premises.
Ahmadis are banned from referring to themselves as Muslims in Pakistan because they believe their founder, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, was a prophet — something perceived as blasphemous by many Muslims.

The commission first visited the mosque — also known as Aalami Majlise Tahaffuze Khatme Nubuwwat, a registered charity — in May and launched the statutory inquiry this month.
It will probe suspicions of poor governance, financial management and trustees “carrying out activities outside the charity’s stated objects”.
A mosque spokesman could not be reached for comment.
The probe comes after the killing of Ahmadi shopkeeper Asad Shah in Glasgow last March in a sectarian attack.

Sainsbury’s hits back at Aldi as price war takes toll on tills

Business correspondent(wp/es):
Sainsbury’s today hit back at suggestions Aldi and Lidl could eat its lunch, saying its prices have never been closer to the discounters’.
Despite reporting another fall in quarterly sales, chief executive Mike Coupe downplayed the threat posed by the German retailers, whose growth has triggered a fierce industry price war.
Like its big four rivals — Tesco, Morrisons and Asda — Sainsbury’s has fought back by slashing prices. It has also moved away from multi-buy promotions to regular low prices.
Referring to Aldi’s claims earlier this week that it remains significantly cheaper than mainstream competitors, Coupe said: “You can use whatever surveys you want to dress up whatever story you want. Our price position relative to discounters has never been sharper.”
Coupe also dismissed the assertion that Aldi and Lidl are set to push further into Sainsbury’s home turf of London and the South-East.

“The idea they are marching into the South-East is somewhat misguided. All the evidence we have… suggests that broadly speaking they are opening stores where they already exist, for Aldi in the North-West and the Midlands and Lidl in the South.”
Sainsbury’s reported a 1.1% fall in same-store sales in its second quarter.
That narrowly beat expectations, but compares unfavourably with Morrisons, which reported second-quarter sales growth of 2% earlier this month. Meanwhile, Tesco’s sales declines are slowing, according to the latest industry data.

Secondary school bans all homework

staff reporter(wp/es):
A secondary school has taken the controversial step of banning homework to give their teachers more time to plan lessons.
Phillip Morant School and College in Colchester, Essex, has abolished all homework set by teachers in favour of pupils selecting their own extra learning through the school’s website.
A letter sent to parents from the Teaching and Learning Team stated the new system would give pupils a “greater responsibility for their own learning”.
The letter reads: “We are changing our approach to homework and moving away from the traditional style towards a more independent model.”

“Students will be expected to select appropriate tasks based on guidance from their teachers, their own targets and their own interests.”
Principal Catherine Hutley told the Daily Gazette that she expected the new system would be controversial but she was convinced that students would benefit from it.
She said: “The job of a teacher is impossible. There are not enough hours in the day for a teacher to teach, set homework, mark homework, and plan their lessons.

“We have the most dedicated and committed staff you could possibly ask for.
“They are working every hour God sends but planning lessons can fall by the wayside.
“We want it to be the number one priority so teachers can plan for students’ individual needs and keep on top of their progress on a daily basis.”
Ms Hutley added that homework will now be completed in lessons and that tasks on the school website for students were still encouraging independent learning.
Students taking part in out of class learning on the school website will be offered rewards for completing tasks.
Phillip Morant has 1,650 students and was given a “good” rating in its last Ofsted report.
 The school has also banned students from using mobile phones on the premises and removed academic banding.