Out of work............DOH!

[yoxer]

The National Audit Office has again revealed the profligate expenditure of Prescott.

The part-privatisation of the London underground has left taxpayers with a bill for £455 million in expenses.

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/publicservi...1240444,00.html

 

Two consortia - Metronet and Tube Lines - ended up with 30-year deals worth £15.7bn to modernise the tube's tracks, tunnels and stations. But the NAO found that the price of the contracts rose by £590m as negotiations dragged on for far longer than anticipated.

And then in an effort to persuade the contractors that the deal would go ahead despite opposition from the Mayor, Ken Livingstone, the Government agreed to pay the bidders’ costs of £275 million.

 

Also London Underground paid £180 million in advisory fees to professional advisors, including £29 million to the law firm Freshfields and £21 million to consultants Pricewaterhouse-Coopers

The National Audit Office report queries whether the deal as a whole provided value for money.

The contractors being able to squeeze a further £590 million in revenues after the competitive bidding process was over.

The interest bill for financing the deal will be £450 million higher than if ministers had borrowed directly through the usual gilts market.

 

Earlier this week the cost of a new building and computer transfer process at GCHQ in Cheltenham hit the headlines for exceeding its original budget by over £400 million.

Now we have another £ 400 million down the tube.

 

John Prescott is wasting Taxpayers’ hard earned money on colossal scale through incompetence and hubris.

http://www.money.telegraph.co.uk/money/mai...xfrontcity.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england...don/3812901.stm

 

and you wonder why emigration from the UK has never been so high

[Jim Roper]

I had my appendix out in 1968. I was off work for a month and got 5/- a week, total £1.

 

About 12 years ago, the Inland Revenue thought it would be a good idea if I gave them just over £100,000.00.

I went straight in and signed on as available for work. I had obviously been doing something wrong if they thought me capable of earning £25,000 a year and I invited them to find me a job that would pay me that sort of wage. Not being eligible for jobseekers allowance, due to having over £6,500 worth of 'tradable assets', all I got was N.I. credits for about 7 years. After one of their 'restarts', because I forgot to go in one week, they started to pay money into my Building Society account by mistake. I reported their mistake straight away and was asked.

"You're not complaining, are you? We aren't allowed to claim back anything we've paid out by mistake, you know".

I explained that it had been my intention to limit my lifetime benefit to the £1 I had got in 1968 and was greeted with.

"Well that's messed up now, isn't it?"

 

A chap at work told me last night, if he works one night's overtime a month, he loses it all in reclaimed Family Tax Credits and had to pay Council Tax. GREAT SYSTEM!

 

[ 17. June 2004, 02:55 PM: Message edited by: Jim Roper ]

[Colin Payne]

Ok so here's the lastest news and a warning for all of you!

Last Friday with my old (cowboy) firm I got a cheque for my wages. On Wednesday it showed as cleared funds in my account. When I check my internet banking this morning I find it has disappeared again. I phoned my bank and they say that a cheque can be cancelled up to 10 yes thats right 10 DAYS after its paid in. It's in the terms and conditions apparently. She said that everytime you make an enquiry about a cheque they should warn you this. Well this has never hapened to me so beware. Needless to say there may be a slight rumble in the jungle (Surrey) today, and with no doubt whether i get my money or not I'll be paying a visit to the ministry to discuss a certain companys shortcomings.

 

Colin(Grrrrrrrr!)

[Norrie]

Colin, Well done on the new job, exactly a year ago I did the same thing tho' for slightly different reasons,I was lucky enough to get a job the same day and have never looked back, I love my new job and the guys I work with....My old firm did the same to me, and never (not even now) sent on my P45 to me, so the Employment people and my union are dealing with it.

Tell the ministry everything,and good luck to you, but try not to make it seem like "sour grapes",they have an obligation to check out every complaint against a company.

All the best in your new job, and good luck .

Norrie

[rickster]

best of luck colin, its a shame when you leave a job for honest reasons the company cant be honest with you and your earnings. you got nothing to lose by going to the ministry, but but dont do anything you may regret

[yoxer]

"I phoned my bank and they say that a cheque can be cancelled up to 10 yes thats right 10 DAYS after its paid in. It's in the terms and conditions apparently "

 

I never knew this , anyone else want to confirm this is correct , this must be a bit of bank bluff surely ?

[Colin Payne]

Thanks for the email, Alan. I've replied to you.

 

Got another cheque to cover the last one. I'll wait for that to totally clear then hit the B***ARD!

 

Cheers

Colin