Archive for category: News

Following the latest lockdown, the Job Support Scheme planned for 1 November has been suspended until the start of December; possibly later.

As a result, workers, including employees and agency workers, can now be placed on furlough leave. It is not necessary for a worker to have previously been placed on furlough to qualify for the new furlough scheme (which is the same version as that in August 2020 where the government pays 80% of the workers’ wages and the employer pays 13.8% Employers’ national insurance and also pension contributions).

It’s of note that workers can be either full time or flexi-furloughed and need to sign an appropriate agreement. Workers can take leave during this period which employers can force workers to take as long as twice as much notice is given as the amount of holiday taken. All leave must be paid at 100%.

Furlough Leave can be used for workers who are working their notice, but it must be paid at 100% of their contractual rate of pay.

More detail is here.

The city of Oxford will be moved into the government’s ‘high’ or tier 2 alert level after a further rise in cases of coronavirus. The move means that Oxford residents and visitors will need to abide by new rules from 00.01hrs on Saturday 31 October.

Evidence continues to show that, in the past three weeks, the virus has spread to a much wider age range across the county and is no longer confined to younger people in urban areas. Hospital admissions have begun to increase as a result.

As a result:

People must not meet socially with anybody outside their household or support bubble in any indoor setting, whether at home or in a public place.

They must not meet in a group of more than six outside, including in a garden or other space.

They should aim to reduce the number of journeys they make where possible. If they need to travel, they should walk or cycle where possible. If taking public transport, they should plan ahead and avoid busy times and routes.

Further information is available at https://www.oxford.gov.uk/tier2

SODC is reminding residents that they can put their Hallowe’en pumpkins out for food waste recycling in the week beginning 2 November. They can be put inside or next to the food waste caddy – with the candles removed.

Thames Valley Police is urging people to remain cautious after an elaborate scam has resulted in victims losing a total of £15,000.

A man, described as being of Mediterranean appearance, in a dark coloured car, has been approaching people asking for directions to Heathrow Airport. He claims to be a fashion designer with Giorgio Armani and that he has excess stock he is unable to take back to Dubai with him due to the high cost. He asks people to lend him money to cover the cost of his car hire on the promise that the money will be paid back. He encourages the individuals to provide their bank account details and will then drive them to the bank where the money is withdrawn and handed over.

The contact details passed over to the individuals turn out to be false and no money is ever paid back.
This scam results in a significant financial loss and poses a risk to the victim’s safety by agreeing to get in a car with a stranger. Where personal details including bank details have been handed over, this also leaves the victim open to identity fraud.

Thames Valley Police are urging the following:

• Never agree to lend a stranger money, no matter how elaborate and believable their story may be.
• Never agree to purchase or accept items from a stranger – These items may be stolen and you could be implicated as being involved in handling stolen goods.
• Never reveal personal details to a stranger, especially banking details.
• Never agree to get in a stranger’s car, no matter how friendly and trustworthy they may seem.

Contact your bank immediately if you think you’ve fallen for a scam and report it to Action Fraud. Call 999 in an emergency.

For more information, visit the national Take Five to Stop Fraud (https://takefive-stopfraud.org.uk/) campaign.

Criminals are using the coronavirus pandemic as an opportunity to trick people into parting with their money or information.

In some scams people are urged to “take advantage of the financial downturn”, using emails and social media platforms to advertise fake investment opportunities in cryptocurrency such as Bitcoin. Others include criminals offering their assistance with Universal Credit applications, while taking some of the payment as a fee for their “services”.

It’s important to remember that criminals are experts at impersonation, using official branding and language used by trusted organisations and government departments to convince that their emails are genuine. These may include offering an individual or business a government grant or a reduction in council tax with links contained leading to fake websites designed to obtain personal and financial information.

Follow the advice of the Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign to:

Stop: Taking a moment to stop and think before parting with money or information could keep you safe.

Challenge: Could it be fake? It’s ok to reject, refuse, or ignore any requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you.

Protect: Contact your bank immediately if you think you’ve fallen for a scam and report it to Action Fraud.

You can find more information on the top ten scams and advice on how to protect yourself here.