Latest news with #AliciaKearns
Business Mayor
18-05-2025
- Business
- Business Mayor
DWP explains how PIP payment cuts will affect state pensioners
The DWP has issued guidance on how PIP (Personal Independence Payment) claimants of state pension age will be affected by upcoming benefits rules changes. From November 2026, a new qualifying criteria for PIP will make it harder to qualify for the benefit, which supports people with the extra costs they have due to a health condition or disability. PIP includes a mobility payment and a daily living part, with a higher or lower rate depending on your level of need for each element. You currently need to score a total of eight points across the 10 activities you are scored on to get the daily living part, and at least 12 points to get the higher rate. But a new rule is to be added meaning you will also need at least one score of 4 to qualify for the payment. DWP estimates suggest this will mean by the 2029/2030 tax year, a total of 800,00 people will lose out on PIP payments, with an average loss of £4,500. The daily living element of PIP is currently paid at £73.90 a week at the lower rate, or £3,842.80 a year, and at £110.40 a week at the higher rate, the equivalent of £5,740.80 a year. Conservative MP Alicia Kearns asked the Government how the changes would affect someone of state pension age requesting a 'change of circumstances review' would be required to meet the new four-point test to continue to get their payments. DWP minister, Sir Stephen Timms, provided a response. He said: 'Our intention is that the changes will apply to new claims and award reviews from November 2026, subject to parliamentary approval. 'In keeping with existing policy, people of state pension age are not routinely fully reviewed and will not be affected by these changes.' However, he did refer to some of the responsibilities that PIP claimants have that would apply to claimants of state pension age. Mr Timms said: 'All claimants are required to notify the department of any change to their circumstance, be that an improvement or deterioration in their needs. 'Upon notification of a change, a case manager will consider what further action might be required to ensure the claimant is receiving the correct level of support.' Recent figures from the DWP showed the overpayment rate for PIP increased from 0.4% in the 2023/2024 tax year to 1.3% in the 2024/2025 year. The department said the increase was driven by a 'statistically significant' increase in claimants failing to report an improvement in their needs. However, the proportion of claims that were overpaid remained at 1 in 100 claims in the 2024/2025 year, which was the same as the year before. READ SOURCE
Daily Mail
03-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
MPs calling for ban on choking in pornography as they warn the aggressive act is being ‘glamourised'
Choking in pornography could be banned with MPs expressing concerns the act is being 'glamourised'. An amendment to the Crime and Policing Bill seeks to include 'non-fatal strangulation' in its definition of extreme pornography. The move would ban choking in porn and comes amid worries such content has fuelled rising male misogyny. It follows suggestions from Baroness Bertin's Independent Pornography Review. Shadow victims minister Alicia Kearns said: 'To tackle violence against women and girls, we must tackle porn that promotes violent and misogynistic behaviour towards us. Porn has helped to glamourise strangulation, which has led to significant numbers of young people being non-consensually choked during sex and girls told this is a normal expectation.' Last month the Times reported that sex education materials taught to teenagers in schools in Wales included references to asking for consent before choking a partner. The content, funded by Bridgend county borough council, was described by London's victims' commissioner Claire Waxman as 'deeply concerning'. The amendment to ban chocking in pornography, which is due to be discussed by MPs in the committee stage of the Bill, follows recommendations from Baroness Bertin's Independent Pornography Review. Tory MP Harriet Cross said: 'Strangulation should never be normalised. Too often, pornography blurs the lines between what is and can be consented to, and when this slides into dangerous or even abusive acts. 'The impact on those viewing extreme pornography, especially in the young, and being exposed to behaviours such as strangulation and the distorted perception this can give to what is normal in terms of sexual activity or relationships must be addressed. This amendment seeks to classify non-fatal strangulation in these terms.'
RTÉ News
22-04-2025
- Entertainment
- RTÉ News
Two UK villages compete in annual bottle kicking contest
Two villages in Britain have competed against each other in an annual sporting tradition known as 'bottle kicking'. The contest between the neighbouring Leicestershire villages of Hallaton and Medbourne happens every Easter Monday and participants compete to bring a wooden barrel of beer across a boundary stream in their respective village. The so-called 'bottles' - old wooden barrels holding about a gallon of beer - are sealed with wax before the annual contest. Two of the bottles are filled with beer and the third, known as the dummy, is made of solid wood and painted red and white. The Hallaton Bottle Kicking and Hare Pie Scrambling "has links that could well date back over 1,000 years to pagan times", according to the event's Facebook page. "The event carries many of the centuries old customs and practices to this day," it added. Alicia Kearns, the Conservative MP for Rutland and Stamford, said bottle kicking was "an Easter tradition like no other". In a post on X, she said "legend has it that bottle kicking is the game which inspired rugby". "The historic annual Hallaton Bottle Kicking is an Easter tradition like no other, as the villages of Hallaton and Medbourne battle it out to get three barrels, known as bottles, from the starting field to their own village by any means possible," she added. The contest was preceded by a parade led by the Nene Valley Pipe Band and the ceremonial slicing up and distribution of a hare pie. The winning team celebrates by being lifted onto Hallaton's historic stone Butter Cross and the opened bottle is passed up for players to drink from before being handed around the crowd.
Daily Mail
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Villages go to war in annual 'bottle kicking' battle as hundreds turn out for Easter Monday tradition where locals 'fight to move barrels to streams'
Hundreds gathered to watch as two villages battled against each other in a bizarre and violent Easter Monday tradition known as 'bottle kicking'. The annual sporting contest between neighbouring Leicestershire rivals Hallaton and Medbourne sees participants compete to bring a wooden beer barrel across a boundary stream within their respective village. The 'bottles' – old wooden field barrels holding about a gallon of beer – are sealed with wax before the annual contest. Two of the bottles are filled with beer and the third, called the dummy, is made of solid wood and painted red and white. Preceded by a parade led by the Nene Valley Pipe Band, alongside the ceremonial slicing up and distribution of Hare pie, pictures from the physical game have shown villagers getting muddy in a field as they go head to head for victory. With local legend suggesting its origins are rooted back 2,000 years ago, the unique Easter Monday event begins with a parade through both villages in which locals carry a large hare pie and three 'bottles'. The pie is blessed by a Hallaton vicar, before being cut apart and thrown towards onlooking crowds to scramble over the food. Each barrel is thrown in the air three times to signal the beginning of the game, before residents of each village attempt to get the barrels over their neighbours' stream - around a mile apart. In the afternoon, the bottle-kicking gets underway with no rules aside from no 'eye-gouging, strangling or use of weapons', while organisers keenly insist they cannot accept any liability for injury. Participants are advised to take 'extreme caution', and pictures from previous years have shown bloodied villagers as many took to the floor to get their hands on the prestigious barrels. Each barrel is thrown in the air three times to signal the beginning of the game, before residents of each village attempt to get the barrels over their neighbours' stream - around a mile apart. Then, scrums regularly break out between villagers as they fight over the barrels. At the end of the game, which often lasts beyond an hour, residents retire to local pubs. The winning team celebrates by being lifted onto The Cross and the opened bottle is passed up for players to drink from before being handed around the crowd. A poster on the event's Facebook page reads: 'The history of the Hallaton Bottle Kicking and Hare Pie Scrambling has links that could well date back over 1,000 years to pagan times. 'The event carries many of the centuries-old customs and practices to this day.' Speaking to the BBC, from deep inside the field of play, chairman Phil Allan, who joined the event's organising committee in February 1974, age 16, described the event as 'another really exciting one'. He added: 'Hallaton scored first, then looked like they would do it again quickly. It's been a really good one.' Alicia Kearns, the Conservative MP for Rutland and Stamford, said bottle kicking was 'an Easter tradition like no other'. In a post published to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), on Sunday, she said: 'Legend has it that bottle kicking is the game which inspired rugby ... and it's taking place tomorrow in Hallaton. 'The historic annual Hallaton Bottle Kicking is an Easter tradition like no other, as the villages of Hallaton and Medbourne battle it out to get three barrels, known as bottles, from the starting field to their own village by any means possible.'
Powys County Times
21-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Powys County Times
Leicestershire villages battle it out at annual ‘bottle-kicking' contest
Two villages in Leicestershire have competed against each other in an annual sporting tradition known as 'bottle kicking'. The contest between neighbouring Hallaton and Medbourne happens every Easter Monday and participants compete to bring a wooden barrel of beer across a boundary stream in their respective village. The 'bottles' – old wooden barrels holding about a gallon of beer – are sealed with wax before the annual contest. Two of the bottles are filled with beer and the third, known as the dummy, is made of solid wood and painted red-and-white. A poster on the event's Facebook page reads: 'The history of the Hallaton Bottle Kicking and Hare Pie Scrambling has links that could well date back over 1,000 years to pagan times. 'The event carries many of the centuries-old customs and practices to this day.' Legend has it that bottle kicking is the game which inspired rugby…and it's taking place tomorrow in Hallaton! The historic annual Hallaton Bottle Kicking is an Easter tradition like no other, as the villages of Hallaton and Medbourne battle it out to get three barrels know as… — Alicia Kearns MP (@aliciakearns) April 20, 2025 Alicia Kearns, the Conservative MP for Rutland and Stamford, said bottle kicking was 'an Easter tradition like no other'. In a post on X on Sunday, she said: 'Legend has it that bottle kicking is the game which inspired rugby … and it's taking place tomorrow in Hallaton. 'The historic annual Hallaton Bottle Kicking is an Easter tradition like no other, as the villages of Hallaton and Medbourne battle it out to get three barrels, known as bottles, from the starting field to their own village by any means possible.' The event on Monday afternoon was preceded by a parade led by the Nene Valley Pipe Band and the ceremonial slicing up and distribution of a hare pie. The winning team celebrates by being lifted onto Hallaton's historic stone Butter Cross and the opened bottle is passed up for players to drink from before being handed around the crowd.
