Latest news with #Pip
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Herbert Pocket is far from a minor character in Great Expectations
Well, Zoe Williams, I have heard of Herbert and so has anyone else who's read Great Expectations (Think you know a lot about Dickens? Then who's this Herbert character?, 28 May). Herbert Pocket is a relative of Miss Havisham who fights Pip and is beaten by him. When Pip comes into money, he lives with the Pocket family, aiming to acquire the manners and knowledge of a gentleman. Pip and Herbert share chambers as young men, and so Herbert becomes aware of the Magwitch secret. He helps Pip with the failed escape. Dickens' books teem with characters, but among the crowd Herbert stands out. As does a close friendship between young men to which teenagers can relate. Jane LindenDarsham, Suffolk Herbert Pocket is not a minor character in Great Expectations. We first meet him as a boy on one of Pip's visits to Miss Havisham, where Pip fights with, and defeats, Herbert, which delights Estella, who says to Pip: 'You may kiss me if you like.' Later, when Pip acquires wealth and goes to London, Herbert lodges with him and becomes his guide to behaviour suited to his new station in life: 'It isn't usual to eat peas with a knife.' Anyone who thinks he is a minor character has not read the book properly or only in summary – a practice that I believe is becoming more RobertsManosque, France As a lifelong admirer of Great Expectations, I was puzzled that Zoe Williams could see so little in the character of Herbert Pocket. He is the 'pale young gentleman' who fights with Pip near the beginning of the story. He later becomes Pip's closest friend and shares all his experiences throughout the rest of the book. Pip confides in him about his unrequited love for Estella, and Herbert is able to explain the reason for Miss Havisham's obsessive resentments. Together they respond to the shock of the convict Magwitch's return from transportation and join in the desperate attempt to spirit him to safety. Of all the things that Pip does with his inherited fortune, the only one that he does not regret is setting Herbert up in business. I don't know the wording of the GCSE question about Herbert, but I should think he understands Pip better than any other character. His take on Pip's life story would be kind and sympathetic, but searching and perceptive as well. He seems a very good choice for students to write RigbyOldham, Greater Manchester Have an opinion on anything you've read in the Guardian today? Please email us your letter and it will be considered for publication in our letters section.
Rhyl Journal
3 days ago
- Politics
- Rhyl Journal
Welfare reforms will lead to rise in homelessness, charities warn Government
Shelter and Crisis are among the signatories to a letter to the Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall, voicing concerns over the risks from her proposed changes to the benefits system. The Government is already under pressure over the controversial reforms, with more than 40 Labour MPs earlier this month urging the Prime Minister to pause and reassess planned cuts, saying the proposals are 'impossible to support'. The proposed reforms, set out earlier this year, would tighten the eligibility criteria for personal independence payment (Pip) – the main disability benefit in England – and see the sickness-related element of universal credit (UC) cut. They also proposed delaying access to the health element of UC to those aged 22 and over, with the aim of reinvesting savings to support young people into work or training. The package of measures is aimed at reducing the number of working-age people on sickness benefits, and the Government hopes they can save £5 billion a year by the end of the decade. But an impact assessment published alongside the reforms warned some 250,000 people – including 50,000 children – could fall into relative poverty as a result of the changes. Now a letter, co-ordinated by the St Mungo's homelessness charity, has stated the 'deep concern' organisations within the sector feel about the reforms. In the letter, which has also been sent to Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, they said: 'We can only conclude that the proposed changes will increase the number of people at risk of becoming homeless for the first time, increase the number of people we have helped resolve their homelessness fall back into it and increase the length of time it takes to resolve people's homelessness in the future.' They stated that while they share the Government's 'ambition to establish a thriving and inclusive labour market and give people the opportunities and support they need to get back to work', the reforms 'will not help achieve your ambition and therefore we as a sector cannot support them'. The letter stated that the reforms will 'push people further away from the labour market, increase homelessness and put excessive pressure on statutory services'. They said increases in already record levels of homelessness 'will have a catastrophic impact on mental and physical health, education and employment opportunities' and have a 'domino effect of imposing a significant financial cost to the state' in paying for more temporary accommodation and emergency homelessness services. The latest official Government statistics, published in April, showed new record highs in both households and children living in temporary accommodation – a form of homelessness. There were 127,890 households in this situation as of the end of December, while the total number of children in temporary accommodation stood at 165,510. The charities added: 'Homelessness devastates people's chances of employment. These cuts and eligibility restrictions will not give people a pathway to work and we urge the Government to reconsider its position.' It was reported earlier this week that benefit claimants could be given longer 'transitional periods' to seek out other benefits if they lose out as a result of the reforms, in what has been seen by some as an effort by Sir Keir Starmer to soften the blow of the cuts amid the growing threat of a backbench rebellion. Emma Haddad, chief executive of St Mungo's, said: 'Many people rely on these benefits to manage complex health conditions as part of their recovery from homelessness and pay for essential utilities. With already eyewatering rents, these benefits help people cover their additional costs. 'Without them, we fear people will be increasingly unable to afford to secure somewhere safe to live. 'Homelessness has already pushed these people to the edge. We should be supporting them to rebuild their lives, not creating more challenges for them to overcome.' A Government spokesperson said: 'We will never compromise on protecting people who need our support, and our reforms will mean the social security system will always be there for those who will never be able to work. 'At the heart of the government's reforms is a £1 billion scheme to help the long-term sick or disabled out of poverty and into good, secure jobs. 'We have also raised the national living wage, increased benefits and given additional help to the poorest households, as part of our Plan for Change.'
South Wales Guardian
3 days ago
- Politics
- South Wales Guardian
Welfare reforms will lead to rise in homelessness, charities warn Government
Shelter and Crisis are among the signatories to a letter to the Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall, voicing concerns over the risks from her proposed changes to the benefits system. The Government is already under pressure over the controversial reforms, with more than 40 Labour MPs earlier this month urging the Prime Minister to pause and reassess planned cuts, saying the proposals are 'impossible to support'. The proposed reforms, set out earlier this year, would tighten the eligibility criteria for personal independence payment (Pip) – the main disability benefit in England – and see the sickness-related element of universal credit (UC) cut. They also proposed delaying access to the health element of UC to those aged 22 and over, with the aim of reinvesting savings to support young people into work or training. The package of measures is aimed at reducing the number of working-age people on sickness benefits, and the Government hopes they can save £5 billion a year by the end of the decade. But an impact assessment published alongside the reforms warned some 250,000 people – including 50,000 children – could fall into relative poverty as a result of the changes. Now a letter, co-ordinated by the St Mungo's homelessness charity, has stated the 'deep concern' organisations within the sector feel about the reforms. In the letter, which has also been sent to Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, they said: 'We can only conclude that the proposed changes will increase the number of people at risk of becoming homeless for the first time, increase the number of people we have helped resolve their homelessness fall back into it and increase the length of time it takes to resolve people's homelessness in the future.' They stated that while they share the Government's 'ambition to establish a thriving and inclusive labour market and give people the opportunities and support they need to get back to work', the reforms 'will not help achieve your ambition and therefore we as a sector cannot support them'. The letter stated that the reforms will 'push people further away from the labour market, increase homelessness and put excessive pressure on statutory services'. They said increases in already record levels of homelessness 'will have a catastrophic impact on mental and physical health, education and employment opportunities' and have a 'domino effect of imposing a significant financial cost to the state' in paying for more temporary accommodation and emergency homelessness services. The latest official Government statistics, published in April, showed new record highs in both households and children living in temporary accommodation – a form of homelessness. There were 127,890 households in this situation as of the end of December, while the total number of children in temporary accommodation stood at 165,510. The charities added: 'Homelessness devastates people's chances of employment. These cuts and eligibility restrictions will not give people a pathway to work and we urge the Government to reconsider its position.' It was reported earlier this week that benefit claimants could be given longer 'transitional periods' to seek out other benefits if they lose out as a result of the reforms, in what has been seen by some as an effort by Sir Keir Starmer to soften the blow of the cuts amid the growing threat of a backbench rebellion. Emma Haddad, chief executive of St Mungo's, said: 'Many people rely on these benefits to manage complex health conditions as part of their recovery from homelessness and pay for essential utilities. With already eyewatering rents, these benefits help people cover their additional costs. 'Without them, we fear people will be increasingly unable to afford to secure somewhere safe to live. 'Homelessness has already pushed these people to the edge. We should be supporting them to rebuild their lives, not creating more challenges for them to overcome.' A Government spokesperson said: 'We will never compromise on protecting people who need our support, and our reforms will mean the social security system will always be there for those who will never be able to work. 'At the heart of the government's reforms is a £1 billion scheme to help the long-term sick or disabled out of poverty and into good, secure jobs. 'We have also raised the national living wage, increased benefits and given additional help to the poorest households, as part of our Plan for Change.'
North Wales Chronicle
3 days ago
- Politics
- North Wales Chronicle
Welfare reforms will lead to rise in homelessness, charities warn Government
Shelter and Crisis are among the signatories to a letter to the Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall, voicing concerns over the risks from her proposed changes to the benefits system. The Government is already under pressure over the controversial reforms, with more than 40 Labour MPs earlier this month urging the Prime Minister to pause and reassess planned cuts, saying the proposals are 'impossible to support'. The proposed reforms, set out earlier this year, would tighten the eligibility criteria for personal independence payment (Pip) – the main disability benefit in England – and see the sickness-related element of universal credit (UC) cut. They also proposed delaying access to the health element of UC to those aged 22 and over, with the aim of reinvesting savings to support young people into work or training. The package of measures is aimed at reducing the number of working-age people on sickness benefits, and the Government hopes they can save £5 billion a year by the end of the decade. But an impact assessment published alongside the reforms warned some 250,000 people – including 50,000 children – could fall into relative poverty as a result of the changes. Now a letter, co-ordinated by the St Mungo's homelessness charity, has stated the 'deep concern' organisations within the sector feel about the reforms. In the letter, which has also been sent to Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, they said: 'We can only conclude that the proposed changes will increase the number of people at risk of becoming homeless for the first time, increase the number of people we have helped resolve their homelessness fall back into it and increase the length of time it takes to resolve people's homelessness in the future.' They stated that while they share the Government's 'ambition to establish a thriving and inclusive labour market and give people the opportunities and support they need to get back to work', the reforms 'will not help achieve your ambition and therefore we as a sector cannot support them'. The letter stated that the reforms will 'push people further away from the labour market, increase homelessness and put excessive pressure on statutory services'. They said increases in already record levels of homelessness 'will have a catastrophic impact on mental and physical health, education and employment opportunities' and have a 'domino effect of imposing a significant financial cost to the state' in paying for more temporary accommodation and emergency homelessness services. The latest official Government statistics, published in April, showed new record highs in both households and children living in temporary accommodation – a form of homelessness. There were 127,890 households in this situation as of the end of December, while the total number of children in temporary accommodation stood at 165,510. The charities added: 'Homelessness devastates people's chances of employment. These cuts and eligibility restrictions will not give people a pathway to work and we urge the Government to reconsider its position.' It was reported earlier this week that benefit claimants could be given longer 'transitional periods' to seek out other benefits if they lose out as a result of the reforms, in what has been seen by some as an effort by Sir Keir Starmer to soften the blow of the cuts amid the growing threat of a backbench rebellion. Emma Haddad, chief executive of St Mungo's, said: 'Many people rely on these benefits to manage complex health conditions as part of their recovery from homelessness and pay for essential utilities. With already eyewatering rents, these benefits help people cover their additional costs. 'Without them, we fear people will be increasingly unable to afford to secure somewhere safe to live. 'Homelessness has already pushed these people to the edge. We should be supporting them to rebuild their lives, not creating more challenges for them to overcome.' A Government spokesperson said: 'We will never compromise on protecting people who need our support, and our reforms will mean the social security system will always be there for those who will never be able to work. 'At the heart of the government's reforms is a £1 billion scheme to help the long-term sick or disabled out of poverty and into good, secure jobs. 'We have also raised the national living wage, increased benefits and given additional help to the poorest households, as part of our Plan for Change.'
Western Telegraph
3 days ago
- Health
- Western Telegraph
Welfare reforms will lead to rise in homelessness, charities warn Government
Shelter and Crisis are among the signatories to a letter to the Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall, voicing concerns over the risks from her proposed changes to the benefits system. The Government is already under pressure over the controversial reforms, with more than 40 Labour MPs earlier this month urging the Prime Minister to pause and reassess planned cuts, saying the proposals are 'impossible to support'. The letter has also been sent to Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner who is Housing Secretary (Andrew Milligan/PA) The proposed reforms, set out earlier this year, would tighten the eligibility criteria for personal independence payment (Pip) – the main disability benefit in England – and see the sickness-related element of universal credit (UC) cut. They also proposed delaying access to the health element of UC to those aged 22 and over, with the aim of reinvesting savings to support young people into work or training. The package of measures is aimed at reducing the number of working-age people on sickness benefits, and the Government hopes they can save £5 billion a year by the end of the decade. But an impact assessment published alongside the reforms warned some 250,000 people – including 50,000 children – could fall into relative poverty as a result of the changes. Now a letter, co-ordinated by the St Mungo's homelessness charity, has stated the 'deep concern' organisations within the sector feel about the reforms. In the letter, which has also been sent to Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, they said: 'We can only conclude that the proposed changes will increase the number of people at risk of becoming homeless for the first time, increase the number of people we have helped resolve their homelessness fall back into it and increase the length of time it takes to resolve people's homelessness in the future.' They stated that while they share the Government's 'ambition to establish a thriving and inclusive labour market and give people the opportunities and support they need to get back to work', the reforms 'will not help achieve your ambition and therefore we as a sector cannot support them'. The letter stated that the reforms will 'push people further away from the labour market, increase homelessness and put excessive pressure on statutory services'. They said increases in already record levels of homelessness 'will have a catastrophic impact on mental and physical health, education and employment opportunities' and have a 'domino effect of imposing a significant financial cost to the state' in paying for more temporary accommodation and emergency homelessness services. The latest official Government statistics, published in April, showed new record highs in both households and children living in temporary accommodation – a form of homelessness. There were 127,890 households in this situation as of the end of December, while the total number of children in temporary accommodation stood at 165,510. The charities added: 'Homelessness devastates people's chances of employment. These cuts and eligibility restrictions will not give people a pathway to work and we urge the Government to reconsider its position.' It was reported earlier this week that benefit claimants could be given longer 'transitional periods' to seek out other benefits if they lose out as a result of the reforms, in what has been seen by some as an effort by Sir Keir Starmer to soften the blow of the cuts amid the growing threat of a backbench rebellion. Emma Haddad, chief executive of St Mungo's, said: 'Many people rely on these benefits to manage complex health conditions as part of their recovery from homelessness and pay for essential utilities. With already eyewatering rents, these benefits help people cover their additional costs. 'Without them, we fear people will be increasingly unable to afford to secure somewhere safe to live. 'Homelessness has already pushed these people to the edge. We should be supporting them to rebuild their lives, not creating more challenges for them to overcome.' A Government spokesperson said: 'We will never compromise on protecting people who need our support, and our reforms will mean the social security system will always be there for those who will never be able to work. 'At the heart of the government's reforms is a £1 billion scheme to help the long-term sick or disabled out of poverty and into good, secure jobs. 'We have also raised the national living wage, increased benefits and given additional help to the poorest households, as part of our Plan for Change.'
