Latest news with #Thirsk
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
I took the DWP to court and won - but it was the worst time of my life
A man fighting to claim PIP at a court tribunal said it was "the worst two hours of my life" as he spoke about his struggles claiming benefits while dealing with Parkinson's. Steve Johnson, a self-employed farmer based near Thirsk, North Yorkshire, took the DWP to court to fight for his entitlement to disability benefit PIP after he was diagnosed with the progressive neurological condition in 2020. Johnson, who also cares for his wife Gilly, who lives with MS, currently receives universal credit and the daily living component of personal independence payment (PIP). When he first applied for PIP, he was awarded zero points. He felt the assessment assumed that because he worked in agriculture, he must be physically fit. However, he was struggling with his symptoms of Parkinson's, such a his right-sided tremor, difficulties sleeping, and loss of strength. Charities like Parkinson's UK have raised significant concerns about how recent and proposed government benefit cuts could disproportionately affect people with conditions like Parkinson's because symptoms can present differently from one day to the next. Current benefit assessments are often under scrutiny for failing to understand or account for fluctuating conditions like Parkinson's, leading to people like Steve being refused PIP payments by the DWP. While PIP payments avoided the chopping block in the latest round of government cuts, the disability benefit is up for investigation next Autumn, when the government will explore the impact of restricting the eligibility criteria for the payment. Success rates for taking the DWP to tribunal for PIP appeals are consistently high, with around 60-70% of cases assessed at court overturning the DWP's decision, Johnson said the stress of the process significantly worsened his symptoms. He told Yahoo News: 'My stress levels went through the roof. It just made my symptoms 10 times worse.' 'They twisted everything I said' Speaking about applying for PIP, Johnson told Yahoo News: "I applied for PIP with some assistance. I had a telephone assessment and I got one of the most upsetting letters back I've ever read. "They twisted everything I said. There's several times in this refusal letter that said, because I cared for my wife, I must be all right. Because I worked in agriculture, I must be all right. "My GP was incensed. He read the letter and said, do they have any idea what Parkinson's is? He then wrote to them to back me up. "My mandatory reconsideration came back, even with extra evidence, And it was just a cut and paste. It was just a generic, computer says no response. It didn't even mention Parkinson's. Left without an option, Johnson decided to take his PIP case to tribunal. While the farmer was advised that he had a very strong case, he didn't realise how nerve-racking it would be. He said: "It was so hard. I remember trying to drink a glass of water because my throat was dry, and then my tremor went into overdrive. At one point, his home was pulled up on Google Maps by the court while he was questioned about walking to the local shop. "They said, according to Google Maps, your local village shop its 750 metres away. Could you get to the village shop? Could you walk?," he explained. "I said, I don't know, I've not walked to the village shop two or three years now. "They made me give an answer on a guess. All of a sudden, a guess was taken as a definitive answer. "I was just mentally, physically, emotionally, absolutely drained," he added. A few days later, Johnson found out his appeal was successful. "We didn't get the decision there and then we got a letter a few days later and sure enough, they've given me the full 12 points for daily living, and four for mobility," he said. While Johnson was overjoyed to finally have the support, the experience took its toll. "It was two hours of the worst time of my life," he added. 'It's like a hidden trap door' Sadly, the farmer's benefits battle is far from over. Now, he is fighting to challenge the DWP after his transitional protection was removed from his universal credit payments when his income dipped. When a person is taken off a legacy benefit — like working tax credits, in Steve's case — and moved onto universal credit, they have a 12-month guarantee that they will not be worse off when they move to the new system. But as Johnson explains, self-employed farmers experience "feast or famine", so his income can vary significantly from month to month. Earlier this year, the farmer was alarmed to discover his universal credit benefits support dried up, and in his worst month, he received zero support. He told Yahoo News: "We went through three months of where I wasn't doing enough work, I wasn't selling cattle, but I had to pay the contractors. So I had a lot of bills and so I had a negative bank balance. "But it triggered this lower threshold rule, where the DWP apparently says if your income dips below a certain level — which they don't tell you about this until it happens — the government takes off your transitional protection. "We went from getting £986 to £800, then zero the next month." Steve is hoping to take part in a mass appeal investigating the impact of lower income threshold issues affecting transitional protection. "To me, it is fraud. How come the DWP are not carrying on my profits but my losses are included in my totals? "It's like a hidden trap door they don't really talk about. Then when I started challenging it, I was told it's in my claimant commitment. "It isn't in my commitment at all, it's only written in the law itself. It's hidden." 'We'll keep fighting' While Johnson receives the universal credit health top-up, people with Parkinson's hoping for support after April 2026 are likely to see their support halved under the government's welfare bill, Parkinson's UK has warned. While the government said 200,000 people with severe conditions will still be entitled to the higher rate of universal credit health top up once the payments are cut £97 p/w in April 2026 to £50 p/w, there are fears Parkinson's patients will not qualify as severe because of a lack of understanding about how Parkinson's affects day to day life. As the chart below illustrates, those with neurological conditions will be among the hardest hit should the PIP cuts go ahead next year, with around 38% of claimants projected to be affected. "The government's decision to cut universal credit costs is appalling. We believe that, despite the government's claims, savings are being made by effectively making people with Parkinson's ineligible for the higher rate health element," Juliet Tizzard, the director of external relations at Parkinson's UK, told Yahoo News. "The bill clearly states that someone must be constantly unable to do certain tasks to qualify. This will penalise people with Parkinson's, whose symptoms come and go. Until we can be certain that people with fluctuating conditions will not be penalised, we'll continue campaigning for a fair system. "We're thankful to the MPs who tried to stop the changes to universal credit, and for every campaigner who raised their voice. "We stopped the cuts to PIP, and while we're disappointed by the result today, this setback won't stop us. We'll keep fighting for better support, care and treatment for the Parkinson's community." The government has been approached for comment.
Irish Independent
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
Harvest review: Pastoral fear and loathing never fully catches fire in Middle Ages drama
We're somewhere in northern Britain, the giveaway a just-about passable Scottish brogue from Caleb Landry Jones (Get Out, Three Billboards…). He plays Thirsk, a farmer in a small and backward agrarian community reeling from a recent fire. Desperate for culprits, they make scapegoats of three passing strangers, putting the men in stocks and shearing the woman's hair. Thirsk chaperones another outsider, a cartographer (Arinze Kene) who has been appointed to map the land by the local lord of the manor (Harry Melling). Along with sweeping changes in how aristocracy will soon farm the terrain, these foreign elements and the villagers' responses to them manifest as an existential threat to the peasant community. Mud-splattered, bleary-eyed dread that never quite catches fire, Harvest is a heady brew but not an especially engaging one. This is not helped by Jones's mumbly, sedated screen demeanour and a knock-kneed, almost improvised gaucheness.
Yahoo
16-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
North Yorkshire photographer helps women be themselves and show their inner beauty
A North Yorkshire photographer aims to make women feel extra special after enjoying a photoshoot, which includes a special makeover. Joanna Brierley runs Joanna's Touch, which has been highlighting femininity and women's strength since 2019. The single mum of two is Polish-born but for the past 20 years has lived near Thirsk. Prior to becoming a mum she ran a Polish grocery shop in Ripon, before closing the business. RECOMMENDED READING: How Sprockett the Dog is Emma Westwood's best friend Businesses enthused by 'Meet the Media' event in York Jemma Graham starts Paws'n'Promises dog chaperone service Kirsty Dixon aims to help women with Feel Good Menopause However, she felt just being a stay-at-home mum was taking something away from her life. She wanted to provide for her children and through study and training created Joanna's Touch, where a woman could feel what she needed - a space where they could be 'seen, heard, worthy, beautiful and enough.' Joanna explained: 'I offer deeply personal makeover photoshoots, where I guide my clients through the whole journey: from natural makeup, gentle hair styling, using my curated studio wardrobe if they wish, and then capturing their truest self in portraits. 'I offer more than photos. I offer an experience. Each session is tailored to the woman in front of me and her story, her comfort, her magic.' Most of Joanna's clients are women over 30, mums, business owners, care givers, women, she says, who have spent years giving to others, and want something back for themselves. Joanna Brierley (Image: Joanna Brierley) Joanna said: 'I'm often told that my photoshoots feel like therapy. I'm not a therapist, but I listen, I see, I care deeply. And I've been there. That makes all the difference.' As well as photography, Joanna is also trained in make-ups, which better helps create trust with the client rather than a brought-in make-up artist. Joanna said: 'My approach to makeup is natural, enhancing, and empowering. I never want a woman to feel like she's being covered up. 'Instead, I help her reveal the beauty that's already there, often hidden beneath exhaustion, self-doubt, or years of putting everyone else first. 'This all-in-one service—skincare guidance, makeup, and photography- creates a seamless, nurturing experience. 'It's not rushed, it's not transactional—it's transformational. That's what makes Joanna's Touch different. Because I've been that woman.' Joanna's services also include a Slavic Girls Photography Experience, which is a 'celebration of culture, femininity and identity.' She explained: 'It's an immersive, heartfelt experience that blends photography with tradition, femininity, and reconnection. We photograph in wildflower fields, meadows, and open countryside. 'Women wear floaty dresses, handmade floral crowns, and pieces inspired by Slavic heritage.' It's not just about visuals, but a need to feel beautiful, or a return to tradition and heritage, a moment of pause, healing and pride. Joanna said: 'All leave with more than just photographs, they leave with a piece of themselves reclaimed.' Joanna's qualifications did not begin the classroom, but also growing in in Poland she was taught empowering skills to take care of herself and others. Make-up became a passion a passion in her teenage years, drawn into how it could 'uplift a woman's spirit,' leading to courses and workshops, as well as experimenting and observing. Photography followed in a similar way, training with photographers who inspired her, not just for their technical talent but how they made people feel. Joanna Brierley (Image: Joanna Brierley) Joanna continued: 'My qualifications are not just certificates, they are the thousands of hours I've spent helping women feel seen and celebrated.' This is why Joanna says many of her clients cry. They are strong in their lives but in the photoshoots, they are allowed to pause from being strong and for the first time in years 'feel beautiful' and 'themselves.' Their size and age doesn't matter, as 'beauty lives in all of us.' Such is Joanna's success in this, she volunteers with the charity Look Good Feel Better, teaching women undergoing cancer treatment how to care for their skin and apply makeup with confidence. Similarly, she is helping women who have suffered emotional abuse. Joanna's final message is she is using her own journey to help other women. Women give too much to others but they need to feel they are worthy in themselves. She reminds us, while she is no therapist, so many clients say sessions with her feel like therapy. Joanna concluded: 'That trust and connection is something. I take to heart. "In everything I offer, I simply hope to help women reconnect with their beauty, their story, and their inner strength — because when a woman sees herself clearly, she can change her world.'
Telegraph
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Horse racing tips: Tuesday July 15
Ron Wood's selections NAP: Pole Star (4.30, Beverley) 1pt win @ 8/11 with Betfred ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Other: Celestial Reign (8.30, Thirsk) 1pt win @ 5/1 with Betfred ⭐⭐⭐ Odds provided by Betfred and correct at the time of writing. Stars denote strength of selection (max 5). If you already have a Betfred account and are looking for a new bookmaker to use for this week's racing, check out more free bets from the best betting sites, reviewed by our experts. 4.30, Beverley – Class 3 Handicap (2m) POLE STAR had just a short head to spare at Haydock last time out, but that was a decent three-year-old handicap. This Teofilo colt is now down from Class 2 and stepping up in trip, which looks likely to suit. Charlie Johnston's charge is the sole three-year-old against more exposed-looking rivals. A sizeable type who has been learning on the job, he should improve some more. Connor Beasley continues in the saddle. 8.30, Thirsk – Class 5 Handicap (1m 6f) CELESTIAL REIGN did not progress when trained by Joseph O'Brien, but he did show fair ability and was never tried beyond an extended 1m 2f. This gelding, by Zoffany out of Sarawati, has been hurdling since joining trainer Micky Hammond and won a 2m 4f maiden at Sedgefield in May, and then was just denied under a penalty at Cartmel later that month. Now returning to the Flat, over a longer trip than for his previous attempts, there is a fair chance he will prove ahead of a modest handicap mark. Our pick is a full brother to Ventura Storm, who was runner-up in the St Leger around this trip before winning a 1m 4f Italian Group 1 in 2016. Selection: Celestial Reign 1pt win @ 5/1 with Betfred Go to site > Today's UK and Irish racing (Flat unless stated) Nottingham 2.10-5.13 Downpatrick (NH) 2.18-5.20 Beverley 2.30-5.00 Killarney 5.07-8.15 Thirsk 5.30-9.00 What does NAP mean? NAP is a word used in betting circles to describe a prediction that a tipster thinks has a particularly strong chance of winning. Many horse racing tipsters pick out a 'NAP of the day', which is their favoured selection from all the races across the different meetings. The term NAP derives from the French card game Napoleon. When players of this game thought they had a particularly strong hand that they would win with, they would shout 'Napoleon'. What is an each-way bet? An each-way bet is a popular type of wager, particularly with horse racing fans. It is essentially two bets, both of which have the same size stake. An each-way bet features one bet on the selection to win and the other bet on the selection to place. So a £10 each-way bet will cost you a total of £20. There will be one £10 bet on the selection to win and another £10 on the selection to place. It's a popular bet because it offers punters the chance of a return, even if the horse in question fails to win. Bookmakers will pay out at a stated percentage of the odds for a place finish, for example one-fifth of the starting price (SP) for finishing in the first three. The more runners there are in a horse race, the more places will be on offer. In races that feature lots of runners, the horses will be available at bigger odds, making an each-way bet a wise choice. Ron Wood 2025 horse racing profit/loss Star ratings explained ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - confident selection ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - strong fancy ⭐⭐⭐ - fair claims ⭐⭐ - tentative choice ⭐ - minimum confidence
Daily Mail
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Robin Goodfellow's racing tips: Best bets for Tuesday, July 15
Mail Sport's racing expert Robin Goodfellow delivers his tips for Tuesday's meetings at Beverley, Nottingham and Thirsk. Beverley Robin Goodfellow 2.30 Monica's Lad 3.00 Pearl Fortune 3.30 QUIRKE ON PAROLE (nap) 4.00 Jack Of Clubs 4.30 Pole Star 5.00 Sunny Orange Nottingham Robin Goodfellow 2.10 Recobella 2.40 Jacquelina (nb) 3.10 Eclipser 3.40 Secret Sonata 4.10 Mrs Trump 4.42 Two B Tanned 5.13 Read All About It Gimcrack 2.10 Sassy Glory 2.40 ABATE (nap) 3.10 Eclipser 3.40 Just Queen High 4.10 Four Adaay 4.42 Surprised 5.13 Read All About It Thirsk Robin Goodfellow 5.30 Atmosphere 6.00 Calafiori 6.30 The Kamikaze King 7.00 Harry Palmer 7.30 Bette Davis Eyes 8.00 Brazilian Belle 8.30 Lunar Power 9.00 Langholm Gimcrack 5.30 Miss Yorkshire 6.00 Liverpool Star 6.30 Yorkshire Glory 7.00 Harry Palmer 7.30 Tardaff 8.00 Tiva (nb) 8.30 Daaris 9.00 Langholm NEWMARKET – 5.30 ATMOSPHERE (nap); 6.00 Mwaki (nb) NORTHERNER – 8.00 Tiva (nb); 9.00 WITHOUT DELAY (nap)
