Ombudsman criticises council for leaving visually impaired man without support to access the community – Local Government Lawyer

Posted October 23rd, 2020 in carers, disabled persons, local government, mental health, news, ombudsmen by sally

‘A visually impaired man did not have the help he needed for 14 months after Westminster City Council reduced his support package, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has said.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 22nd October 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Viagogo may have to sell all or part of StubHub, regulator says – BBC News

Posted October 23rd, 2020 in competition, fees, mergers, news, ombudsmen by sally

‘Ticketing site Viagogo may need to sell all or part of StubHub after an investigation by the UK’s competition watchdog found the merger of the two firms could lead to higher fees.’

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BBC News, 22nd October 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Ombudsman report finds council wrongly accused woman of using abusive language, stopped Care Act assessment – Local Government Lawyer

‘The Royal Borough of Greenwich has been told by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman that it need not compensate a woman it wrongly accused of using abusive language to a staff member.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 21st October 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

ICO fine for British Airways lands at £20m – Panopticon

Posted October 19th, 2020 in airlines, coronavirus, data protection, fines, news, ombudsmen by sally

‘Ever since the Information Commissioner issued British Airways with a notice proposing to impose a massive fine of £183.39m for a data breach incident in 2018, we have all be waiting with bated breath to see how that process would conclude. A fine at that level would have been the largest ever issued by a data protection regulator in Europe, and would have dwarfed the eye-watering €50m proposed by the French data protection authority CNIL in respect of Google’s advertisement personalisation practices, affecting millions of French citizens. The prospect of BA, a corporate victim of a criminal cyber-attack affecting around 400,000 people’s (mostly payment-card) data, being subject to fine in excess of 4x as large certainly grabbed the headlines.’

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Panopticon, 19th October 2020

Source: panopticonblog.com

High charges for rural broadband investigated by Ofcom – BBC News

Posted October 16th, 2020 in consumer protection, internet, news, ombudsmen by sally

‘Ofcom is to investigate why BT is quoting some people thousands of pounds to get broadband connections.’

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BBC News, 15th October 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Revealed: fewer than one in 200 complaints against Met unit upheld – The Guardian

‘Fewer than one in 200 complaints made against the division of the Metropolitan police responsible for public order policing over the last decade have been upheld, figures obtained by the Guardian suggest.’

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The Guardian, 15th October 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Jermaine Baker: Firearms officer can face proceedings – BBC News

‘An officer who killed a man during a foiled attempt to free two prisoners can face misconduct proceedings, the Court of Appeal has ruled.’

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BBC News, 10th October 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Watchdog investigates Met officers over Bianca Williams’ treatment – The Guardian

‘Five police officers are under disciplinary investigation after they stopped and handcuffed the British athlete Bianca Williams and her partner, the police watchdog has announced.’

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The Guardian, 8th October 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Competition watchdog sides with water firms in row over plan to cut household bills – The Guardian

Posted September 30th, 2020 in competition, consumer protection, news, ombudsmen, water, water companies by sally

‘Britain’s competition watchdog has sided with water suppliers in a row over the regulator’s plan to reduce industry revenues in order to cut an average of £50 a year from water bills.’

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The Guardian, 29th September 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Deaths from natural causes in English and Welsh prisons ‘unacceptably high’ – The Guardian

Posted September 30th, 2020 in death in custody, news, ombudsmen, prisons, statistics by sally

‘The number of deaths from natural causes on the prison estate is “unacceptably high”, a watchdog has warned, urging ministers to do more to allow inmates to be allowed out to die.’

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The Guardian, 30th September 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Inquest into suicide of gambling addict will explore if UK state failed him – The Guardian

‘The parents of a gambling addict who killed himself have said government bodies “do not want to know what killed a perfectly happy and healthy 24-year-old” who was hooked on “products licensed by the state”.’

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The Guardian, 25th September 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Data protection representative actions consultation opened – OUT-LAW.com

‘The UK government is considering whether to allow non-profit organisations to make data protection regulatory complaints and bring court claims on behalf of individuals without their consent.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 14th September 2020

Source: www.pinsentmasons.com

Competition watchdog takes enforcement action over leaseholds – The Guardian

‘The competition watchdog has launched enforcement action against four of the UK’s leading housing developers – Barratt, Persimmon, Taylor Wimpey and Countryside Properties – after an investigation uncovered evidence that leasehold homeowners and prospective buyers were being misled and charged excessive fees.’

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The Guardian, 4th September 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Council to pay £1,700+ after London man housed in Birmingham forced to give up job – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 28th, 2020 in compensation, employment, housing, local government, news, ombudsmen by sally

‘Merton Council has agreed to pay more than £1,700 in compensation to a man who had to give up one of his jobs because the authority gave him accommodation in Birmingham – leaving him with a three-hour commute.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 27th August 2020

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Funeral directors overcharging bereaved by at least £400, watchdog says – The Guardian

‘UK consumers are typically being overcharged by at least £400 – and possibly a lot more – when they pay for a funeral, according to Britain’s competition watchdog.’

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The Guardian, 13th August 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Police racism inquiries in the UK: Do they change how things work? – BBC News

‘Do the police racially discriminate against people from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities?’

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BBC News, 10th August 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Watchdog exposes ‘unacceptable’ treatment of children in English court cells – The Guardian

‘Children with Down’s syndrome and autism were among those left for hours in court cells while they waited for legal representation or transport, a custody watchdog has revealed in a damning report.’

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The Guardian, 7th August 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Watchdog warns UK high-cost lenders about exploitation – The Guardian

Posted August 7th, 2020 in advertising, complaints, consumer protection, debts, interest, loans, news, ombudsmen by sally

‘The UK’s financial watchdog has warned high-cost lenders about irresponsible repeat lending and exploitative marketing that risks pushing vulnerable borrowers into a cycle of debt.’

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The Guardian, 6th August 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Ofgem takes action on ‘unscrupulous’ UK energy brokers – The Guardian

Posted July 29th, 2020 in care homes, charities, consumer protection, energy, news, ombudsmen by tracey

‘Regulators’ plans aim to stop energy brokers overcharging small businesses and local bodies including care homes.’

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The Guardian, 29th July 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Christopher Kapessa river death: No prosecution decision upheld – BBC News

‘A 14-year-old boy who pushed a boy, 13, into a river before he died will not be prosecuted, a review has concluded.’

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BBC News, 20th July 2020

Source: www.bbc.co.uk