Landmark victory for Ucatt member

UMBRELLA COMPANY: Construction union Ucatt yesterday heralded a landmark victory by one of its members in an industrial tribunal.

The Ucatt member, based in the north-west of England, took a case against umbrella company Paystream My Max Ltd to an employment tribunal.

The employment tribunal judge found in Ucatt’s favour as the respondents “were not open and transparent” and awarded the member close to £4,000 for unlawful deductions.

Pressure on mental health treatment

HEALTH WARNING: Cuts to mental-health services must end as they are putting the quality of care in the sector under “huge pressure,” leading think tank the King’s Fund warned yesterday.

The number of people reporting a poor experience of mental-health care in the community has risen, its analysis showed, and less than a fifth of people feel they received appropriate care in a crisis.

Right-to-buyers get £65k discount

HOUSING: The average cash discount council tenants are receiving under the government’s ideological right-to-buy scheme has topped £65,000.

It is the highest figure on record, and almost half the equivalent market value of a home.

An average discount of £65,140 was made for every local authority property sold in England in 2014-15, according to new figures from the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Meals on wheels, a Tory takeaway

STARVED: More than 46,000 elderly people have had their home-delivered meals taken away in the last three years while mal­nutrition continues to rise in Britain, the Malnutrition Task Force charity revealed yesterday.

According to its data the use of much-loved meals-on-wheels services has dropped by nearly half since 2011.

Figures come at the same time as hospital admissions for malnutrition soared among the 50 to 69 age group.