Please be aware and remain vigilant of phishing emails. One of the many scam emails currently in circulation purports to be from the TV Licensing advising to cancel direct debits.

These messages may look like the real thing but are malicious. Once clicked, you are sent to a dodgy website which could download viruses onto your computer, or steal your passwords.

The criminal’s goal is to convince you to click on the links within their scam email or text message, or to give away sensitive information (such as bank details).

If you receive an email which you’re not quite sure about, forward it to the Suspicious Email  report@phishing.gov.uk

For further information and advice please go to:

• https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/suspicious-email-actions
• https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/section/about-ncsc/what-is-cyber-security
• https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/
• https://staysafeonline.org/stay-safe-online/

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government announced an temporary emergency increase of £20 a week for both Universal Credit and Working Tax Credits. 

DR UK syas “Although DR UK welcomes this increase, by doing so, they are discriminating against the millions of disabled people on other benefits who have not received the same increase.

DR UK – with over 100 other charities and other organisations as part of the Disability Benefits Consortium (DBC) – has launched a petition calling on Government to immediately extend this emergency increase to all benefits, on the grounds that anything else would be discriminatory.

Alongside the petition, supported by MPs and the Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, the DBC released results of an April 2020 survey of over 200 disabled people which found nearly all (95%) had seen an increase in their costs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a result, 92% admitted they were struggling with additional food costs – and others said they were having to find the money needed to pay people to collect food and medicine, and higher heating and water bills as they were forced to shield at home.

One respondent said:

“I cannot carry shopping home, due to a chronic illness impacting my spine. As online orders from supermarkets are completely booked, I have had to find alternative shops to order from for home delivery, all of which are considerably more expensive.”

Another said:

“Electric and gas charges are way up. My father is paying for some of my energy charges out of his pension. This isn’t right.”

Some even said they’re having to choose between heating their homes, feeding themselves and their families, or buying medicine, with one respondent saying the extra £20 “would mean not having to skip meals.”

Ken Butler DR UK’s Welfare Rights and Policy Adviser said:

“Even before the covid-19 crisis, benefit cuts and austerity hit disabled people the hardest.

The £20 week temporary increase to Universal Credit and tax credits is welcome but should be made permanent.

It should also properly be extended to those on ‘legacy benefits’ such as ESA. In addition, the Work-Related Activity Group and UC equivalent Limited Capability for Work addition should be restored.”

DR UK urges you to join the DBC’s call and sign this petition demanding the Government to stop leaving disabled people behind and click this link which takes you to the petition stop leaving disabled people behind.

For more information see the DBC briefing The emergency need to increase disability benefits.

‘Take 2’ steps away from others when you are out and about, say health bosses at Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs).

In the latest campaign launched by the county’s health commissioners, the public are reminded to ‘Take 2’ large steps (two metres) away to avoid any close contact with others. This is approximately the length of an average bed.

The campaign is being used to highlight the distance people need to maintain from each other to respect social distancing measures during the coronavirus outbreak.

With the UK entering its sixth week of lockdown it is hoped that the ‘Take 2’ campaign will act as a reminder that it is a greater distance than some people might think.

The more a person comes into contact with the droplets from coughs and sneezes of an infected person, the more likely they are to catch the infection. It is therefore extremely important to maintain this two metre distance.

Dr Julian Povey, Chair of Shropshire CCG, said:  “Everyone has a part to play to help slow the spread of coronavirus. The ‘Take 2’ campaign is a simple reminder to everyone that we need to keep our distance from others. “We’re asking everyone to maintain a two metre distance, whether that’s in the supermarket or when people are outside exercising, and to bear in mind that this is the length of an average bed.”

Dr Jo Leahy, Chair of Telford and Wrekin CCG, said:

“Two metres is bigger than you might think, so we are encouraging everyone to think about what this distance looks like.

“It is extremely important that we keep going with social distancing measures as they are in place to protect the population, protect the NHS and ultimately save lives.”

With so many people self-isolating or social distancing, online quizzes have become an increasingly popular way of people staying in touch with friends and family and providing a source of entertainment. Many people are creating and sharing their own quizzes or taking part in online events.
However, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute has received information about some quizzes that, whilst on the surface appear harmless, are designed to harvest data that can be used to commit financial fraud and identity theft.

Some of these are circulating on social media and even claim to test your knowledge of COVID-19. However, many of the questions you are expected to answer will be personal in nature: your name; address; phone numbers and email addresses; family information; pet’s names and hobbies etc.

Security questions for bank accounts and online passwords usually incorporate this kind of information., making it easier for fraudsters to build up information on an individual over time.
This information can be harvested and made available both to genuine businesses (that may wish to sell you goods and service), but also scammers.

*  You wouldn’t tell a stranger in the street personal information, so why tell a stranger online? Your personal and financial information is valuable. Protect it!

*  Think before you click!

*  Be careful who you share your data with. Remember, not all web pages or social media platforms are private and secure.

*  Never share information such as credit and debit card PIN numbers.

For more information on safety online visit: https://www.getsafeonline.org/

You can also find the information online here: https://safeinwarwickshire.com/2020/04/22/be-wary-of-covid-19-quizzes-warn-warwickshire-trading-standards/