The Isle of Wight is taking part in the first phase of new ‘test, track and trace’ programme to tackle the coronavirus crisis.

A new report has warned that up to 1.2 million renters are at high-risk of having to rely on Universal Credit after losing their jobs.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said that the ‘time has come’ for universal basic income in Scotland.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has issued guidance about handling complaints during the coronavirus crisis.

Since the government advised people to stay at home due to coronavirus nearly two million people have applied for universal credit benefits.
Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey said there had been more than 1.8 million claims since 16 March, a figure she told MPs was six times higher than the normal claimant rate. In fact, she told the Commons that in one week there had been a tenfold increase in claims.
So far, approximately 8,000 staff have been redeployed to deal with the claims.

Which? is calling for urgent action from the government following reports from vulnerable people who are unable to access food and basic supplies.

An extra £248,000 will be available to local authorities across Wales to help strengthen their cyber resilience.

New CIPFA analysis has revealed that it could take up to 17 years to re-house individuals and families on the waiting list for council housing.
Data trends extracted from CIPFA’s Housing 360 show that, on average, there were over 1.2 million households on council waiting lists nationally between 2013 and 2018. It also showed that over the same period, the number of council-owned homes reduced by around 84,000, a reduction of nearly five per cent in England alone.

The Opinium poll for The Observer has found that the majority of the British public are in favour of continuing the coronavirus lockdown.
With the government claiming that the country has now passed the peak of coronavirus infections, more than four in five Britons are against lockdown measures being eased for schools, pubs and restaurants. Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to soon detail a ‘road map’ for easing measures.

Research has revealed that there has been a 300 per cent increase in reported fly-tipping in rural communities.