YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE ACCOMPANIED TO JOBCENTRE INTERVIEWS and that’s official!

Mr Bill Wilson, Jobcentreplus District Manager for Edinburgh, Lothians and Borders, has stated “there will always be times when customers feel the need to be supported by a friend or advice worker and we will always try to accommodate this, whenever possible.”  (letter to Edinburgh Claimants 18.11.2008) Mr Wilson wrote this letter in response to…Read moreRead more

Edinburgh City Finance Committee Disrupted

Members of Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty disrupted the Finance and Resources Committee meeting at the City Chambers on Tuesday 11th November, after the committee agreed to the second phase of the aggressive collection of council tax arrears, which the group argue is unjust. Angry protests from the public benches forced the Councillors to temporarily abandon…Read moreRead more

Councillor Mackenzie Surprised by anti-Council Tax Campaigners

50 members of the community group Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty surprised City finance leader Gordon Mackenzie at his surgery yesterday evening, demanding that he stop persecuting low income people struggling to pay their council tax. ECAP presented Mackenzie, the architect of the new aggressive and immoral council tax arrears recovery,  with a large mock ‘final…Read moreRead more

Don’t Be Intimidated by Sheriff Officer Bullies

Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty is organising opposition to a Council clamp-down against people who owe council tax. Within the last fortnight people have contacted Edinburgh Claimants who have been subjected to outrageous treatment by sheriff officers collecting council tax arrears on behalf of the City of Edinburgh Council. This includes: – a young man threatened…Read moreRead more

Support One Another by Joining the Solidarity Phone Tree

Please join our phone tree and help provide support for people who are having serious problems with authorities, e.g. the Council, Sheriff officers, benefits office, utility companies etc. Your commitments would be: 1.  Getting an occasional phone call – almost always daytime or early evening – informing you of a solidarity activity – you are under…Read moreRead more