money

A jobs freeze is being introduced by Devon County Council to manage a projected budget overspend.

The latest estimates show the budget will overspend by £8.1 million by the end of the financial year unless firm action is taken.

The jobs freeze will not apply to posts where the council would fail to meet its statutory responsibilities if it did not recruit a replacement worker.

In addition, no temporary or agency staff or consultants – apart from front-line social workers – will be taken on without the personal authorisation of chief executive, Phil Norrey.

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Leading local advice charity, Citizens Advice Exeter, is expressing its concern at an increase in the number of repossession cases listed at Exeter County Court in the six month period ending 30th September 2016. This is in comparison with the same period last year.

Across all housing sectors, there was an overall increase of 6% in the total number of cases listed. Where a Citizens Advice adviser has assisted those facing repossession, they have avoided repossession in over 95% of cases. Exeter City Council, in partnership with East Devon District Council, has provided financial...

Police are advising shopkeepers and business owners in South Devon to be on their guard after several instances of fake Bank of England £50 notes being passed have been reported in Newton Abbot.

So far two different serial numbers have been identified as being linked to these counterfeit £50 notes: HK10 234322 and BC02 245667. Serial numbers on genuine banknotes are unique, so if you have a note carrying this number it is liable to be counterfeit. There may be other serial numbers linked to the batch of counterfeit notes.

The notes do not appear to be detectable with the...

Free, specialist Information and support about cancer is coming to Devon from Tuesday 6 September to Thursday 8 September.

Macmillan Cancer Support’s mobile service will be visiting the area, with cancer information specialists on hand to answer questions and provide information. The team encourages anyone with worries or concerns relating to cancer to stop by, whether you’re living with or beyond cancer, or are a carer or loved one of someone who is.

Details of the visit:

Tuesday 6 September Cullompton, Tesco, Station Road, EX15 1BQ 10am to 4pm

Wednesday 7...

Leading local advice charity, Citizens Advice Exeter, has published its advice trend statistics for the first three-months of the financial year.

The charity has helped 25% more people with their advice and information when compared to the same period in 2015.

The advice trends over the period were as follows:

Debt Overall, the charity has dealt with 26.8% more debt enquiries. The main increases being:

• 77.0% about bankruptcy and debt relief orders • 47.3% about water debts • 46.0% about council tax arrears

Client case studies – focus on debt and...

WAITROSE Okehampton has supported the 2016 Dartmoor Folk Festival with a £1,000 donation through its Music Matters award scheme.

Waitrose is part of the John Lewis Partnership, an employee-owned UK company which operates John Lewis department stores, Waitrose supermarkets, its banking and financial services and other retail-related activities.

The John Lewis Partnership's Music Matters programme supports groups which make an outstanding contribution to their local community through music.

The Partnership has a long tradition of support for music. This dates back to...

East Devon residents are being asked to have their say on how much the council should pay towards the council tax bills of working age householders on low incomes who live in the district.

East Devon District Council began a ten week consultation on Monday June 27 on proposed changes to the working-age Council Tax Reduction Scheme which sets out a framework on how much council tax support can be claimed by these households.

It will be the first time in four years that the council is proposing to change the scheme which was introduced in 2013. The amendments are being...

There is not much time left to help raise £10,000 towards repairs to the badly eroded Nun’s Cross bridleway near Princetown.

The Mend Our Mountains campaign was launched by the British Mountaineering Council earlier this month and will run until 16 May.

Working with eight national parks, they hope to raise more than £100,000 to repair damaged paths.

This is a fundraising appeal with a difference - powered by crowdfunding.

Through this campaign on Dartmoor, BMC are trying to raise funds to repair severe erosion on the spectacular and ancient Nun's Cross...

The NHS could save £8.2 million a year on dental treatments – the equivalent to 364,000 dental check-ups - if all 12-year-olds across the UK chewed sugarfree gum after eating or drinking, thanks to the role it plays in helping to prevent tooth decay.

So says a study involving researchers from Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry published in the British Dental Journal today, Friday 12th February 2016.

Tooth decay is preventable but treating it is an increasing burden on the NHS and family finances. The latest Government figures show that young...

Millions of bank customers across Britain stand to benefit by hundreds of pounds as nine major banks launch fee-free basic bank accounts from 1 January.

The accounts will be available to anyone who doesn’t already have a bank account, is ineligible for a standard current account or who can’t use their existing account due to financial difficulty.

For the first time they will be truly fee-free, helping people to manage their money without fear of running up an overdraft.

The announcement follows last Christmas’ landmark agreement between the government and the...