24/03/2017 Look East


24/03/2017

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Now on BBC One, it's time for the news where you are.

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First tonight, the landlords who say they'll evict tenants who are put

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on the Government's new welfare scheme Universal Credit.

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by combining six different payments into one overall amount.

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housing benefit was paid directly to landlords

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Landlords say the new system doesn't work

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I haven't been able to pay for TV licence.

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I haven't been able to pay council tax, Virgin Media, anything.

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This debt is just one of the problems for 19-year-old

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He worked for his family's building company until last year,

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when his grandad, who ran the business, fell ill.

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Now he's in the process of trying to claim Universal Credit.

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For three months, he hasn't received any money.

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I've sat down a couple of times, and I've just felt like crying,

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because obviously I'm having to sit here with hardly any food, hardly

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When I've had to borrow ?1,000 from my grandad to pay some rent

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it's made me feel upset, angry, especially at Universal Credit.

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And it's not just claimants who are angry.

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Over 60 landlords in the area say they are now refusing to rent

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If a tenant who is already in situ is switched on to Universal Credit,

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landlords are issuing them with repossession notices simply

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because they know it's going to be up to three months before

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The Government would say that you can apply to get the rent

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The tenant has to be eight weeks in arrears,

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and the tenant has to agree before the payment of the rent can be paid

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If they've got a tenant they've had a problem

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with in the past who is

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going onto Universal Credit they can talk to DWP,

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and DWP will work with the tenant, the claimant, and the

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landlord, to look at whether what is called an alternative payment

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Which means that the money continues to go

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Equally if a tenant gets into arrears, even a few

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weeks, a month, in Universal Credit, then again they

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can approach DWP to look at having the money paid direct to the

:02:27.:02:29.

Back at Dan's, he fears that he will soon face eviction.

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It is widely agreed that welfare reform is needed.

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But for many landlords and claimants, Universal Credit

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A leading councillor for Ukip has resigned from the party

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over what he calls "unresolvable issues" with fellow party members.

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Toby Coke was the leader of the Ukip group on Norfolk County Council.

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He'll now sit as an Independent, but will stand down after the

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A photocall by the quayside today in King's Lynn with the region's

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by the sudden resignation of Toby Coke, a leading Ukip player

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For four years, Toby Coke led a 12 strong Ukip group

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He paid a key part in the formation of the so-called

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and fought hard against the proposed and controversial

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The issue over the allocation of candidates to seats.

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There was a possibility of a defection, Toby wanted things

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to work out one way, but the local branch just

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were not prepared to go the whole way with him.

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But this Ukip activist is delighted by the news.

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He says Mr Coke was out of touch with his own party.

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I don't think anybody will miss him, to be honest,

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Do you think he is a Conservative in Ukip clothing?

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I always said he was a Conservative plant.

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We have tried to contact Mr Coke, but he is unavailable for comment.

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I spoke to his wife earlier today who said he was busy fielding calls.

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It's six months since airman Corrie Mckeague vanished

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after a night out in Bury St Edmunds.

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They believe his body was taken there in a bin lorry,

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a team from the Health and Safety Executive

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Plans to improve one of the region's most important railway junctions

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Business groups in Norfolk and Cambridgeshire will spend almost

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?9 million on a feasibility study on improving

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The project was put on hold after Network Rail ran out of money.

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MPs and business leaders at Ely station this morning,

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pleased and relieved that after years of stagnation this

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strategically important project is finally moving forward.

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I am frustrated it has taken us this long.

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But this is the beginning of something very exciting.

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This money that is being spent on feasibility will make sure

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that we have plans that are ready to go ahead.

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Rail lines from Norwich, King's Lynn, Ipswich,

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Peterborough, and Cambridge, all converge on Ely North.

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Until this junction is enlarged there is no room to run

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A technical and feasibility study is the first step.

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With Network Rail unable to fund one until 2019 the main business

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organisations have decided to stump up the cash themselves.

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We are showing how committed we are to the scheme and it will put

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us ahead of the queue, right at the front of the queue

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when the Government decides which project it will fund.

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Not only does the junction need to be upgraded,

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a nearby level crossing will have to be reconfigured.

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Despite today's announcement there's still no start date

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and there won't be for some time to come.

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But there is now political and business momentum behind it

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and that's important in these things.

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I'll say goodnight and leave you in the hands of Julie with the weekend

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It is looking good. Lots of sunshine. There could be patchy fog.

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It could be a chilly night for some. Temperatures have fallen. There

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could be a touch of frost. Tomorrow high-pressure in charge. A pretty

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good day. It will be fine and dry with a good deal of sunshine. Some

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fair weather cloud coming and going. Cooler on the coursed but still a

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good day for a trip to the beach. On Sunday the dry weather continues and

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we will have good sunny spells. On Sunday perhaps more in the way of

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cloud especially later in the day. In a moment there will be the

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National forecast but I leave you with the Outlook. Define and dry

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weather will continue into next week. Monday a cloudy start with

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weather outlook for the whole of the UK.

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