:00:14. > :00:14.Good evening. for the news where you are.
:00:15. > :00:24.Universal Credit is the government's big idea to simplify
:00:25. > :00:26.the welfare system, bringing together a range
:00:27. > :00:30.Newcastle is one of the first areas in the country where the scheme
:00:31. > :00:34.But there are claims, it's leaving some people at risk
:00:35. > :00:36.Our political reporter, Fergus Hewison, has
:00:37. > :00:40.Neighbours Tracey and Hayley both share a worry - universal credit.
:00:41. > :00:42.Tracey claimed the new benefit after leaving a job last year,
:00:43. > :00:45.but waiting for a first payment took months, and continuing
:00:46. > :00:48.problems with her claim have left her facing financial hardship.
:00:49. > :00:56.I can't give them money back, because I've got
:00:57. > :01:02.It's so degrading, especially when you've worked all your life
:01:03. > :01:04.and this is the way that they treat you.
:01:05. > :01:07.And Hayley has been told she'll have to move from her current benefit
:01:08. > :01:19.If I have to go on this, I could end up being homeless.
:01:20. > :01:21.In a strongly worded submission to an ongoing Work
:01:22. > :01:23.and Pensions Select Committee enquiry, Newcastle City Council has
:01:24. > :01:28.said that universal credit risks putting some vulnerable residents
:01:29. > :01:30.at risk of destitution and homelessness.
:01:31. > :01:33.The submission also condemned the waiting period for making
:01:34. > :01:37.a claim to receiving payments, which is usually around six
:01:38. > :01:41.weeks but often more, as a fundamental problem.
:01:42. > :01:44.The council adds that its housing provider, Your Homes Newcastle,
:01:45. > :01:47.has found that of tenants claiming universal credit, 85%
:01:48. > :01:52.It's been an absolute disaster in Newcastle and they cannot
:01:53. > :01:55.possibly go ahead and roll it out across the rest of the country,
:01:56. > :01:59.knowing that these fundamental flaws in the system exist.
:02:00. > :02:02.But the government says universal credit helps people move into work
:02:03. > :02:06.faster and stay in work longer than the old system.
:02:07. > :02:08.It will make the system far more simple.
:02:09. > :02:14.They don't understand what benefits they are entitled to.
:02:15. > :02:16.It will also encourage people back to work.
:02:17. > :02:19.Newcastle is one of the first areas where universal credit has
:02:20. > :02:21.been fully introduced, but it will roll out over the coming
:02:22. > :02:29.months and years across other parts of the region and the country.
:02:30. > :02:31.Almost two years ago, Ofsted inspectors said
:02:32. > :02:33.Children's Services in Sunderland were "inadequate", and children
:02:34. > :02:40.Well today, a newly formed company was launched
:02:41. > :02:42.by the City Council, to take on that
:02:43. > :02:46.And the Council says it's already seen some improvements.
:02:47. > :02:55.It was all smiles today as Sunderland launched the company
:02:56. > :03:03.tasked with sorting out the city's children's services.
:03:04. > :03:05.However it falls against of backdrop of serious failings.
:03:06. > :03:07.Since 2008 more than ten serious case reviews have been
:03:08. > :03:10.carried out in the city, something that only happens
:03:11. > :03:16.Because of this, the government sent in a children's commissioner
:03:17. > :03:23.It's something that is a public sector ethos with
:03:24. > :03:25.private sector disciplines grounded in democratic accountability.
:03:26. > :03:27.The council still permission this service but because of the private
:03:28. > :03:29.sector discipline, it's about doing things
:03:30. > :03:34.that you can do quickly and
:03:35. > :03:42.doing things that can be done in a different manner.
:03:43. > :03:45.At the end of the day there may not have been let's
:03:46. > :03:48.not create hassles but this company is focused on doing the best for
:03:49. > :03:52.children in the city and I am pleased they are here and they will
:03:53. > :03:57.The company's official launch is today but some of the new staff
:03:58. > :04:00.have been working here for the past year and that the council says has
:04:01. > :04:03.The average case load per social worker was down to 19 in January
:04:04. > :04:05.this year compared to up to 40 in 2015.
:04:06. > :04:08.And more than 90% of child protection visits are completed
:04:09. > :04:12.Compared to just over half being completed in 28 days in 2015.
:04:13. > :04:14.But not everyone agrees it's a good idea.
:04:15. > :04:16.Most independent people in the field are extremely concerned by the
:04:17. > :04:20.government's rushed to privatise Children's Services, a bit like the
:04:21. > :04:24.police Children's Services have enormous legal powers and most
:04:25. > :04:29.people will be very concerned about seeing private companies,
:04:30. > :04:31.being given the right to remove peoples
:04:32. > :04:35.The commissioner says it's not a blueprint for all local
:04:36. > :04:38.authorities to follow in the future but the council says
:04:39. > :04:43.it was the drastic step it needed to take.
:04:44. > :04:46.Outline planning permission has been granted for a ?30 million indoor
:04:47. > :04:55.It's claimed it'll create around 350 jobs.
:04:56. > :04:59.Based on the Middlehaven site close to the Riverside Stadium,
:05:00. > :05:05.it'll have a 170-metre ski slope, as well as shops, climbing walls
:05:06. > :05:10.Building work is expected to start early next year,
:05:11. > :05:15.and it's hoped the centre will open by the summer of 2019.
:05:16. > :05:18.The Tyne and Wear Metro to be publicly run from this weekend
:05:19. > :05:20.with the promise of significant change and investment
:05:21. > :05:25.Nexus is taking back day-to-day operations from DB Regio,
:05:26. > :05:28.which has been running the service for the past seven years.
:05:29. > :05:30.The private company has attracted a lot of criticism for failing
:05:31. > :05:33.to hit punctuality targets and did not have its contract
:05:34. > :05:46.Plans to stage a summer booze cruise with inflatables on the River Tyne
:05:47. > :05:52.The idea - similar to this event in Finland -
:05:53. > :05:55.was for a flotilla of rubber dinghies, containing 3,000 people,
:05:56. > :05:58.sailing from Newburn to the bridges on the Quayside and enjoying a few
:05:59. > :06:01.It was condemned for being "potentially dangerous" and tonight
:06:02. > :06:03.it appears no proper permission has been sought and it
:06:04. > :06:10.One of the most picturesque railway lines in Britain has reopened
:06:11. > :06:13.with the help of a famous name from the age of steam.
:06:14. > :06:17.A journey by Flying Scotsman marked the end of ?23M of repairs
:06:18. > :06:19.to the Settle-to-Carlisle line in Cumbria, which gives
:06:20. > :06:22.passengers glorious views of the Yorkshire Dales and the
:06:23. > :06:34.A massive landslip 13 months ago severed the line in two.
:06:35. > :06:54.We do have a bullish hours tomorrow. Some of them are the... Largely
:06:55. > :07:00.drying cloudy overnight. A mild night. Cemeteries they have another
:07:01. > :07:07.Chris. First thing tomorrow, showers will get going, some heavy and
:07:08. > :07:14.thundery. Gradually pushing east but in between, good spells of sunshine.
:07:15. > :07:20.Temperatures of 12-13 . Sunday, a better day. Mist and fog to start,
:07:21. > :07:25.cloudy, but that will break up and we will see some good spells of
:07:26. > :07:27.sunshine coming through and it will be dry. Sunday's top temperature, 13
:07:28. > :07:38.Celsius. Here is the outlook Hello. There the weekend is here and
:07:39. > :07:43.Sunday looks like being the better day of the two. We're going to start
:07:44. > :07:44.the weekend, a new month, with sunshine and April