31/03/2017 Look North (North East and Cumbria)

Good evening. for the news where you are.

Universal Credit is the government's big idea to simplify

the welfare system, bringing together a range

Newcastle is one of the first areas in the country where the scheme

But there are claims, it's leaving some people at risk

Our political reporter, Fergus Hewison, has

Neighbours Tracey and Hayley both share a worry - universal credit.

Tracey claimed the new benefit after leaving a job last year,

but waiting for a first payment took months, and continuing

problems with her claim have left her facing financial hardship.

I can't give them money back, because I've got

It's so degrading, especially when you've worked all your life

and this is the way that they treat you.

And Hayley has been told she'll have to move from her current benefit

If I have to go on this, I could end up being homeless.

In a strongly worded submission to an ongoing Work

and Pensions Select Committee enquiry, Newcastle City Council has

said that universal credit risks putting some vulnerable residents

at risk of destitution and homelessness.

The submission also condemned the waiting period for making

a claim to receiving payments, which is usually around six

weeks but often more, as a fundamental problem.

The council adds that its housing provider, Your Homes Newcastle,

has found that of tenants claiming universal credit, 85%

It's been an absolute disaster in Newcastle and they cannot

possibly go ahead and roll it out across the rest of the country,

knowing that these fundamental flaws in the system exist.

But the government says universal credit helps people move into work

faster and stay in work longer than the old system.

It will make the system far more simple.

They don't understand what benefits they are entitled to.

It will also encourage people back to work.

Newcastle is one of the first areas where universal credit has

been fully introduced, but it will roll out over the coming

months and years across other parts of the region and the country.

Almost two years ago, Ofsted inspectors said

Children's Services in Sunderland were "inadequate", and children

Well today, a newly formed company was launched

by the City Council, to take on that

And the Council says it's already seen some improvements.

It was all smiles today as Sunderland launched the company

tasked with sorting out the city's children's services.

However it falls against of backdrop of serious failings.

Since 2008 more than ten serious case reviews have been

carried out in the city, something that only happens

Because of this, the government sent in a children's commissioner

It's something that is a public sector ethos with

private sector disciplines grounded in democratic accountability.

The council still permission this service but because of the private

sector discipline, it's about doing things

that you can do quickly and

doing things that can be done in a different manner.

At the end of the day there may not have been let's

not create hassles but this company is focused on doing the best for

children in the city and I am pleased they are here and they will

The company's official launch is today but some of the new staff

have been working here for the past year and that the council says has

The average case load per social worker was down to 19 in January

this year compared to up to 40 in 2015.

And more than 90% of child protection visits are completed

Compared to just over half being completed in 28 days in 2015.

But not everyone agrees it's a good idea.

Most independent people in the field are extremely concerned by the

government's rushed to privatise Children's Services, a bit like the

police Children's Services have enormous legal powers and most

people will be very concerned about seeing private companies,

being given the right to remove peoples

The commissioner says it's not a blueprint for all local

authorities to follow in the future but the council says

it was the drastic step it needed to take.

Outline planning permission has been granted for a ?30 million indoor

It's claimed it'll create around 350 jobs.

Based on the Middlehaven site close to the Riverside Stadium,

it'll have a 170-metre ski slope, as well as shops, climbing walls

Building work is expected to start early next year,

and it's hoped the centre will open by the summer of 2019.

The Tyne and Wear Metro to be publicly run from this weekend

with the promise of significant change and investment

Nexus is taking back day-to-day operations from DB Regio,

which has been running the service for the past seven years.

The private company has attracted a lot of criticism for failing

to hit punctuality targets and did not have its contract

Plans to stage a summer booze cruise with inflatables on the River Tyne

The idea - similar to this event in Finland -

was for a flotilla of rubber dinghies, containing 3,000 people,

sailing from Newburn to the bridges on the Quayside and enjoying a few

It was condemned for being "potentially dangerous" and tonight

it appears no proper permission has been sought and it

One of the most picturesque railway lines in Britain has reopened

with the help of a famous name from the age of steam.

A journey by Flying Scotsman marked the end of ?23M of repairs

to the Settle-to-Carlisle line in Cumbria, which gives

passengers glorious views of the Yorkshire Dales and the

A massive landslip 13 months ago severed the line in two.

We do have a bullish hours tomorrow. Some of them are the... Largely

drying cloudy overnight. A mild night. Cemeteries they have another

Chris. First thing tomorrow, showers will get going, some heavy and

thundery. Gradually pushing east but in between, good spells of sunshine.

Temperatures of 12-13 . Sunday, a better day. Mist and fog to start,

cloudy, but that will break up and we will see some good spells of

sunshine coming through and it will be dry. Sunday's top temperature, 13

Celsius. Here is the outlook Hello. There the weekend is here and

Sunday looks like being the better day of the two. We're going to start

the weekend, a new month, with sunshine and April