Category: Blog

In March 2017 our client received pension transfer advice from an independent financial advisor ‘Omega Financial Solutions’ to transfer a defined benefit pension in to an unsuitable QROPS scheme with Momentum Malta. The client was a member of the Sankyo Pharma UK Retirement Security Plan, which was a defined benefit scheme which would have provided him with financial security throughout his retirement. After being advised by Omega the client transferred £306,901.69 to the Momentum Malta QROPS. After fee deduction from Momentum Malta, £305,411.05 was used to facilitate numerous high risk investments. These investments also required the client to pay regular …

Our client instructed us to act on her behalf after her late husbands death. Our client had separated from her husband who subsequently committed suicide. Since the death of her late Husband, pension and estate correspondence was sent onto Royal London, who deal with pensions and investments. Our client had to send personal information to them such as: Birth Certificate Deed Poll Name Changes Marriage Certificate Full Name Date of Birth Home Address Upon finalising communications with Royal London, our client was due to receive her personal documents back. However, she was notified by a member of her late Husband’s family …

Our client had been serving as a Police Officer for over 25 years. During her time in service she had relocated, which therefore resulted in a new job role location too. Our client had been working as a Police Officer in the South Yorkshire location for a number of years, before the data breach incident occurred. Our client was subject to a disciplinary due to drink driving whilst employed by the police force. After the disciplinary, our client was contacted by a mutual friend on the social media platform Facebook. The friend stated that they had received a folder via …

Our client was serving as a Policeman for the Metropolitan police, when unfortunately he was arrested which subsequently became in internal investigation. The incident revolved around a personal incident with an ex partner, which therefore involved sensitive personal information. Although the case was dropped internally, our client had suspicions surrounding other members of the Police force; knowing about his personal circumstances that were meant to be kept private and confidential. Our client received an email from an Officer relating to the incident in question, which included two other Police Offers copied into the email. These two members were not a …

Japanese Knotweed Season has arrived here is Britain. We are proficient at handling Japanese Knotweed claims. Many individuals are unaware of why one should claim and are unaware of how to spot this invasive plant in order to prevent future damages. Japanese Knotweed can cause many issues, to your property/land, finances and future prospects. Below we have outlined a full guide on this particular plant in question. Why is there stigma? Japanese Knotweed on or nearby, will put a negative stigma on your property/land. The following points highlight the problems it can cause: It will devalue your home Can cause …

There are particular factors that will allow you to make a Japanese Knotweed claim. The below points highlight the different aspects on why and in what circumstance, you may be eligible to proceed with a Japanese Knotweed claim. Surveys A surveyor will survey the property and its boundaries upon house/land purchases (if you instruct one to do so). If Japanese Knotweed is growing onto your property from outside of your boundary OR originates from the property/land you are due to buy, the surveyor MUST highlight this to you in the report. IF KNOWEED WAS NOT HIGHLIGHTED IN THE REPORT BUT …

The term ‘Looks can be deceiving’ matches Japanese Knotweed well. This plant can be pretty in Summer months and can grow quite tall, but looks can be deceiving. Below are points in order for you to identify this invasive plant throughout the Seasons: Leaf shape The leaf shape is very distinctive. Think of a shovel liked head shape. A wide-hearted body which veers off to a pointed tip. Leaf appearance Leaves are green in colour but are different to other plants due to their distinctive markings. There are vein like marking across the leaves, which are usually in a deep …

With 21st Century technology being the forefront of all research, the numbers of investment apps and technology linked to investment means are increasing. Investment behaviours are becoming increasingly popular throughout the younger generation. With the likes of cryptocurrency and online apps becoming a popular and easy way to distribute money; this has contributed to the increase of investments via the younger generation. Recent research supports the increase of investments. The research shows that there is a large increase of investors within the 18-44 year old age bracket, who have invested within the last 10 years, with this figure becoming a …

In November 2010, Sustain Investments, an unregulated firm with no part 4A permissions from the Financial Conduct Authority, advised and recommended that our client transfer his pension to Berkeley Burke SIPP Administration Limited. The client had two pensions with Scottish Widows, both were transferred to the same fund within Berkeley Burke. In total, the client transferred £119,470.00 into the fund; this transfer was then used to facilitate three investments. The sum of £5,195.00 was invested into The Green Oil Lease Programme, £60,195.00 was invested into The Capital Builder Lease Programme and finally, after all of their fees had been paid, …

Our client who was unemployed at the time and owned minimal assets, received advice from an independent financial advisor ‘Omega Financial Solutions Limited’, to transfer her pension away from a defined benefit scheme into a QROPS with Momentum Malta. The client was a member of the Barclays defined benefit scheme. There was no need for her to transfer into a QROPS however Omega Financial Solutions advised her to do so. After receiving advice from Omega the client transferred £95,977.69 to the Momentum Malta QROPS. After fees had  been deducted the sum of £83,407.59 was used to facilitate numerous investments. The …

Fraudsters exploiting lockdown cheated savers out of £135.1million through scams last year. Criminals used the financial impact caused by the pandemic to lure more unsuspecting victims in 2020, according to figures seen by the Mail, as the amount lost through investment scams climbed 42 per cent compared to 2019. Thousands fell prey to bogus investment opportunities, with the number of cases rising by 32 per cent to 8,958, the data from the banking industry body UK Finance showed. The average amount lost per case jumped from £14,000 to £15,000. These scams are controlled by highly skilled criminals who make every effort to …

On Monday 22nd March 2021, ITV revealed the disrepair issues Croydon council residents are enduring at present in their rental properties. From as far back as 2019, tenants in a block of flats located in South Norwood have been complaining to their landlord (Croydon Council) about the leaks occurring in the property. All 16 blocks of flats in the South Norwood area of London, are said to be reviewed as confirmed by council leader Hamida Ali. ITV News highlighted in the video clips, the mould and damp ridden flats as a consequence of the persistent leaks within the flats in …

Leeds-based Capital & Income Solutions lost its DB transfer permissions on 25 June 2019, with a ban on completing pipeline business which came with immediate effect on that date. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) had already paid out £5 million over the firm as of January this year; with the firm illiquid since December 2019. An investigation undertaken via New Model Advisor, found that ‘three DB transfers advised by now-collapsed advice firm Capital & Income Solutions were completed up to four months after the IFA lost its DB transfer permissions and was banned by the FCA from completing any pipeline …

Upon considering data breach claims, we understand that there will be elements of the clients data that is of a sensitive and personal nature. Therefore the levels of distress can differ, which we consider upon review of each case. You would assume that all data is personal and therefore sensitive information relating to yourself, to what extent makes data sensitive and not just personal? Personal Data Examples: Any information which make you identifiable. Email addresses – If an email address contains your full name, the email address alone makes you identifiable. Telephone number – Calling your telephone number will lead …

A Landlords Duties of Care Your landlord is required to keep your home in a safe, habitable condition. Under Section 11 of The Landlord Tenant Act of 1985, if your landlord does not help maintain your property, you could be eligible to make a claim. All tenants, if you rent through a Housing Association or Local Council could be entitled. The Fitness for Habitation Act 2018, is a recent contribution which further supports tenants with their disrepair issues. Responsibilities of a Landlord Every landlord that rents out a residential property in the UK has strict responsibilities in terms of what they …

Bounty are available in nearly every NHS maternity ward nationwide. They provide free maternity packs when you sign up to their services, with offers available with other companies. Bounty have a mobile app and a website which both display these offers and also offers support across the platforms in relation to pregnancy and motherhood aspects. In the data breach which occurred a few years ago, the data released to third party data brokers such as:  Acxiom, Equifax and Sky, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said. The information that was transmitted without consent included: Full names of mother Full address of …

Our client instructed us to act on his behalf in October 2020 after he was notified by CAFCASS with regards to a data breach that occurred earlier on in the year. CAFCASS represents children in court across England and is the largest employer for social workers too. Their main duty is to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, as stated on their website. However, in this circumstance this was not the case for our client or his children. CAFCASS shared confidential information about our client and his children to Hertfordshire Council. A social worker of CAFCASS notified our client …

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)  has made is clear in 2020 that plans where underway to increase marketing to prevent scams for high-risk investments. In 2020 alone, the regulator opened 1,542 supervisory cases involving scams or higher-risk investments. Investment in technology, to maintain on the same level of fraudsters and scammers will only keep the FCA at an advantage to prevent the future of high risk investment losses. The FCA want to further this awareness and maintain preventative measures by having other online platforms on board with policing the activity, to prevent marketing from those who pose risk and harm …

Tenant of Newham council in the heart of London had been reporting disrepair issues to their council landlord since early 2020. The elderly married couple live in a three bed ground floor flat and have done for a period of time. The pair had been complaining to their council landlord about the leak damage to their toilet and bedroom. A previous leak has subsequently left water mark damage to the ceilings and walls of both rooms stated; which aesthetically was not a pretty sight and a costly matter to fix – which was not an outgoing our client is liable …

According to the FSCS (Financial Services Compensation Scheme), there has been an approximate pay out total of more than £5.8m in compensation to 187 Liberty SIPP pension claimants. Liberty SIPP collapsed in April 2020 and its administrators have charged £347,328 to wind up the firm so far.  The business went into administration due to a large number of high-risk non-standard investments, which therefore increased the number of claims. At one point Liberty SIPP traded well, with a turnover of £2.9m and a profit of £371,000 recorded in the year ended 31 March 2018. It grew to have more than 13,000 …

A patient at Transform Hospital Group – the UK weight loss and cosmetic surgery group that suffered a data security breach in December – has spoken about the anxiety and distress at having her before and after pictures leaked to hackers, along with a list of her personal details. Our client who is 30 years of age, visited Transform Hospital Group in 2015 and 2019 to have breast augmentation surgeries. Currently left “truly unhappy” with her breasts, this data breach has further added to her anxiety and distress that she’s faced since her first surgery six years ago and is …

Our client has successfully won a claim against his Manchester landlord due to housing disrepair issues to her rental home. Our client lives in a three bedroomed terraced house in Oldbury Manchester; renting from the local Council within that area.  Our client had been reporting the disrepair issues since March 2017, which where ignored and not resolved. Main issues where: Water damage Mould Damp Disrepair and water damage to the interior of the property due to the above points As the water damage became a serious problem that continued to progress without being resolved. The further repercussions that water damage …

We successfully recovered the sum of £8,000.00 for our client after a lengthy dispute with the company that originally installed his Cavity Wall Insulation back in 2015. Due to the defendant denying liability, court proceedings were necessary to take place in order to progress the claim. After the installer carried out their inspection, they agreed his property was not suitable for the type of insulation that had been installed and supplied back in 2015. Which, therefore resulted in significant damp issues. The continued growth of mould and damp forced our client to re-decorate his property on repeated occasions; which became …

Our client was awarded £1,500.00 in damages in a housing disrepair claim against Birmingham City Council. Our client has notified the Council of the disrepair issues to her ground floor flat on numerous occasions since 2015, however the Council failed to take any action. Living in a poorly insulated one bedroom flat alone, had caused our client with much stress and loss of enjoyment of his home. Due to the flat being very poorly ventilated and insulated, this had led to excessive damp and mould spreading throughout the property. The Council had a duty of care to ensure the property …

Our client was off work due to illness in September 2020, after returning to work our client began to feel unwell again and underwent a Covid’19 test to see if the illness was related to the world renowned pandemic virus. Over a week later the test came back positive, which was highlighted to our clients employer.  Since the announcement to the employer, there where numerous social media conversations surrounding our clients positive test result from members of the public in our clients local area. After isolating at home, until the illness passed; our client returned to work however, our clients …

A tenant of Sandwell Council, Oldbury; had been reporting disrepair issues since 2019 before instructing ourselves to act on her behalf as her solicitor. A single mother of three children of ages 7 years and under; are living in a three bedroom semi detached property and have been for many years. The property was poorly insulated, which led to excessive mould. There was also defective windows and doors which contributed to the lack of security and insulation required to keep the house warm. Our client reported that her and her children suffered frequently from colds, which she believed to be …

Our client was awarded £1,500.00 in damages from local Council in Radcliffe, Stoke On Trent. Our client had been reporting disrepair issues to his first floor flat since 2016, but to no avail the Council continued to ignore their tenants pleas. Living in a poorly insulated one bedroom flat alone, had caused our client with much stress and loss of enjoyment of his home. Due to the flat being very poorly insulated, this had led to excessive mould to appear and spread throughout the property. The landlord, being a local Council in Radcliffe, had a duty of care to ensure …

Our client who was unemployed at the time and had no other assets, received advice from an independent financial advisor ‘Omega Financial Solutions Limited’, to transfer her pension away from a defined benefit scheme into a SIPP with Forthplus. The client was a member of the Co-Operative defined benefit scheme and this was her only pension. There was no need for her to transfer into a SIPP however Omega Financial Solutions advised her to do so. After receiving advice from Omega the client transferred £76,124.07  to the Forthplus SIPP. After fees had  been deducted the sum of, £74,677.00 was used …

Our clients where an elderly couple who had been reporting disrepair issues to their landlord the citizen housing located in Coventry; since 2015. The couple lived in a one bedroom flat in Coventry, where the disrepair issues where was causing our clients stress and anxiety. Feeling a lack of support from their landlord. The landlord in this instance wanted to make an early offer as soon as we where instructed. In order to confirm their offer was for a reasonable amount, we instructed our surveyor to review the repairs required in the property; who agreed that the offer put forward …

Our client who lives in Birmingham, contacted us after repeated reports to landlord for over 3 years where being ignored. Our client had been reporting disrepairs issues within their rental property since 2018. The main issues within our clients home was: Leaks Damp & Mould Our client who lives alone in the property which is a two bedroom flat. Our client was unhappy with the conditions, more so with the landlord in question. The quality of life felt as though it was reduced as our client was unable to feel happy within the rental property, with no help of repairs …