‘Block secret accounts from social media’

Victims’ tsar targets tech giants

TROLLS must be denied anonymity online, Victims’ Commissioner Dame Vera Baird has demanded.

She joined calls for social media giants such as Twitter and Facebook to be made to clear hate off their sites.

Dame Vera – the official voice of crime victims in England and Wales – said: “People sit at home with a funny name and say the most horrible things... because they can’t be found. It’s imperative they be brought to justice.”

Her comments support the Daily Express crusade Unmask the Online Trolls, which wants safe and abuse-free social media.

Dame Vera added that people sending abusive messages are confident that they will not be caught since they use nicknames or “handles”.

She said: “Getting rid of anonymity is fundamental to being able to enforce the law quite obviously.”

Dame Vera added that she does not oppose social media users having pseudonyms, as long as their details are held by the platform operator: “You need to be able to identify people who behave like this and the Government really has to get engaged with the platforms.”

Her demand adds to calls for an end to secrecy online, including from columnist Richard Madeley and Labour MP Dame Margaret Hodge.

Both have been sent hateful messages. They want tech giants such as Twitter and Facebook to use PayPal-style accounts verified by paperwork. Anonymous trolls have also targeted anti-poverty campaigner and England footballer Marcus Rashford.

Twitter said it will not stop anonymous posts, despite the upset, while Facebook fears ID checks would exclude some disadvantaged parts of society.

LOCKDOWN cannot end too soon for the over-50s, as the pandemic hammers jobs and incomes and destroys their retirement plans.

Many have been forced to dip into their pension savings to make ends meet, as the true financial cost of Covid-19 hits home.

Almost half of those over 50 who were working at the start of the pandemic have either lost their job, been furloughed or had hours or pay cut.

Those working in hospitality and entertainment have been hit hardest of all, with four in five losing out, while two thirds of the self-employed have seen their businesses affected.

The total cost is an incredible £33.2 billion, according to SunLife, with the average loss an incredible £445 a month.

One in 10 have stopped or cut pension contributions, from £123 to £72 a month on average, hitting their nest eggs.

SunLife director Justin Cole said: “For a 50-year-old, that is equivalent to £11,016 less in their pension pot at age 68.”

One in eight over-50s have lost their jobs and financial expert Jasmine Birtles said: “Redundancy is not fun at any time but it can seem a little tougher if you are over 50.”

The shock can knock some for six but Birtles said: “There is a world of opportunities out there, so don’t spend too much time feeling blue.”

Separate research shows that more than three quarters of those over 50 think Covid-19 will hit their ability to retire.

One in three have less than £50,000 in a pension while a similar proportion also have personal debt to clear.

David Rees, chief operating officer at British Seniors, which conducted the research, said the retirement dream is slipping out of reach and planning is vital.

Just one in eight is taking proactive steps towards retirement planning. “Professional advice and the right products can give you peace of mind in your golden years,” Rees said.

Becky O’Connor, head of pensions and savings at Interactive Investor, said many are whittling down their savings balances to stay afloat: “Older workers over 55 are using pension money they need for the future to get by now. For too many, daily life is a battle for financial survival until they can get back to work.”

She said many have also been hit by the increase in the state pension age to 66, particularly women, that will rise again to 67 by 2028.

Laith Khalaf, AJ Bell financial analyst, said those who stop pension payments after losing their job must resume them once earnings recover: “Increase your contributions if you can, to make up for lost time.”

Not everyone is suffering. SunLife research shows one in 10 are better off by £350 a month on average, due to spending less.

Khalaf said do not let your good fortune go to waste by leaving money in cash earning a near zero return: “If saving for five years or longer, the stock market should generate a superior return.”