Hello Ladies and Gents, it’s been a while since I’ve been active in Rep-land but I am happy to be putting words back on print with a mini review for a mini bag! I have a few weddings to attend to this coming summer so I knew I would need a handy sidekick to spruce up my looks. Naturally, the purse closet had nothing to wear (y’all know what I mean) so I turned to social media to look for inspiration and found this mini beauty from Loewe! My sister was in the market for a Loewe Puzzle and she wanted to get one from Hyper Peter, so I tacked on asking about my Flamenco. Thank goodness for my handy rolodex of rep resources, HP had both bags we wanted in stock!! A little bit of a wait due to HP being on much needed vacation, but in the end, he delivered and happy to report both bags are stunning!
About the author: I am a Loewe Lover through and though. The Puzzle has my heart and I’ve convinced my sister to get one for herself. We frequent the Loewe store often and it’s been a bad habit of mine trying on their bags. I always wanted this mini Lambskin baby so when the situation presented itself, I decided to go for it and buy at the same time as my sister! Been a replady since OG RL days but stepped a way from Reddit for a bit to put a cap on my spending habits (it was going a bit overboard especially when I started buying 18K reps…)
PHOTO TIME!!
My photos ❤️
HP does not usually disclose factory or factory pics and I didn’t ask but I know he has amazing Loewe Puzzles. Example 1 / Example 2
NO PSPs Opted out because I am an old time buyer of his.
~Authentic on Loewe website~ And this review was helpful too for details and mod shots! Also Purseblog’s 60 second review.
Disclosure: I didn’t receive a discount or anything in exchange for this review
Seller: Hyper Peter
Whatsapp: +44-774-303-8638
Instagram: Hyperpeter7
Product: Loewe Flamenco Mini in Nappa Lambskin
Price: 1300 yuan plus 480 yuan (for shipping 2 bags) Fedex shipping no branded Loewe box total 1540 yuan or $213 usd
Paid by: Wise
Timeline:
⏳ Messaged Peter and paid on April 3
⏳ Confirmed with Peter that the bags are available April 3-4
⏳ Opted out of the PSPs because of the additional charge, Peter showed me pictures of the actual bag he sells and I figured it would be similar enough to it.
⏳ May 14 received the bags, worth the wait in my opinion!!
QUALITY:
1. THIS LEATHER IS BUTTERY!!! I can’t express how supple and luscious this lambskin is in words! It is incredibly soft, zero hint of dryness, thick yet malleable. It actually looks and feels very very close to the auth Loewe Flamenco I fondled at the store, buttery AF!
2. The pouch shape is correct, with correct stitching on the base of the bag and the top section that bunches up randomly in buttery folds (hence the name of the bag because the ruffles mimic a Flamenco dancer’s dress!) that look both elegant and casual at the same time. The opening of the pouch is cinched at the top with two leather knotted drawstring straps which can be used as the handles for this bag (as a low key clutch), but as a security feature, there’s also a magnetic closure that seals the opening of the bag, perfect for keeping your goodies in the bag!
3. This bag has not 1 but 2 straps! A beautiful “donut” ring strap with interwoven leather in alternate lacing and the second strap is an adjustable leather cinch strap that slides long and short depending on whether you want to use it as a shoulder bag or cross body!
4. The only other hardware of the bag is in the snap clasps which are nicely weighted and match the yellow gold tone of the donut chain. All function as needed.
ACCURACY:
1. Here are the dimensions of the auth Mini Flamenco: – Weight: 0.18 kg , Height : 17 cm ,Width : 23 cm , Depth : 5.5 cm. Admitedly I don’t have a scale so can’t weigh this bag myself but obviously for it’s size it’s very light. Here’s what I got for my measurements: Height : 17 cm, Width : 24 cm, Depth : 5 cm. I’d say this is a good match for the dimensions.
2. The first strap, the leather knotted version is removable and adjustable with a minimum length of 82 cm and max of 142 cm. The donut chain strap is 36 cm for mine.
3. The Donut strap gold tone is yellow, perhaps a touch more yellow than auth, but the luster and gloss is correct, it also is very dependent on lighting so I am not docking points off this because it’s verry hard to judge if you don’t have the auth next to it.
4. The shape, engravings and weight of the hardware are a good likeness for the auth. The snap hooks on the strap are the correct shape, have good functionality and are correctly branded with the Loewe logo.
5. Everything about the leather is just delicious. I can’t complain because I remember the auth being very similar in feel to the softness and density of this nappa lambskin. The burgundy shade is pretty much an exact match to the auth. The knotted drawstrings do not feel flimsy, the thickness and density are appreciated and even for a small bag, I don’t need to baby it.
6. The make/craftmanship of the bag is top notch. The suede lining is well lined, stitched well and no loose or faulty craftmanship anywhere. The pouch opening leather is well folded and stitched over.
7. I will deduct points for the thread being a shade too light compared to the auth. I am not too fussed about it but I did want to call that out for those who are concerned with the minute details. Taking one point off here.
8. Interior suede is thick, has good dense feeling and has a very nice texture. The interior datecode and logo match the auth well.
WFIMB:
Well this bag is teensy weensy, so other than my phone, a pack of issues, a cardholder, a compact and lipstick I am not really adding anything to it….I mean, what do you REALLY need at a wedding except for these few items?! A pack of gum or tictacs? Easy peasy, done deal. At any rate, whatever essentials you’d need for dressing up, this baby can handle it and that’s all you need in here anyways!
SATISFACTION:
I honestly didn’t expect to love this bag so much, but now I see any ladies love it and say it’s a good part of their collection. I was on the hunt for a small but practical bag, and with all the different ways this bag can be carried it’s quickly becoming a standout for any time I need a small elegant but functional bag for parties or nights out.
It’s my first burgundy colored bag (I was initially going to get the black) but I am glad I went for this pop of color. The burgundy is very deep, classy and understated in color but still pleasant to the eyes. I am not considering getting a puzzle in the dark burgundy as well just because this color is growing on me.
SELLER SATISFACTION:
Peter has always been one of my go to sellers. I know there have been many members who feel jilted that his communication has been few and far in between but I took the patient route and just waited for my bag to arrive (my order took over a month from start to finish, by the way). Perhaps it’s because I am a seasoned rep buyer and also a long time client of Peter’s so I was sure I would get my bag in the end. I find the best way to enjoy repping is to not stress over the small stuff and trust the process (and your gut of course). The mods here do an awesome job of guiding and advising when it comes to reviews and sellers so I knew that if I needed help, they’d have my back. But in all honesty, my bag arrived to me safely, my payment and ordering process were smooth sailing and the bag itself was certainly within my budget. For all these reasons and more, Peter will always have a top spot in my rep rolodex for reliable bags and service.
THE WRAP UP:
This bag is divine and being quite nonchalant about what others think or say, I would proudly wear this to any party or date night I go to. I would likely not flaunt it around my usual Loewe store (those SAs all recognize me) but I wouldn’t mind wearing it into a high end department store. My sister’s puzzle is absolutely accurate to the authentic though, I will help her write up a review for that one when I get a chance. I’d give Peter’s Loewe gold stars for the incredible value for the price!

Timestamp: https://imgur.com/a/8BB0a6c
ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY NO VENMO, NO PMS, PUBLIC OFFERS IN COMMENTS ONLY.
No, I don't give a shit you're the 7th most popular FFL in middle of nowhere Florida. No, I don't care how much you throw a boomer piss baby fit in my chats. I will not accept Venmo. You will be blocked and reported.
Breaking down some project ARs to fund other things. All parts used as is.
Highlights: VG6 GAMMA for .300BLK $70 Barely used, maybe around 100 rounds.
Mission First Tactical stock $40.
Faxon .300BLK fluted 16 inch barrel, with Wojak adjustable gas block and tube. $165 No muzzle device. Maybe around 100 rounds total.
Odinworks 02 15.5 hand guards, hardware included, $110. One remaining.
Safariland Glock 43 duty holster, no light $30 Top right in pic.
AR Stoner handguard $15. Pic 2.
Citation book, slightly used. $15 open to offers. Unused undershirt duty belt suspenders, $20. Shirt keeper, $2? obo or free with another purchased item.
DiamondHead plastic, flip up night sights $40, random no name single double stack mag holder $5, M Loc rail piece $20.
Misc Send it Sunday stuff
Large Tact Squad patrol coat with liner $45. Pic 2.
Two pair brake pads fits Jeep Grand Cherokee2012, $40 flexible.
Thermostat housing, Jeep Grand Cherokee 2012 $15 flexible.
GIFTs, I ask buyer please cover shipping.
Unknown holster, bottom right of pic.
Random badge backeclip, random ASP cuff holder.
Please be patient for replies. I will be out running errands today and will be away from my desktop. ________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Willing to accept in trade/looking to buy:

• "Extended" mag for Hi Point C9 $15
• Glock 17.4 and 19.4 quality threaded barrels, with thread protectors.
• Tru Glow suppressor height night sights for Glock 43, or Smith & Wesson M&P 1.0.
• Gucci Glock 17.4 slide with SRO cut, open to offers and options
• Tru Glow suppressor height night sights for Glock 17.4.
• Sling that would work on a Rugar 10/22 Take down with Magpul Hunter stock.
• Stainless steel extended slide release for Glock 17.4.
• Glock upper parts for same 17.4.
• True love's kiss.

Hey fidelityinvestments,
Welcome to the Daily Discussion. Here’s a place where you can ask the community questions about your investments.
We also have a wide range of Fidelity resources that can also help you get started:

• Fidelity Learn
• Guide to diversification
• Investing ideas for your IRA
• Create a financial plan
• Retirement Planning and Guidance center
• Fidelity Webinars
• Fidelity YouTube

Another helpful resource is our Screener tool on Fidelity.com. We have screens for mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and stocks. You can access any of the screeners in the "News & Research" drop-down menu on Fidelity.com and then click the security type you want to research. These screeners let you compare different securities to help find which one suits your needs best.
Just as a general reminder, investing involves risk, including risk of loss. The experience of customers expressed here may not be representative of the experience of all customers and is not indicative of future success.

Timestamp: (https://imgur.com/a/5fsjTUa)
DIBS for Asking, PM Offers. FREE USPS Ground Shipping included. PP G&S only as I am still a newbie.
AR15 parts bundle AR15 parts bundle - 16” 1:8 5.56 barrel w/gas block, gas tube, & birdcage; A2 Grip, M4 Stock, buffer spring, buffer weight, Mil-spec trigger assembly, Mil-spec safety assembly - $100 USED
Surefire ProComp 7.62 Surefire ProComp 7.62 5/8x24 - $50 BARELY USED
Area 419 Hellfire 6.5 Area 419 Hellfire Self Timing Muzzle Brake 6.5mm 5/8x24 - Legit 20 Rounds Through it - $80 LIKE NEW
Precision Armaments Hypertap 5.56 Precision Armaments Self Timing Muzzle Brake - Eliminates 84% of recoil energy. Makes your AR shoot SUPER FLAT - $120 USED incl. wrenches
Magpul MOE Grip AR15/M4 MOE Plastic Grip w/storage compartment in box - $15 USED (in wrong box)
Magpul M-LOK MVG Magpul M-LOK MVG Forward Grip in box - $20 USED LIKE NEW
Sig P320 Paddle Holster Serpa Blackhawk Sig P320 OWB EDC Holster. USED less than a dozen times - $30
Sig P320 Drop Leg Rig Dara drop leg holster and 3 Mag holsters for Sig P320 Full Size Slide. Legit USED 2X. *Mag holders have plastic belt “loops”, not belt clips - $80
Ruger American Predator Stock Ruger American Factory Stock for .300blk Predator. Accepts AR style mags NO MAG RELEASE. Immediately removed from rifle upon purchase. Zero Rounds Fired - $50 - UPS SHIPPING INCL.

okay base kay kumareng google "relaxed and calm, either because they do not care about something or because they are not worried about something" search nyo na lang ke google balakayojan hahaha and as a person na hindi nag papakita ng emotion ewan ko kung tama ba na tatawag akong nonchalant, like okay wala di talaga ako pala react masaya naman ako pero di lang talaga nakikita malungkot ganern din im having a hard time to express myself but im totally okay. Hehe! Nasigawan kasi aki dahil safter nya mag kwento na sobrang hyper nya tinignannko lang sya pero on my mind i was laughing and acknowledging the story so ayern sorry na.

okay base kay kumareng google "relaxed and calm, either because they do not care about something or because they are not worried about something" search nyo na lang ke google balakayojan hahaha and as a person na hindi nag papakita ng emotion ewan ko kung tama ba na tatawag akong nonchalant, like okay wala di talaga ako pala react masaya naman ako pero di lang talaga nakikita malungkot ganern din im having a hard time to express myself but im totally okay. Hehe! Nasigawan kasi aki dahil safter nya mag kwento na sobrang hyper nya tinignannko lang sya pero on my mind i was laughing and acknowledging the story so ayern sorry na.

hi, i know this could've been so random but I hope you will see this post. too shy to express my feelings and get attached easily but i want to let you know that you're so amazing and cool. i can definitely tell that you're my ideal type. sinabi ko lang na hindi ako ready mag commit but i am actually a "date to marry girlie". i was too shy to say that i started to like you so I decided to post it on reddit since you said that you're active here but at the same time it makes me scared to fall inlove again. i hope when the time is right, may the invisible string tie us together. well, i hope that you're always doing well and take care of your health also. i am rooting for you :)

from the girl u met from badoo 😜 

Hi! I have an account to UB, BPI and metrobank pero lahat sila puro savings. Nag try ako mag apply ng CC pero always declined. BPI texted me na qualified daw ako sa Express chenes pero I need to deposit at least 15k.
So my questions are: 1. Anong bank ba ang nagbabalik ng deposit amount mo once approve ka na sa regular CC nila? 2. Saan maganda mag open ng secured CC?
Thanks po!

Hi! I have an account to UB, BPI and metrobank pero lahat sila puro savings. Nag try ako mag apply ng CC pero always declined. BPI texted me na qualified daw ako sa Express chenes pero I need to deposit at least 15k.
So my questions are: 1. Anong bank ba ang nagbabalik ng deposit amount mo once approve ka na sa regular CC nila? 2. Saan maganda mag open ng secured CC?
Thanks po!

May ari di f2f training center for communication skills sa bacolod? Ga plan ko mag shift career from corporate job to VA kay kakapoy na travel to work kay tatlo pa ko kasakay from balay to work kag same from worl to balay, tatlo man. Mas gusto ko na lang gd mag WFH.
Samtang gina search ko ang mga qualification para mangin VA, somehow may basic skill sets man ko. Ang biggest challenge ko lang gid is ang english ko. Nd ko fluent kag nd ko gd ma express and self ko sa english language na. Or any advice para ma enhance ko ang speaking skills ko sa english?

Hey all this might be boring post, but I’m looking to get a head unit for my triton as I only have a the stock standard unit. Do you guys know any good brands out there that I could get? I see a lot from vhmedia, cj industries, also lots of ones on Ali express. But I don’t really know what’s good.

Have you heard of Batana Oil and its amazing benefits for hair?
In this article, we will explore what Batana Oil is, how it is made, and the numerous advantages it offers for hair care.
From promoting hair growth to reducing dandruff, Batana Oil has become a popular choice for those seeking healthier and stronger hair.
We will also discuss any potential side effects, how to use Batana Oil effectively, and where you can purchase this miracle oil.
Let's dive into the world of Batana Oil and discover why it has garnered so much attention in the beauty industry.

👉 Klick hier für mehr Informationen

Key Takeaways:

• Batana Oil is a natural hair oil that is made from the nuts of the tropical American Batana tree.
• It is known for its numerous benefits such as promoting hair growth, moisturizing and nourishing hair, and reducing dandruff and scalp irritation.
• Before using Batana Oil, it is important to be aware of potential side effects such as allergic reactions and greasiness. It can be purchased online or at local stores.

What is Batana Oil?

Batana Oil, also known as Miskito Oil, is a natural oil derived from the nuts of the American palm tree, Elaeis Oleifera, native to Central America, particularly Honduras. It has been traditionally used by the Miskito people for its therapeutic properties in promoting hair and skin health.
For centuries, the Miskito people have treasured Batana Oil for its deeply rooted cultural significance. This ancestral knowledge and tradition have been passed down through generations, highlighting the deep connection between the people and this natural remedy. The process of extracting the oil is a meticulous craft, involving traditional methods that honor the palm tree's natural gifts. The rich nutrients present in Batana Oil make it a versatile elixir for skin rejuvenation and hair nourishment. Its moisturizing properties are renowned for promoting healthy hair growth and providing a radiant complexion.

How is Batana Oil Made?

Batana Oil is extracted through a cold pressing technique from the nuts of the American palm tree, Elaeis Oleifera, to preserve its nutrients and natural properties. This traditional method of oil extraction ensures the oil retains its therapeutic benefits.
The process of making Batana Oil through cold pressing involves carefully selecting ripe Elaeis Oleifera nuts, which are then cracked open to reveal the kernels inside. These kernels are sun-dried before being cold pressed to extract the precious oil, ensuring that the nutrients and therapeutic properties are well-preserved. This method, commonly practiced in Central America, where the American palm tree is prevalent, is known for producing high-quality oil rich in nutrients essential for nourishing and rejuvenating the skin and hair.

What are the Benefits of Batana Oil?

Batana Oil offers numerous benefits for hair and scalp health, including promoting hair growth, nourishing the scalp with essential fatty acids like omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9, providing antioxidants for hair health, and adding shine to hair affected by environmental influences.
Originating from the lush Mediterranean region, Batana Oil has been used for centuries as a holistic solution for maintaining healthy and vibrant hair. Its natural composition not only accelerates hair growth but also aids in deeply penetrating the scalp to nourish and rejuvenate hair follicles.

• The antioxidants present in Batana Oil protect the hair from damage caused by free radicals and environmental stressors, ensuring long-lasting hair health.
• Regular use of this oil forms a protective shield around the hair strands, shielding them from harmful UV rays and pollutants.

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Promotes Hair Growth

Batana Oil stimulates hair growth by nourishing the follicles and roots with essential nutrients, promoting stronger and healthier hair growth.
One of the key factors that make Batana Oil effective for hair growth is its ability to deeply penetrate the hair follicles and strengthen the roots. This process not only encourages faster hair growth but also helps prevent hair breakage and split ends. By delivering essential nutrients such as Vitamin E, Omega-3 fatty acids, and antioxidants directly to the hair follicles, Batana Oil revitalizes the scalp, creating an optimal environment for hair growth to thrive.

Moisturizes and Nourishes Hair

Batana Oil serves as an excellent moisturizer that deeply nourishes the hair, providing essential hydration and combating frizziness. It acts as a natural conditioning oil for smoother and healthier hair.
The unique composition of Batana Oil allows it to penetrate deeply into the hair shaft, delivering nutrients that strengthen and repair damaged strands. This botanical oil is rich in antioxidants and fatty acids, which help to restore the hair's natural shine and vitality.
Regular use of Batana Oil can improve the overall health of your hair, making it more manageable and less prone to breakage. Whether you have dry, brittle hair or just need a boost of moisture, this oil is a versatile solution for all your hair care needs.

Reduces Dandruff and Scalp Irritation

Batana Oil aids in reducing dandruff and scalp irritation by restoring the scalp's microbial balance, offering therapeutic benefits for scalp health.
When the scalp's natural microbial balance is disrupted, issues like dandruff and irritation can arise. Batana Oil's unique properties help in rebalancing these microorganisms, thus calming the scalp and reducing discomfort. Its therapeutic uses extend beyond mere symptom relief, as the oil's nourishing components penetrate deep into the skin, enriching it with essential nutrients for long-lasting health. By incorporating Batana Oil into your hair care routine, you are not just tackling the visible signs of scalp issues but also nurturing and maintaining a harmonious environment on your scalp.

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Strengthens and Repairs Damaged Hair

Batana Oil strengthens and repairs damaged hair by addressing issues like split ends caused by environmental pollution, restoring hair fibres to their natural health and vitality.
The rich nutrients and essential fatty acids present in Batana Oil deeply penetrate the hair shaft, nourishing and hydrating from within. This helps in sealing the damaged cuticles, preventing further breakage and split ends. The oil's antioxidant properties combat the harmful effects of free radicals present in the environment, which often lead to hair damage. Regular use of Batana Oil can help in revitalizing and rejuvenating hair, making it stronger, healthier, and more resilient to external aggressors.

What are the Side Effects of Batana Oil?

While Batana Oil offers numerous benefits, some individuals may experience side effects such as allergic reactions, particularly those with hereditary hair loss concerns. Proper skin care is essential when using this oil.
Allergic reactions to Batana Oil can manifest as skin redness, itching, or swelling. It is important to conduct a patch test before applying the oil liberally to avoid adverse skin reactions.
Individuals with hereditary hair loss should consult their dermatologist before incorporating Batana Oil into their hair care routine.
Side effects can vary depending on individual skin sensitivity, so monitoring any changes is crucial for maintaining healthy skin. Taking precautions in skin care routines, such as using sunscreen and gentle cleansers, can help mitigate potential side effects of using Batana Oil.

Allergic Reactions

Some users may experience allergic reactions to Batana Oil due to its potent therapeutic properties. It is essential to conduct a patch test before applying it to the scalp or skin.
Allergic reactions to Batana Oil can manifest as redness, itching, swelling, or even hives on the skin. These reactions are typically more common in individuals with sensitive skin or existing allergies. The patch test helps in identifying any adverse responses before widespread application, ensuring safety.
While Batana Oil is known for its nourishing and hydrating properties, some individuals may experience side effects such as scalp irritation or mild rashes. It is recommended to discontinue use immediately if any discomfort occurs and seek medical advice.

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Despite the potential for allergic reactions, Batana Oil also offers numerous therapeutic benefits, including promoting hair growth, reducing inflammation, and improving overall scalp health.

Greasiness and Build-up

Excessive use of Batana Oil may lead to greasiness and build-up on the scalp, potentially causing irritation and other hair problems. It is advisable to use the oil in moderation.
While Batana Oil holds numerous benefits for hair, including nourishment and hydration, excessive application can have adverse effects. The build-up of oil on the scalp can clog pores, leading to scalp irritation and even hair loss over time. This greasiness not only makes the hair appear unwashed but also attracts dirt and pollutants, further exacerbating the situation.
To prevent these issues, it is crucial to strike a balance in the usage of Batana Oil, ensuring that it benefits the hair without causing any harm.

How to Use Batana Oil?

Batana Oil can be used in various ways for optimal results. It can be applied as a nourishing hair mask, a leave-in treatment for added hydration, or as a pre-shampoo treatment to protect the hair's natural nutrients.
When using Batana Oil as a hair mask, it provides deep conditioning benefits, revitalizing dry and damaged hair, leaving it soft and manageable. As a leave-in treatment, Batana Oil helps to lock in moisture, tame frizz, and promote healthy shine. Alternatively, incorporating Batana Oil into your hair care routine as a pre-shampoo treatment creates a protective barrier against the harsh effects of shampooing, ensuring that the hair retains its essential nutrients.

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As a Hair Mask

Using Batana Oil as a hair mask provides deep nourishment to the hair, enriching it with essential nutrients and offering therapeutic benefits for overall hair care.
Applying Batana Oil as a hair mask involves a simple yet effective process. Begin by sectioning your hair and warming up a small amount of Batana Oil in your hands. Then, gently massage the oil into your scalp and hair, ensuring even distribution from roots to ends.
After application, leave the oil on for at least 30 minutes to allow it to penetrate the hair shaft and nourish deeply. For enhanced effectiveness, you can wrap your hair in a warm towel or use a shower cap to create heat and enhance absorption.
Rinsing off the Batana Oil hair mask with a gentle shampoo and conditioner will leave your hair feeling soft, silky, and deeply moisturized.

As a Leave-in Treatment

Using Batana Oil as a leave-in treatment enhances hair health by providing continuous nourishment, promoting shine, and protecting hair from environmental influences.
One of the key benefits of incorporating Batana Oil into your hair care routine is its ability to deeply nourish the hair follicles, resulting in stronger and healthier locks over time. The continuous nourishment provided by this natural oil helps repair damage, reduce breakage, and improve overall hair quality. Batana Oil's rich composition of essential fatty acids and antioxidants contributes to boosting hair shine, leaving your tresses looking smooth, lustrous, and radiant.

As a Pre-shampoo Treatment

Utilizing Batana Oil as a pre-shampoo treatment helps combat dryness, strengthen hair fibres, and serve as a conditioning oil for smoother and healthier hair texture.
One of the key benefits of incorporating Batana Oil into your hair care routine is its remarkable ability to deeply moisturize and nourish the scalp, effectively addressing issues of dryness and itchiness. The oil's rich composition provides essential nutrients that penetrate the hair shaft, strengthening it from within and reducing breakage. Its conditioning properties help in detangling hair, making it more manageable and reducing frizz for a lustrous finish. Whether you have dry, damaged hair or simply want to maintain a healthy mane, this versatile oil can work wonders in revitalizing your locks.

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What are People Saying About Batana Oil?

Reviews of Batana Oil are varied, with many users expressing satisfaction with its effects on common hair problems. The oil has gained popularity, particularly in the USA, for its potential benefits.
Customers have lauded the oil's ability to nourish and strengthen hair, with positive reviews highlighting its effectiveness in reducing frizz and improving overall hair health. Many have reported that Batana Oil has helped address issues like dryness, breakage, and lackluster hair.
Notably, users in the USA have particularly embraced this product, with numerous testimonials praising its ability to provide a solution to their hair concerns. The oil is known for its natural ingredients and the visible results it delivers, making it a go-to choice for individuals seeking effective and gentle hair care solutions.

Positive Reviews

Positive reviews of Batana Oil often mention its effectiveness in promoting hair growth, enhancing shine, and its affordability with fair trade prices.
Customers have raved about how Batana Oil has transformed their hair, making it stronger and healthier with regular use. Many users have highlighted the noticeable difference in their hair texture, noting a significant reduction in breakage and split ends.
One of the most common themes in the positive reviews is how versatile the oil is - suitable for all hair types and ethnicities. Users across the board appreciate the natural ingredients and fair trade prices that make this product not only effective but also ethical.

Negative Reviews

Negative reviews of Batana Oil often cite potential side effects, concerns about fragrance in some products, or issues related to changes in hair density.
Some users have reported experiencing allergic reactions like itching, redness, or breakouts after using Batana Oil, contributing to its negative feedback. The strong fragrance present in some variations of the product has been a major turn-off for those with sensitivities or preferences for fragrance-free products. Critics also claim that inconsistent results in terms of hair density improvement have left them disillusioned with the effectiveness of the oil.

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Where to Buy Batana Oil?

Batana Oil is available for purchase through various channels, including online retailers and local stores.

1. Consumers in the USA can easily find a range of options to buy this beneficial oil. Online retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, and iHerb offer a convenient way to order Batana Oil from the comfort of your home, with quick delivery options available.
2. For those who prefer shopping at local stores, specialty beauty shops and health stores across the country often carry Batana Oil on their shelves. Check with stores like Whole Foods, Ulta Beauty, or local natural health stores to see if they have this sought-after oil in stock.

Online Retailers

Batana Oil can be conveniently purchased from online retailers, offering a wide selection and ensuring customer satisfaction with the oil's therapeutic properties.
When you buy Batana Oil from online retailers, you not only save time but also have the convenience of doorstep delivery without the hassle of visiting physical stores. Online retailers often provide detailed product descriptions, reviews, and usage tips, allowing you to make an informed purchase decision. The satisfaction of finding the perfect Batana Oil variant for your specific needs is unparalleled when shopping online. The therapeutic properties of Batana Oil can be fully enjoyed when sourced from reputable online retailers who prioritize quality and authenticity.

Local Stores

Consumers can also find Batana Oil in local stores, supporting fair trade practices and access to quality products that combat environmental influences while delivering essential nutrients for hair and skin care.
This unique oil is not only beneficial for personal care but also contributes to supporting the livelihoods of local communities through fair trade prices. By purchasing locally, customers can help reduce carbon emissions associated with long-distance transportation, aligning with environmental consciousness. In addition, the high levels of vitamin E and fatty acids in Batana Oil provide exceptional moisturizing and anti-aging properties, making it a versatile and nourishing choice for holistic skincare routines.

Final Thoughts on Batana Oil

Batana Oil presents itself as a promising natural remedy with researched benefits and unique properties. Its extraction through the cold pressed technique ensures the preservation of essential nutrients.
Research indicates that Batana Oil contains high levels of Vitamin E, Omega-6, and Omega-9 fatty acids, essential for skin and hair health. The unique properties of Batana Oil, such as its ability to deeply moisturize and nourish, make it a popular choice for dry and damaged skin. The cold pressed extraction technique used to obtain Batana Oil is crucial as it helps maintain the integrity of the oil's natural components, ensuring maximum effectiveness.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Batana Oil Review?

Batana Oil Review is a comprehensive analysis and evaluation of the popular hair and skin care product, Batana Oil. It provides an in-depth look at the product's ingredients, benefits, and effectiveness based on personal experiences and customer reviews.

What are the key ingredients in Batana Oil?

The main ingredient in Batana Oil is Ojon oil, a natural oil derived from the nut of the American palm tree. Other key ingredients include coconut oil, avocado oil, and essential oils such as lavender and rosemary.

What are the benefits of using Batana Oil?

Batana Oil is known for its ability to nourish and moisturize both hair and skin. It helps to repair damage, add shine, and promote overall health. It also has anti-inflammatory properties that can soothe scalp and skin irritation.

How do I use Batana Oil?

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Ministers apologise and return £7,000 in benefits to woman, 93, with dementia
Government ministers have formally apologised and repaid £7,000 to a 93-year-old woman whom they held responsible for running up benefits overpayment debts even though they were told she had dementia and was unable to manage her affairs.
The case, which the minister for disability, Mims Davies, admitted was “disturbing”, was brought to light by the Guardian as part of its investigation into carer's allowance overpayments.
The agreement to write off the debt of the 93-year-old, whom the Guardian has chosen not to name, comes as ministers have promised to try new ways of sharing information with carers to try to prevent them building up months and years of overpayments.
Read the full article on theguardian.com
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DWP confirmed that it is developing an ‘enhanced notification strategy’ to alert carer’s allowance claimants to possible overpayments
Notifications designed to encourage claimants to report changes in income and so reduce the risk of being overpaid.
As part of its policy paper, Fighting Fraud in the Welfare System: Going Further, that was published earlier this week, the Department says (at paragraph 78) -

'In carer’s allowance we are progressing an enhanced notification strategy as part of our existing commitment to improve customer engagement, building on our existing communications with customers. As part of this notification strategy we are considering all forms of targeted contact to find the most effective and efficient solution, such as exploring the use of targeted text messages or emails to alert claimants and encourage them to contact the Department when the DWP is made aware of a potential overpayment.'

The Department added -

'The new strategy will help claimants understand when they may have received an earnings-related overpayment or are at risk of doing so, and will encourage claimants to contact the DWP to meet their obligation to inform the Department of changes in their income and other relevant circumstances. This will reduce the risk of those customers being overpaid.'

Note: having expressed concern that the DWP had 'done nothing' to stop carers building up huge overpayments of benefit despite knowing what people are earning, Work and Pensions Committee Chair Stephen Timms called on the National Audit Office to investigate problems with the carer's allowance system and, in particular, its failure to prevent or rectify overpayments.
Stephen Timms has also written to Secretary for State for Work and Pensions Mel Stride highlighting concerns about the DWP's lack of progress with overpayments since the previous committee's report in 2019. Mr Timms' letter repeats the committee's recommendation that the DWP increase the rate of carer's allowance and goes on to call for the DWP to review both the amount and the cliff-edge nature of the earnings limit and for the removal of the 21-hour study rule.
For more information, see Policy paper: Fighting Fraud in the Welfare System: Going Further from gov.uk
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Carers UK has welcomed the DWP's plans, noting this is the 'minimum' they've been calling for to tackle carers' overpayments. However, Director of Policy and Public Affairs Emily Holzhausen also highlights that implementing the strategy is 'urgent', asks that the whole issue be moved out of being branded benefits fraud, and that carer's allowance be reviewed as it should be 'modernised to reflect the realities of caring'.
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DWP-commissioned research highlights how the carer’s allowance earnings threshold influences decisions about how many hours carers work
Report also makes clear that the Department was made aware three years ago that there was room to improve claimant understanding and possibly reduce mistakes leading to overpayments by improving its communications.
The research, Experiences of claiming and receiving carer’s allowance, explores how and why people claim carer's allowance; their caring roles; experiences of combining paid work and care; and how well claimants understand the rules associated with the benefit. While carried out in 2020/2021, the research has been published today against a backdrop of calls for the wholescale reform of carer's allowance as a result of evidence that claimants who have earned above the carer's allowance earnings limit have been left with large overpayments and, in some cases, prosecuted for fraud.
While the research found that many claimants in employment felt there was a practical limit to the hours they could work, with many saying it was only feasible to be working part-time due to their caring responsibilities, it also found that -

• the earnings threshold appeared to influence decisions about how many hours some people worked. Even though claimants often denied that the threshold influenced their choices, they acknowledged being mindful to stay below the threshold. One claimant felt he had to refuse shifts at work that would take him over the threshold;
• in another example, the earnings limit led a claimant to reduce her hours as her wages increased, and eventually she was working so few hours that her employer felt it was not worth employing her due to her limited availability; and
• some claimants in paid work felt they might work more hours if not for the earnings threshold, and even suggested tapering the carer’s allowance earnings rule to encourage claimants to work more.

Published on the same day that the Work and Pensions Select Committee said that there has been insufficient progress in addressing the problems with carer's allowance that it highlighted five years ago, the research makes clear that the Department has been aware of the issues for some time. For example, it highlights confusion relating to the complexity of the earnings calculation, including how deductions such as childcare expenses and pension contributions are taken account of, and whether wages can be averaged if you earn more in a particular week.
In addition, with the Chair of the Select Committee Stephen Timms having said recently that the DWP has done nothing to stop carers building up huge overpayments despite knowing what people are earning, and the Committee having called on the National Audit Office to investigate the problems with the system, the research found that -

• poor communication on the part of the DWP meant that not all of those that had been overpaid benefit were clear on the reason for the overpayment;
• some said that while they were initially notified or questioned about an overpayment there was then no follow-up from the Department; and
• when the overpayment was initially raised, several claimants felt that they were spoken to or treated by DWP as though they had intentionally committed fraud when the overpayment had been a misunderstanding.

As a result, the research says -

'... there is room to improve claimant understanding and possibly reduce mistakes leading to overpayments by improving communications around eligibility criteria. Since claimants did not engage with the detail of their benefit regularly, possibly only considering it once a year when they received their annual letter, more frequent communications may improve clarity of knowledge around carer’s allowance.'

Other key findings include that -

• most claimants cared for close relatives, with two in five caring for a child (39 per cent), a quarter caring for a spouse or partner (25 per cent), and one in five (22 per cent) caring for a parent;
• caring was a long-term and high-intensity commitment, with half of claimants (52 per cent) spending 65 or more hours caring per week and more than half (54 per cent) caring for between 5 and 20 years;
• only 16 per cent of carer's allowance claimants were currently in paid work, tending to work part- time in lower paid jobs that they were able to fit around their caring responsibilities, with most (81 per cent) working 20 hours or less a week;
• of those not currently in paid work, seven in ten (69 per cent) said this was due to their responsibilities as a carer, with other barriers including a lack of flexible working options, claimants’ own health and confidence issues; and
• there was a lag between starting caring and claiming carer's allowance, with seven in ten claimants (70 per cent) caring for 5+ years, but only 3 in 10 (34 per cent) having claimed carer's allowance for that length of time.

For more information, see Experiences of claiming and receiving carer’s allowance from gov.uk
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Almost 135,000 people currently have an outstanding carer's allowance debt, with more than £250 million owed in total, according to figures supplied by DWP Minister Paul Maynard
DWP Minister also confirms that women represent 68 per cent of those with an outstanding debt.
Responding to a written question in Parliament from Work and Pensions Committee Chair Stephen Timms, Mr Maynard said -

'As of 14 May 2024, the volume of people who have an outstanding carers allowance debt is 134,800 with a total value of £251 million. This figure represents the total stock and as such the total monetary amount may have been accrued over multiple years. Those who have an outstanding carers allowance debt may no longer be in receipt of the benefit.'

Mr Maynard added that -

'Women make up the majority of carer’s allowance claims, and this is reflected in the proportion of those with an outstanding carer’s allowance debt. As of 14 May 2024, there were 42,800 (32 per cent) males, 91,900 (68 per cent) females and 100 (less than 1 per cent) not identified, with an outstanding carer's allowance debt.'

The Minister also confirmed that, as of November 2023, there were more than 991,000 people in receipt of carer's allowance, consisting of around 271,000 (27 per cent) males and 720,000 (73 per cent) females.
Mr Maynard's written answer is available from parliament.uk
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Total value of benefit overpayments in 2023/2024 increased to almost £10 billion, representing 3.7 per cent of benefit expenditure for the year
New DWP figures also show that official error underpayments remained at around £1 billion, and that people could have claimed more than £3 billion more 'if they had provided accurate information about their circumstances'.
In Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year 2023 to 2024 estimates, the DWP calculates how much money it overpaid or underpaid as a percentage of total benefit expenditure for the year (£266.2bn) - for benefits including universal credit, housing benefit, personal independence payment, employment and support allowance and pension credit - and how many claims were paid an incorrect amount.
Note: the statistics no longer include estimates of claimant error underpayments as these are now published separately, as confirmed in recent DWP guidance.
In relation to incorrect payment rates across all benefits for the financial year ending (FYE) 2024, the figures show that the total rate of benefit expenditure overpaid was 3.7 per cent (£9.7bn), compared with 3.6 per cent (£8.3bn) in 2022/2023. In addition, the total rate of benefit expenditure underpaid was 0.4 per cent (£1.1bn), compared with 0.5 per cent (£1.2bn) in FYE 2023.
Looking in more detail at the figures for individual benefits, the statistics include data showing that -

• for universal credit, expenditure increased to £51.9bn in 2024 with an overpayment rate of 12.4 per cent (£6.5bn) and underpayment rate of 0.3 per cent (£180m), compared to expenditure of £43.4 bn, overpayments at 12.7 per cent (£5.5bn) and underpayments at 0.6 per cent (£240m) in FYE 2023;
• for personal independence payment (PIP), the overpayment rate was at the lowest recorded level of 0.4 per cent (£90m), compared with 1.1 per cent (£200m) in FYE 2023. However, the underpayment rate went up to 0.4 per cent (£80m), from 0.3 per cent (£60m) the previous year;
• for pension credit, the overpayment rate was 9.7 per cent (£520m) in FYE 2024, compared with 6.8 per cent (£330m) in the previous year, with underpayments remaining unchanged at 0.3 per cent (£50m) for both years; and
• for housing benefit, almost £1bn (£980m) was overpaid in FYE 2024 (6.3 per cent of expenditure), compared with £860m (5.7 per cent) in 2023. Underpayments remained stable at 0.4 per cent of spending (£50m in FYE 2024 and £60m in FYE 2023).

In addition to the fraud and error statistics, the DWP has also issued Unfulfilled eligibility in the benefit system: Financial Year Ending (FYE) 2024, in line with its decision to remove claimant underpayments from its main fraud and error estimates. The new statistics set out the percentage of benefit expenditure that could have been paid to people with unfulfilled eligibility 'if they had provided the correct information', and show key findings that include -

• the unfulfilled eligibility rate for 2024 is 1.2 per cent of expenditure (£3.1bn), compared with 1.0 per cent (£2.3bn) in the previous year; and
• universal credit, PIP and disability living allowance (DLA) account for around three-quarters of the total value of unfulfilled eligibility (at £730m, £870m and £750m respectively in FYE 2024).

The DWP highlighted that -

'PIP has the second highest unfulfilled eligibility rate [4 per cent] of all benefits and fairly high expenditure [£21.6bn], so due to this combination, PIP accounts for around one-quarter of total unfulfilled eligibility in FYE 2024. DLA has the highest unfulfilled eligibility rate [11.1 per cent] but relatively low expenditure [£6.8m], so even though its rate is higher than PIP, it accounts for a similar amount of total unfulfilled eligibility in FYE 2024. Universal credit has a lower unfulfilled eligibility rate than DLA and PIP [1.4 per cent] but its high expenditure means that it also accounts for a similar amount of total unfulfilled eligibility in FYE 2024.'

For more information, see Fraud and error in the benefit system: financial year 2023 to 2024 estimates and Unfulfilled eligibility in the benefit system: financial year 2023 to 2024 estimates from gov.uk
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Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride has set out the DWP's plans to scale up its 'fight against fraudsters'
New measures include using machine learning to detect and prevent fraudulent claims, as well as introducing a new Bill to enable benefit fraud to be treated like tax fraud.
Issuing a written statement in the House of Commons on 13th May, Mr Stride said -

'In the continued fight against fraud, today the Government will publish a new paper setting out the progress we have made in tackling fraud and error in the welfare system - Fighting Fraud in the Welfare System: Going Further. The paper sets out the progress we have made in delivering the commitments in the Government's 2022 command paper Fighting Fraud in the Welfare System and it demonstrates where we are going further to protect taxpayers’ money from fraudsters.'

Highlighting that the Data Protection and Digital Information Bill, currently before Parliament, will enable the Department to work with third parties such as banks to identify claims that signal potential fraud and error, Mr Stride says that the new measures being introduced include -

• bringing forward a new Fraud Bill in the next parliament to treat benefit fraud like tax fraud, by providing for the ability to make arrests and conduct searches and seizures by warrant;
• exploring a new civil penalty to punish fraudsters, potentially broadening the scope of cases that can receive a penalty when the courts are not prosecuting, and increasing the value of the civil penalty;
• tripling the size of the Targeted Case Review programme to reach almost 6,000 staff with the aim of saving £6.6 billion by 2027/2028; and
• making changes to universal credit including new partly automated checks on self-employed income, new online prompts for claimants to re-declare their circumstances (such as if they have moved in with a partner), and increasing checks on capital when people claim the benefit to ensure they are eligible.

Note: the Department confirms that final decisions on accepting or stopping a claim will, however, continue to be made by a member of DWP staff.
For more information, see DWP updates Fraud Plan from gov.uk
In response to the above article the Disability News Service reported that the government's fraud policy paper ignores coroner’s concerns over review of disabled woman’s universal credit claim. Read the DNS article on disabilitynewsservice.com
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Less than half of legacy benefit claimants who were sent a migration notice between July 2022 and March 2024 have made a claim for universal credit, according to new figures from the DWP
However, new DWP statistics also show that 60 per cent of households that claimed universal credit have been awarded transitional protection.
In Completing the move to Universal Credit: statistics related to the move of households claiming Tax Credits and DWP benefits to Universal Credit: data to end of March 2024, the DWP sets out figures for the period since July 2022, noting that -

'In the period covered by this bulletin, the vast majority of migration notices have been sent to tax credit households whose likelihood of claiming universal credit and receiving transitional protection may be different from DWP legacy benefit claimants, the majority of whom had not yet been sent a migration notice in the period covered in this bulletin.'

The statistics include that -

• a total of 824,050 individuals (in 540,070 households) were sent migration notices up to March 2024 - up by around 300,000 and 200,000 respectively compared to the totals for December 2023;
• a total of 400,940 individuals (49 per cent of those sent migration notices), living in 275,980 households, have made a claim for universal credit;
• of households that have claimed universal credit, 166,860 (60 per cent) have been awarded transitional protection;
• a total of 238,990 individuals who were sent migration notices are still going through the managed migration process; and
• a total of 184,120 individuals who were sent migration notices have had their legacy benefit claims closed.

Move to Universal Credit statistics, July 2022 to March 2024 is available from gov.uk
Note: the DWP has also published Universal Credit statistics, 29 April 2013 to 11 April 2024­ which show that there were 6.7 million people on universal credit in April 2024 (300,000 more than the 6.4 million in January 2024) and that half of households on universal credit that received a payment in February 2024 included children.
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Department for Communities also confirms that claimants in receipt of other legacy benefits will be issued with migration notices 'in the coming months'
The Department for Communities (DfC) has confirmed that the 'Move to UC' rollout in Northern Ireland has expanded this week to include people receiving tax credits along with housing benefit.
Announcing the expansion of the process, Deputy Secretary of Work and Health at the DfC Paddy Rooney said -

'We continue to take a measured and carefully managed approach to migrating legacy benefit recipients to universal credit. We have already successfully completed issuing migration notices to tax credit only recipients and we will continue to take every step possible to ensure that everyone receives the help and support they need during this next phase of Move to UC.'

The Department also confirmed that once it has issued migration notices to all those receiving tax credits with housing benefit, the following groups will be contacted in this order -

• people claiming income support;
• people claiming housing benefit only, and those claiming child tax credit with income-related employment and support allowance (ESA); and
• people claiming income-based jobseeker's allowance.

In relation to the bringing forward of managed migration for ESA and ESA/housing benefit claimants in Great Britain, announced by the Prime Minister on 19 April 2024, the DfC says that it is working to assess the impact of this on the region. It also confirms that it will align with the DWP's aim to complete the migration of legacy benefit claimants to universal credit by March 2025.
For more information, see Tax credit with housing benefit recipients next to 'Move to UC' and Rollout of Universal Credit for Tax Credit and Legacy Benefit customers - screening from ni.gov.uk
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57,000 adverse universal credit sanction decisions were made in January 2024, according to new DWP statistics
DWP statistics also highlight that around 95 per cent of decisions are as a result of failure to attend or participate in a mandatory interview.
In Benefit sanctions statistics to February 2024, the DWP reports on both the rate and duration of sanctions for universal credit claimants who are in conditionality regimes where they be applied.
Key findings include that -

• in February 2024, 30.1 per cent of claimants were in conditionality regimes that were subject to sanctions and, of these, 6.52 per cent were sanctioned - down 0.64 percentage points from the previous quarter;
• over the last year, 94.9 per cent of adverse sanction decisions were for failure to attend or participate in a mandatory interview; and
• in February 2024, there were 20,000 completed sanctions in the 4 weeks to 13 weeks sanction duration band, 4,800 in the over 13 weeks to 26 weeks duration band, and 4,000 of over 26 weeks duration.

In addition, while the total number of claimants in conditionality regimes where sanctions can be applied has remained largely stable since May 2022 (currently at 1.95 million), the total number of adverse sanction decisions stood at 57,000 in January 2024, the highest since March 2022.
The DWP notes that -

'Comparisons with universal credit prior to February 2024 ... should not be made. This is because the data sources, methodology and rules of the benefits differ from those used for universal credit currently.'

However, it adds that, following the reinstated duration measures and rate methodology improvements, the data is now determined stable and fit for purpose and, as of May 2024, it is published under the 'Official Statistics' label as opposed to 'in development'.
For more information, see Benefit sanctions statistics to February 2024 from gov.uk
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DWP has admitted missing multiple opportunities to record the 'vulnerability' of a disabled woman whose death was later linked by a coroner to failings at the heart of its UC system
The Disability News Service reported on the case of Nazerine (known as Naz) Anderson, from Melton Mowbray, who died of an overdose in June last year, after receiving a UC review notice.
According to a prevention of future deaths (PFD) report sent to the department by coroner Fiona Butler, the DWP missed six opportunities to record Anderson’s “vulnerability” on its IT system while it was reviewing her universal credit claim, and had failed to act on the mental distress she showed in phone calls about her claim. It also repeatedly failed to act on requests to direct its telephone calls and letters to her daughter.
The DWP admits multiple universal credit failures before disabled woman’s death article is available on disabilitynewsservice.com
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Number of emergency food parcels distributed across the UK by the Trussell Trust has increased by 90 per cent over the past five years
Food charity reports that it distributed more than three million parcels last year, with more than a million of them going to children.
In Emergency food parcel distribution in the UK: April 2023 - March 2024, the Trust says that it distributed 3,121,404 food parcels, the most parcels that it has ever distributed in a financial year, representing a four per cent increase on last year's record-breaking numbers for 2022/2023 and a 94 per cent increase since 2018/2019.
The charity also highlights that the number of parcels provided to children has continued to rise, exceeding 1.1 million in 2023/2024, and that food bank support is provided disproportionately to children, compared to the proportion of children in the UK population. In addition, it notes that pension age households are increasingly likely to need to use a food bank, with food bank support for these households having more than quadrupled between 2018/2019 and 2023/2024 (an increase of 345 per cent), compared to an 81 per cent rise amongst households without someone of pension age.
Also sharing statistics on the reason for referral for an emergency food parcel - which include health, benefit issues, work hour changes, insecure housing, changes in personal circumstances, immigration status and domestic abuse, as well as income and debt levels - the Trussell Trust says -

'Across all households the most common reason for referral was due to issues with income and debt levels. The vital role of the social security system in driving these trends is clear from the fact that the majority (78 per cent) of people referred to food banks were reported to solely have income from the social security system, with a further 8 per cent having earned income as well as income from social security.'

Trussell Trust Chief Executive Emma Revie said -

'It’s 2024 and we’re facing historically high levels of food bank need. As a society, we cannot allow this to continue. We must not let food banks become the new norm ... A supportive social security system is the bedrock on which we end hunger for good. Building on this, we need much more effective employment and financial support for parents, carers and disabled people, and action to ensure everyone can have the security we all need to access opportunities and have hope for the future, through more secure and flexible jobs and investment in social housing. Food banks are not the answer. They will be there to support people as long as they are needed, but our political leaders must take bold action to build a future where everyone has enough money to afford the life’s essentials. The time to act is now.'

For more information, see End of Year Stats from trusselltrust.org
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Employment Minister Jo Churchill has provided a House of Lords Select Committee with an undertaking that the administrative earnings threshold (AET) in universal credit will not be increased again without a 'sound evidence base'
However, Minister's evidence to Lords Committee fails to address its dissatisfaction with DWP's explanation for not publishing robust evidence to support previous increases in the threshold.
Further to the Lords Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee's report on new regulations that implemented a further increase in the AET from 13 May 2024 - that criticised the ‘inexplicable’ lack of data evaluating previous increases in the threshold in September 2022 and January 2023 - the Committee held a one-off evidence session yesterday to question the Minister and DWP officials.
Introducing the session, Committee Chair Lord Hunt acknowledged that the DWP had agreed to share its informal findings supporting its AET policy. However Lord Hunt added that -

'... similar, no doubt to the material that the Social Security Advisory Committee saw but correctly declined, if information is not available to the House and the public, then we feel unable to consider it either.'

The Committee then questioned the Minister about the Department's failure to publish evidence providing an assessment of the impact of increasing the AET either before or after implementing the change.
In response, Ms Churchill highlighted that the Department did publish a randomised controlled trial evaluation in 2018 providing the highest level of evidence on the impacts of increased in-work conditionality that Ministers have had sight of. When challenged that this evidence is somewhat outdated and 'a bit threadbare' - as it has been relied on for three increases in the AET - Ms Churchill indicated that Ministers also had early sight of unpublished research (a Regression Discontinuity Design (RDD) study) that compares the experiences of claimants who are just below and just above the AET.
When pressed on the expected publication dates for this and further evidence, Mr Churchill said -

'I have asked for [the RDD study] to be available as soon as it can be, and the date I was given was spring 2024 ... I would like it out the door as soon as possible, so you have more data ... RDD is the next piece, the next building block and then, the longitudinal study will come through in 2025.'

Concluding the session with a final question, Lord Hunt, speaking on behalf of the whole Committee, said -

'... we're looking for an undertaking from you, not to further expand the cohort until the Department can publish robust evidence of its effects. Are you able to give us that undertaking?

Ms Churchill responded -

'So are you alluding to us holding 15 hours or with this latest laying at 18? Because I could certainly say to you, I think with all confidence that at 18, we want to understand the iterations and make sure that we've got a sound evidence base from there.'

NB - the increase in the AET in January 2023 was based, for individuals, on the equivalent of them working 15 hours per week at the National Living Wage, and this week's increase to the equivalent of them working 18 hours per week.
Despite welcoming the Minister's reply, Lord Hunt went on to say -

'... we accept your undertaking, except we are still as dissatisfied as we were because you haven't provided, in the view of the Committee, sufficient explanation yet. We are awaiting this robust evidence, which I think that we now expect in June 2024.'

The evidence session Regulations to increase the Administrative Earnings Threshold (Legislative scrutiny) is available from parliament.tv
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Work and Pensions Select Committee has called on the government to bring forward proposals to compensate women born in the 1950s who suffered as a result of the DWP's communication failures when their pension age was increased, and asks that it does so in the current parliamentary session
Committee chair highlights lengthy delay and urgency for affected women and calls on government to act on Parliamentary Ombudsman recommendations before summer recess.
Writing to Secretary of State for Work and Pensions Mel Stride, Committee Chair Stephen Timms requests government support for 'urgent action' following the Parliamentary Ombudsman's final report in March 2024 which recommended a remedy based on level 4 of its severity of injustice scale, putting awards at between £1,000 and £2,950.
Mr Timms says that the Committee does not seek to question the Ombudsman's proposal for compensation at level 4, but instead has focused on what a remedy may look like -

'The evidence we received indicated support for a rules-based system. This would be a system where payments would be adjusted within a range (based on the PHSO’s severity of injustice scale) to reflect the extent of change in the individual’s State Pension age and the notice of the change which the individual received. This would mean that the less notice you had of the change and the bigger the change in your SPA, the higher the payment you would receive. While not perfect, the advantages of such a system are that it would be: quick to administer; applying known data to a formula to determine the amount due; and relatively inexpensive (compared to a more bespoke system).'

The Committee's recommendation also includes some flexibility for individuals to make the case for further compensation in the event that they have experienced direct financial loss, for example where a woman whose divorce settlement was less than it would have been because it was based on the expectation that she would receive her state pension at 60.
Mr Timms also asks the government to consider -

'... the need for urgent action, given that the Ombudsman started to look at this issue in 2018 and that every 13 minutes a woman born in the 1950s dies ... Implementing a remedy will need parliamentary time, financial resources, and the data and technical systems only available to your department. It cannot happen without government support. We would ask you to bring forward proposals for a remedy by the summer recess.'

Mr Timms' letter to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is available from parliament.uk
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This is something i might be responsible i should have never belived them but anyways
There is company name nation express they sell dsc , pan card , irctc services
I took dsc from them after 5 months their sales team called for a lead
They had a lead they want to close on behalf of me i need to buy dsc stock they will sell it to that lead and i will get profit
What they did
Fraudulent Company Alert: I strongly advise against making any purchases from this entity as they are implicated in fraudulent activities. They consistently provide false assurances regarding refund processing without fulfilling their commitments.
They solicited my involvement in a Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) lead without my prior consent. Assurances were made that they would manage the lead and compensate me accordingly. Subsequently, transactions totaling ₹4350 were initiated on February 16, 2024. Shortly thereafter, an additional ₹8,000 was requested for DGFT DSC, followed by another ₹24,000 on February 17, 2024, under the pretext of customer demands. Upon completion of these transactions, an additional ₹10,000 was demanded for file charges. On February 19, 2024, a request for ₹15,000 was made for a DSC token.
Despite complying with these requests, a further demand for ₹15,000 was made for an additional 50 tokens, which I declined. I insisted on a refund, which they initially assured would be processed by March 20, 2024, yet failed to materialize. Subsequent promises of refund by March 27, 2024, also proved to be empty.
My communications regarding this matter have included discussions with Vijeta at 9310054975 and Juli at 8882763652.
What i want to do is make their sales rep life hell with constant calls
Also this is a b2b txn and they are based in delhi so how can i file a case on them
Their website: https://nationxpress.in/
Other people complains : https://www.consumercomplaints.in/bycompany/nationxpress-comb2b-a552895.html

I (20F) have a boyfriend (21M) of almost 2 years. yep turning 2 yrs this august. I know overrated na yung word na nonchalant, pero ganyan sya eh. idk if this is normal ba o sadyang di lang talaga tipo yung ganitong love language.
hindi ko nafefeel yung gigil towards sakin sa personal. hindi ko nararanasan na nilalambing at cinocompliment ako personally haha. sa almost 2 yrs na rs namin, bilang lang ata yung times sinabihan niyang maganda ako. first date namin, gandang ganda nya sakin. sobrang vocal tapos pinipicturan ako kahit may ginagawa. pero tumagal, nagiing nonchalant eh hahahahaha
for background: overall, mas attractive ako kaysa sa kanya. model ako sa promotional poster ng school namin, may nagscscout sakin for pageant pero dinedecline ko, andami kong suitors before and sabi pa nila ang swerte raw ng bf ko sakin. pero bat ganun?? mas madalas pa magcompliment friends ko sa school kesa sa jowa ko :(( ang fresh ko raw, ang ganda ko, deserve ko raw sumali ng Miss Dentistry na magrepresent sa batch namin. lahat yan sinasabi nila sakin in person. pero yung bf ko? hanggang chat lang nagcocompliment di ko rin feel na patay na patay sya sakin hahahahaha.
pero wala syang iba ah. sobrang faithful nya saken at kahit celebrity crush wala nga sya e. puro shoes at damit inaatupag. wala akong pinagdududahan sa kanya. it's just that, hindi lang sya ganon ka expressive.
ang lungkot talaga andaming nagagandahan sakin at naging suitors ko pero yung bf ko kahit anniversary o monthsary hindi man lang ako cinocompliment personally HAHAHAHA puta naiinggit nalang ako sa tiktok eh kung saan napaka vocal at expressive ng lalaki tas sinasabihan pang "answerte ko sayo" sa gf nila. when kaya???
sinabihan ko na sya about nito kahapon, nag sorry sya and sabi nya tatry nyang bumawi. pero ayoko mag expect kasi andami ko nang requests before na gawin nya personally, nagagawa nga pero hindi consistent :///
inassure nya naman sakin na sobrang mahal nya ako kahit hindi sya ganon ka expressive. idk hahahaha tinanggap ko nalang. nalilito ako if i should be alarmed if ganon nya ba ko talaga ka mahal, e bat ayaw nya iexpress fully? more on sa chat lang sya, pero feel ko kulang parin yung compliment at lambing na nakukuha ko sa kanya.
minsan naiisip ko if ever di kami mag work out, at least i have to set my standards higher na hahahaha. medjo ayaw ko na sa ganitong setup, above average naman looks ko (sabi nila) pero diko feel na ako pinakamaganda para sa kanya kahit wala siyang iba. kasali na rin hindi nya ako masyadong hinahug o nilalambing in public and private places (na parang bang nanggigigil sa bata) gusto ko sana non hahahaha hindi man lang magawa sakin
masakit pero kailangan tanggapin, mahal ko eh hahahahaha

"You gotta know that there's an art to it, Ezra," Hitch said, cutting another piece of duct tape.
The sleeves of his weather-beaten coat were shoved all the way up his arms, to stop the fabric from falling over his knuckles while he was working, and goosebumps lined his skin. He was strapping a rubber chicken to the back of his truck, over the lens of the shattered backup camera, with the legs pointing down so that they hung a couple inches above the ground. There were dents in the hood from the crash last week, and scratches along the door from scraping into a curb. The chicken, hopefully, would keep him from breaking anything else.
"You can't go cheap," Hitch said. "The cheap rubber chickens only make noise when pressure lets go. That's no good. As soon as I back up into something, I want this chicken to be screaming like it’s in the depths of hell."
“Sure thing,” I said in a monotone, leaning against the side of the truck.
There were scrambled electronic parts piled in the back of the truck, the innards of a radio, a broken computer, tangled wires, a couple loose pairs of earbuds. He found the parts in alleyways or bummed them off his friends for a couple bucks or stole them from the vacation homes that were left empty for most of the year. Then he sold them for a profit at the scrapyard. Hitch had bounced between minimum-wage jobs for a while after high school, spending a couple months as a bagger at the grocery store or as a seasonal worker at the farm two hours down the highway. He'd never stuck with it. At the very least, the scrapyard got him enough money to eat and occasionally spend a night in a motel when he got tired of sleeping in his car.
Hitch pressed the last piece of tape in place and grinned up at me. "I've got something for you, duck."
The nickname came from when I’d broken my leg as a child and waddled around in a cast until it was healed. I hated it with a burning passion, and I glared at Hitch with the ease of twenty-one years of practice. He had a duck tattoo at the base of his thumb that he’d gotten in a back-alley shop as a teenager. He said that he’d gotten it to remind him of me, and the fact that I hated the nickname was just a bonus. It was shaky-lined, with an uneven face, but he loved it anyway.
The handle stuck when Hitch tried to open the door, a consequence of the rust collecting in the crevices of the car and running down the sides like blood from a cut. The car groaned when the door finally popped open, a metal against metal screech that had me flinching away. Hitch dug through the cluttered fast food containers in the passenger-side footwell, eventually coming up with a crinkly paper bag. He waved away the flies buzzing around the opening of the bag and held it out to me.
The last time Hitch had brought me food, I’d gotten food poisoning because he’d left it out in the midday sun for two days. The donut was squished slightly, and the icing was stuck to the bag. I still ate it, grimacing at the harsh citrus flavor. Taking Hitch’s food was an instinct engraved from the days when Dad had given us a can of kidney beans for dinner and Hitch had drank the juice, leaving the beans for me.
I rarely went hungry anymore, three mostly square meals a day and granola in my pockets just in case, but habits didn’t die easy.
These days, Hitch only brought me food when he wanted my help, like when he saw a place he wanted to hit but was worried about doing it alone.
I got in the car, like I always did.
We drove past the cluster of seafood-themed restaurants with chipped paint decks, the beachfront park where there were always shifty-eyed men sitting under the slide, the single room library where all the books had been water damaged in the flood last year. The change was quick as we drove across Main Street, heading closer to the beach. The roads were freshly paved, the concrete a smooth black except where the sun had already started to pick away at it. The three-story homes lining the sides of the street were crouched on elegant stilts, with space underneath for a car or three. Most of the garages were empty, with the lights off and curtains drawn in the house. Come summer, the streets would be swarming with tourists and vacationers, but until then, most of the buildings nearest to the beach were unoccupied.
Hitch stopped as the sun started to go down at a house that was leaning precariously out towards the beach, tilted ever so slightly, the edge of its foundation buried in the shifting sand of the beach. It certainly looked deserted, with an overgrown yard and blue paint peeling off the door in sheets.
Hitch took his hammer out of the backseat, hoisting it over his shoulder. It was two feet of solid metal with rags wrapped around the head to muffle the sound of the hits. Hitch squared up, bending his knees and holding the hammer like a baseball bat. Before he could swing, though, the door creaked open on its own, the hinges squeaking. The house beyond was dark enough that I could only make out general shapes, glimpsing the curve of a sofa to the left, what was maybe the shimmer of a chandelier on the other side.
Hitch lowered his hammer, looking vaguely disappointed that he didn’t get to use it. “That’s…weird as hell.”
“Maybe the deadbolt broke, maybe they forgot to lock it, it doesn’t matter,” I hissed, checking our surroundings for other people again. “Just hurry up and get inside before someone calls the cops.”
Hitch flicked the lightswitch on the wall, and the lights flickered on. They were dim, buzzing audibly and blinking off occasionally. The walls were plastered with contrasting swatches of wallpaper and splattered with random colors. There was neon orange behind the dining table, a galaxy swirl in the kitchen, and on the ceiling there was a repeating floral pattern covered in nametag stickers. Each of the stickers was filled out with The Erlking. Chandeliers hung in every room, three or four for each, and rubber ducks sat on every table. A miniature carousel sat in the corner along with a towering model rocket.
Sand was heaped on every surface, at least a couple inches everywhere. It was piled in the corners and stuck to the walls, and it covered the floor in a thick blanket. Our hesitant steps into the house left footprints clearly outlined in the sand.
Hitch took a cursory look around and headed immediately for the TV mounted on the wall. “Look out the windows and tell me if anyone is coming.”
I shook the sand out of the blinds and pulled them open, then had to brush sand off of the window before I could see anything.
Hitch was quick, practiced at finding and appropriating the things that were worth taking. He came back to me with an armful of electronics and chandeliers, dumping it at my feet before turning to head deeper into the house again.
There was a thump, somewhere upstairs, and then footsteps, slow and deliberate. Hitch froze at the threshold of the room, then ran for the door with me just ahead of him, sand flying out from under our feet.
My hand was almost brushing the doorknob, close enough that I could see the light from the streetlamp outside streaming in through the cracks in the door. My fingers touched the wood and it gave under my touch, becoming malleable and warm. I yelped, stumbling backwards, and the door started to melt. The paint ran down in thick drops, pooling at the bottom of the door, and the wood warped like metal being welded. The soft edges of the door ran into the walls until there was no sign of an exit ever being there.
“Well, well, well,” said a cultured voice with just an edge of snooty elitism. “What do we have here?”
The man was well over eight feet tall, with long black hair covering his eyes. He was wearing a yellow raincoat with holes cut out of the hood to accommodate the deer antlers jutting upwards from his head. There was sand settled on his shoulders and hovering around his head like a halo.
“Who the fuck are you?” Hitch said, inching towards a window.
He smiled, just a little bit, and his teeth shone in the dim light. “I am the Erlking.”
Hitch nodded, and seemed about to respond. I grabbed him by the hand and pulled him towards the window. I could feel sand in the wind roaring against my back as the Erlking growled in anger, the grains scraping harshly against my cheeks.
We were almost to the window when Hitch was ripped away from me, and I came to a startled halt. The sand had formed long grasping arms that pressed Hitch against the floral wallpaper. His wrists were held tight, and as I watched, a sandy hand wrapped around his mouth and forced its way between his teeth. He gagged, and sand trickled out of the corners of his mouth.
The Erlking strolled towards him, not seeming to be in any sort of rush. “You know, I’m not very fond of your yapping.”
He made an idle gesture and the sand wrapped around my ankles, tethering me in place.
“I yap all the time,” Hitch said. “Three-time olympic yapper, that’s me. Best to just let me go now and save yourself some trouble.”
The Erlking tapped a manicured nail against Hitch’s mouth, hard enough to hurt, judging by the way he flinched away. “But why would I ever let you go when I’ve gone to this much trouble to catch you and your sister? It’s so hard, these days, to find people that no one will miss.”
Hitch struggled against the sand, trying to escape and failing. “What do you want with us, then? You just said it, we’re nobody.”
“I’m fae, dear one,” the Erlking said. “I get my power from my followers. And I think that you two will make lovely additions to my flock.”

He flicked Hitch's nose and Hitch gasped. Feathers started to form on his arms, popping out from under his skin in a spray of blood.
Hitch pushed off the wall, using his bound hands as a fulcrum, and his knees crashed into the Erlking’s stomach. The Erlking fell backwards, wheezing, and the sand around my ankles loosened.
Hitch made desperate eye contact with me as feathers shot up his neck and jerked his head towards the window. The message was obvious. Run.
The last thing I saw before crashing out the window and into freedom was Hitch’s body twisting, his arms wrenching into wings and feathers covering every inch of his skin. By the time I landed on the concrete outside, he was a small black bird, held tightly in the Erlking’s hands. The whole building was sinking into the ground, burnished-gold sand piling up over top and streaming from the windows.
Thirty years later, I saw Sam’s Supernatural Consultation and Neutralization written in neat, looping handwriting on a piece of paper taped to the door. The tape was peeling at the corners and the paper was yellowed with age, but there was obviously care put into the sign, in its perfectly centered text and looping floral designs drawn over the edges in gold marker.
I knocked, hesitantly, drawing my woolen coat closer around my shoulders. I’d bought it as a fiftieth birthday gift for myself, and I took comfort in the heavy weight of it over my shoulders.
“Coming!” someone called from within the depths of the office.
There were a couple crashes, and the sound of paper shuffling. Eventually, the door was opened by a young woman with ketchup stains on her shirt and pencils stuck through her hair.
“Hi, I’m Sam, I specialize in supernatural consultation and hunting, how may I help you today?” Sam said, customer-service pep in her voice. She stood in the doorway, solidly blocking entry into the office.
“My name is Ezra, I’m for a consultation. I emailed you but you didn’t respond?” I shifted in place, suddenly feeling awkward.
“Oh! Yeah, I lost the password for the email ages ago. Sorry for the bad welcome, I get lots of people thinking I’m crazy or pulling a prank and harassing me.”
She ushered me into the office, clearing papers off one of the chairs to make room for me to sit down. There was a collection of swords along one wall, all of them polished to perfection, several with deep knicks in the metal which indicated that they’d been used heavily.
“So what can I help you with?” Sam asked again, more sincere this time.
“Thirty years ago, my brother was turned into a bird,” I started. I’d told this story so many times that it barely felt ridiculous to say anymore. I was used to the disbelieving looks, the careful pity. But Sam just nodded along, face open and welcoming.
“I’ve almost given up on finding him, at this point,” I said. “But I saw your ad in the newspaper, and…here I am, I suppose.”
“Here you are,” Sam echoed, smiling. She pulled one of the pencils out of her hair and took a bit of paperwork off of one of her stacks, turning it over so that the blank side sat neatly in front of her. “Tell me everything.”
I told Sam everything, and she wrote it all down, pencil scratching along the paper.
The last part of the story was always the hardest to tell. “I left him there. I ran and I didn’t look back.”
I had been to dozens of detectives and investigators over the years, once the police had dropped Hitch’s case. I’d been to professional offices with smartly-dressed secretaries and met scraggly men in coffee shops. All of them had given me the same look, pity and annoyance all mixed up into a humor-the-crazy-lady soup. Sam, though, just seemed thoughtful.
Sam leaned forward and put a hand over mine, carefully, like she thought that I would pull away. “Sometimes you have to leave people behind.”
I tightened her hold on Sam’s hand and drew it towards me, like I could make Sam listen if only I squeezed tight enough. “But that’s why I’m here. I don’t want to leave him behind.”
“Okay then. I’ll do my best to help you.” Sam agreed, finally. Then she paused, and said softly, “You know…I think I met your brother once. He might have saved my life. He’s certainly why I started in this business.”
“Really? What happened?” I asked.
This is the story that Sam told me, related to the best of my abilities:
It was a new moon, so the only illumination came from the stars gazing idly down and distant porch lights shining across the scraggly brush of the dunes. Sam’s neighbors were decent people who cared about baby turtles, so the lights were a low, unobtrusive red, and the ocean sloshed like blood. Sam walked on the beach almost every night, drawing back the gauzy pink curtains and clambering out her bedroom window. She didn’t often bother to be quiet; her mama worked the late shift and came home exhausted. As long as Sam got home before the sun, her mama would never find out that she paced the shoreline and dreamed of inhaling sand until her lungs became their own beach.
The sky was lightening. The sun would come up soon, and that meant Sam’s time on the beach was over. She needed to get back to her real life, go to her fifth grade class and stop that nonsense, as her mother would say. Her mother loved to say things like that, pushing Sam into her proper place by implication alone.
“She’s a good kid, of course, but she’s a bit…” Her mother would trail off there, usually getting a commiserating expression from whoever she was talking to. Sam always wondered how that sentence would have finished. She’s a bit strange, maybe. She’s a bit intense. She’s a bit abrasive. She’s quiet enough but when Jason tried to steal her pencil in math class, she stabbed him in the hand so hard that the lead tattooed him.
Her mother was better, for the most part. The days of her stocking up the fridge, and leaving a post-it note on the counter, and leaving for days at a time were gone. But Sam still stepped around the place on the kitchen tile where her mother had collapsed and caved her head in, even though the bloodstains had been replaced with new tile.
“Your auntie got an abortion, you know,” her mother had said from her place on the couch, slurring her words. “Pill in the mail and then bam, no more baby.”
She had clapped her hands together to illustrate her point. Her mother jerked forward and grabbed Sam by the wrist, then, staring up at her until Sam met her eyes.
“I love you, you know? But sometimes I wonder…” She settled back onto the couch. “Yeah. I wonder.”
She’d gotten up, then, back to the kitchen. She’d been stumbling, a shambling zombie of a woman. The ground in the entryway of the kitchen was raised, ever so slightly, and her mother went down hard. Her head cracked against the tile, chin first, and she didn’t move.
Sam had been the one to call the ambulance. She had stared at the scattering of loose teeth on the ground while she waited, and considered what her life would be like with a dead mom. Not so bad, she thought, and immediately felt guilty for it.
Her mom was better, now, for the most part. But Sam still stepped around the place on the kitchen floor where she had collapsed. There was still a matchbox hidden under her bed with the gleaming shine of her mother’s lost teeth, two canines and a molar. It was nice, having a piece of her mom to keep. Even if she left again, Sam would still have part of her.
Sam sighed, and turned away from the ocean. As she faced towards the low dunes further up the beach, she saw a sandcastle sitting nestled among them. It was such a strange sight that her eyes skipped over it at first, almost automatically, disregarding it because it was so out of place.
Sam found sandcastles out on the beach sometimes, usually half-collapsed and on the verge of being washed away by the waves, but she had never seen anything like the sandcastle in front of her. It was life-sized, something that wouldn’t have looked out of place in the Scottish highlands, with spires shooting up above her head and carefully etched out bricks lining each side. The front wall was dominated by an arched set of double doors, twice her height, with a portcullis nestled at the top, ready to be dropped. All of it was lovingly detailed, down to the rust on the tips of the towers and the wood grain of the door. It was made out of wet, densely-packed sand, held together impossibly. It had not been there two hours ago, when she had come to the beach.
There was a bird sitting on the overhang of the door, small and black.
As soon as she took a step towards the sandcastle, the bird shook out its feathers and swooped down towards Sam, landing at her feet with a little stumble.
“Hey, kid, get out of here,” said the bird.
Sam closed her eyes, very deliberately. When she opened them, the bird was still there. Sam considered herself a very reasonable person, so she immediately drew the most logical conclusion. The bird was, she was almost certain, a demon.
“Trust me, you don’t want to run into Mr. Salty, the queen bitch himself,” the bird said.
“Mr. Salty?” Sam inquired, polite as she knew how to be. She edged to the side, trying to get a good angle to kick the bird like a soccer ball.
The bird did something similar to a wince, all its feathers fluffing up then settling back down. “Ah, don’t call him that. He’d turn you into a toad.”
The bird gestured with its head, towards the looming sand structure. “That’s his castle. He’s in there, probably scuttling along the ceiling or some shit because that’s the sort of weirdo he is.”
Sam nodded, encouraging. She pulled back her foot and lined up her shot, the way she’d seen athletes do on TV. She aimed right for its sharp beak and let loose. The bird saw it coming, its beady eyes widening, and it cawed in distress. It flapped away, avoiding her kick only to fall backward into the sand in a scramble of wings.
“What’s your fucking problem?” it squawked. “I was trying to help you!”
“I don’t need the help of a demon,” Sam yelled, trying to remember the exorcism that her mama had taught her once, because her mama believed in being prepared for anything.
“I’m not a demon,” the bird said indignantly.
It was at about that moment that Sam gave up and just decided to roll with it.
“What are you, then?” Sam asked.
The bird shuffled its clawed feet, looking about as awkward as it could, given that it didn’t really have recognizable facial expressions. “Technically I’m a familiar of the Erlking, prince of the fae, but I prefer to be called Hitch.”
“You can’t blame me for assuming, though,” Sam said. “Ravens do tend to be associated with murder.”
“Hey, excuse you,” Hitch said. “I’m a rook, not a raven. Ravens are way bigger.”
“Sure,” Sam said, not really paying attention. Her eyes had caught on the details of the sandcastle, and she was transfixed by the slow spirals of the sand, the strange beauty of it. She found herself stepping towards the great doors, lifting a hand to knock, and as she did, the sand warped in front of her eyes, heaving itself towards her with bulging slowness. The door creaked open before her, revealing a vast, empty room. Just before she stepped inside, she felt a piercing pain in her foot, and she yelped, leaping backwards.
Hitch pecked her again, really digging his beak in. “Don’t be an idiot.”
Sam glared at him, rubbing her foot. About to retort, she finally really took in the room inside the sandcastle, and her words died in her throat.
There was a body just past the threshold of the door, face down and limbs hanging limp at its sides. Long hair splayed out in a halo around its head.
“Don’t,” Hitch warned, suddenly serious. “Just leave, kid, I mean it. I’ve seen too many people go down this road and you don’t want to be one of them.”
Sam ignored him. She made her way across the beach, slipping with every step. The sand felt deeper, piling up around her feet in silent drifts. She picked up the nearest stick and poked the body with it through the door, ready to leap back if anything went wrong, staying firmly outside of the sandcastle.
This close, Sam could tell that it used to be a woman. Her head wasn’t attached to her body. It hadn’t been a clean amputation, either. Her upper body was bruised, with chunks taken out of it, and the bones in her neck hung mangled, not connected to anything.
“Well, I warned you,” Hitch said, defeated. “I did warn you.”
Sam nudged the head with the end of the stick, nudging it over so that she could see the face. Her mother stared back at her, torn to pieces, breath still wheezing from her lungs. She wasn’t blinking, just gazing forward with glazed eyes. Sweat dripped down from her hairline.
Sam screamed and dropped the stick, tripping over herself in her haste to get away.
Her mother’s eyes were wide and pleading, and she was mouthing desperate words at Sam. Her vocal cords were broken to bits, and the only sound that came out was a strained groan.
The head rolled, inching closer to Sam like a grotesque caterpillar.
Her mother gasped for air, torn lips fluttering. Finally, comprehensible words came out. “Help. Help me, daughter.”
“That’s not your mother,” Hitch said, quiet.
Sam knew that. Her mother was sleeping back at home, and anyways her mom had never asked for her help. She had an aversion to accepting charity, as she put it.
“Okay,” Sam said, shaking all over. “Okay.”
She backed away from the sandcastle, not looking away.
“Failure,” her mother hissed as she stepped away. “I never wanted a daughter like you.”
The sun came up over the horizon. The sandcastle, Hitch, and her mom all disintegrated into sand as the light hit them.
The beach, the next night, was almost exactly how I remembered it. The beams of our flashlights sent light bouncing across the dunes, illuminating the waves, and I imagined faces in the foam of the waves.
“I’ve been back here a hundred times. There’s nothing left,” I said.
Sam took the car key out of her purse and pointed it at the sand, adjusting the sword slung over her shoulder in order to do it. The key had belonged to Hitch; Sam had requested an item of his, and it was the only thing I had left. She rested the key on the sand and drew a circle around it, inscribing symbols around the borders.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
Sam shrugged. “Not much, really. I’m…I guess you could say that I’m knocking.”
The key laid inert on the sand for long enough that I was just about to give up and go home, admit to myself that Hitch was dead and that I was a fool to believe that Sam could actually help me. Then a building started to take shape, flickering in and out like it was struggling to get away. With a pop of displaced air, the sandcastle settled into existence.
Sam banged on the entryway. Nothing happened. She did it again, harder, and scowled when the door still didn’t open.
“We demand entrance, under your honor,” Sam yelled. There was a hard rush of wind, and I gripped Sam’s arm to keep my balance, but the doors cracked open reluctantly.
The inside of the sandcastle consisted of one enormous hall, the roof arching up out of sight. Rafters crisscrossed from wall to wall, and a cobbled path led further into the building, but other than that, it was completely empty, except for the birds. There were thousands of them, perched on the rafters or hopping along the ground. They parted in front of Sam and I, and reformed behind us, leaving us in a small pocket of open space. They were all black-feathered, with sharp beaks and beady eyes.
The Erlking sat on a throne at the end of the hall, lounging across it with his feet up on the armrest. He watched them as they came forward, the soft caw of the birds the only sound.
“I am here to bargain for the life of my brother,” I said, with as much dignity as I could muster, before the Erlking could say anything.
The Erlking ignored her, tilting his head to look at Sam. “I remember you. I almost got you, once.”

Sam glared at him but didn’t respond.
“You want your brother,” The Erlking said to me, and he almost sounded amused. “Then go get him.”
As if by some sort of silent signal, every bird in the room took flight at once, and their cawing made me think of screams. I covered my head against the flapping of their wings, and my vision was quickly obscured by the chaotic movement of them. I found myself on my knees, just trying to escape them.
A hand met my shoulder. Sam urged me to my feet, and together we ran for the edge of the room, where the swarm was the thinnest. We pressed ourselves into the corner and the swarm spiraled tighter and tighter at the center of the room. It went on until there seemed to be no differentiation between the birds, all of them fused together into one creature.
When the chaos died down, the birds had become one mass, with wings and eyes and talons sticking out of its flesh, thrashing and chirping. Human body parts stuck out of it, bulging out from the feathers. It was hands, mostly, with a couple knees or staring eyes. The bird amalgamation had no recognizable facial features, but there was one long beak extending from the front of its head. Most of the body parts were concentrated around the beak, and they peeked out from where the beak connected with muscle, or grew from the tongue, nestled between the two crushing halves of the beak.
It turned its beak down and crawled forward, using the hands to balance. The fingers scrambled over the ground. I was afraid of centipedes as a child, and I felt that same crawling dread when it started moving.
“Holy shit,” Sam whispered, which was rather disappointing, because I had been hoping that at least one of us knew what to do.
The creature turned, a lurching movement that crushed some of the hands underneath it, and started heaving itself slowly towards our corner.
“Better hurry up!” the Erlking called from his throne.
It was blocking the exit, by then. The shifting body of it had moved to block us off. It ambled towards us and I tried to sink further into the corner.
As it approached, getting close enough that I could smell the stink of it, I saw a flash of a tattoo on one of the hands. I leaned in, trying to find it again, like looking for dolphins surfacing in the ocean. And again, I caught a glimpse of a duck tattoo, the tattoo that Hitch had gotten on his hand as a teenager.
I ripped away from Sam’s death grip and ran for the monster.
I fell to my knees in front of it, wincing as I impacted the ground, and reached into the nest of hands. I could feel them tearing at my forearms and ripping into me with their sharp nails, but I kept going. I pressed further in, up to my shoulder in a writhing mass of limbs, aiming for the spot where I had last seen that tattoo.
The hands were tugging at me, wrapping around my back and hair. They were pulling together, trying to draw me completely into the mass of them. I was aware of Sam at my side, anchoring me in place and bashing any hand that got too close with her sword or the sparks that leapt from her hands with muttered words. But I didn’t think it would be enough. They were too strong, and there were too many of them.
I was up to my waist in the hands when something grabbed my palm. I felt the way it clung to me, and the calluses on its palm, and I knew that I had found my brother.
I flung herself back. The hands didn’t want to let me go, and they fought the whole way, but slowly, I made progress. I kept hold of Hitch’s hand in mine the whole time, gripping it as hard as I could. I finally broke free, Hitch with me, and Sam was immediately charging the creature, able to use her sword with much greater strength without being worried about injuring Hitch. She swung it forward, and it sliced through the wrist of one of the hands. It fell without a sound, red sand flowing out of it. It deflated until it looked like dirty laundry, just a piece of limp flesh. The creature shrieked, scuttling away enough that the door was finally accessible. The three of us ran for it, Sam and I supporting Hitch between us.
I looked back as I left and found the Erlking staring right at me.
“Interesting,” he murmured, his voice carrying impossibly across the vast space between us.
The sandcastle collapsed behind us, the great walls falling in on themselves. We were out in the morning sun, the sandcastle disappearing as we watched. Hitch was on the ground in front of me, as young as he’d been thirty years ago, when he was captured. He started laughing, feathers puffing out of his mouth. He laughed until he cried and I hugged him in the way that he’d held me when I was young, in the times when my life had been defined by hunger and fear.
Hitch left, afterwards. He scratched at the pinhole scars covering his body, where feathers burst through his skin, and pulled his long sleeves down around his wrists. He didn’t know where he was going but he told me that he needed time
I had spent thirty years worth of time without him. I wanted to grab my brother by the shoulders and beg him to stay. But he flinched when I hugged him goodbye and he refused to go near sand and he stared distrustfully at the birds chirping in the trees. Hitch needed to go away and I loved him too much to stop him.
I sat out on the beach every morning. I felt the sun on my face and I waited for Hitch to come home.