UNIVERSAL CREDIT (UC)

• – A new document has been added to Gov.uk which sets out information and findings gathered from the initial managed migration ‘Discovery’ work. This will be used when we move the remaining benefit and tax credit claimants onto Universal Credit, to help provide a smooth transition process. To read about this, see here
• Universal Credit experimental statistics – a link to the information stored on Stat-Xplore for people on Universal Credit, as of 8 December 2022 has recently been placed on Gov.uk. See here
• Another change to UC’s Administrative Earnings Threshold:  quick reminder that another increase to UC Administrative Earnings Threshold (AET)is due from 30^th January.  The Universal Credit (Administrative Earnings Threshold) (Amendment) Regulations 2023 (legislation.gov.uk)  The AET will increase to £617 PCM for an individual and £988 PCM for a couple
• How to ask DWP to review a decision about repaying a hardship payment (on recoverable Hardship Payment repayments made between 1 January 2014 and 11 January 2021) – In November’s update I provided information about this, however the application form has now been added to Gov.uk. See here
• UC Landlord Portal improvements for Social Registered Landlords – Absent Joint Tenants. (previously known as ‘Untidy tenancies) Landlords on the Landlord Portal can now use the portal to tell UC about absent joint tenants.

www.understandinguniversalcredit.gov.uk/universal-credit-and-landlords/landlord-portal/

• Universal Credit Statistics- A link to Stat-Xplore which gives experimental statistics containing data for the total number of people who are on Universal Credit has been updated. See here
• Universal Credit Claimant Commitment – The Gov.uk guidance Universal Credit and your claimant commitment has been updated to include information about the impact of the age of a person’s child on the claimant commitment and a definition of a work coach

DISABILITY BENEFITS (PERSONAL INDEPENDENCE PAYMENT (PIP), ATTENDANCE ALLOWANCE (AA) etc)

• Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children- a revised claim form has recently been published on Gov.uk – see here
• PIP – DWP management information about an administrative exercise looking at Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims following 2 Upper Tribunal decisions has been added to Gov.uk. See here
• Attendance allowance – a revised claim form has recently been published on Gov.uk. See here
• Latest PIP statistics: in the quarter ending October 2022 there were 200,000 registrations and 210,000 clearances for new PIP claims, the highest levels since PIP began for the third consecutive quarter. There were also 61,000 Mandatory Reconsiderations registered and 66,000 cleared. For more information please see here

EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT ALLOWANCE and NEW STYLE EMPLOYMENT AND SUPPORT ALLOWANCE

• Employment and Support Allowance: outcomes of Work Capability Assessments- These statistics have been added to Gov.uk. See here

OTHER BENEFITS/PUBLICATIONS/ NEWS STORIES

• Mandatory Reconsiderations: An easy read guide which explains what a Mandatory Reconsideration is and when a person can ask for one has been added to Gov.uk. See here
• Help with Funeral Costs- Funeral Payment: An interactive claim form has been added to Gov.uk for people who want to claim for help with funeral expenses. See here
• Bereavement – Bereaved cohabitees with dependent children will soon be eligible for additional financial support, following a successful debate in the House of Commons on 24th January 2023. The press release is here
• DWP Leaflets:  The order form for ordering DWP leaflets has been updated. For the latest form see here
• LA Welfare Direct bulletin– LA Welfare Direct 12/2022 has been published on Gov.uk. It includes an Invitation for LAs to attend the next Data sharing and IT consultation and engagement forum on Friday 27 January 2023 from 11:30am to 12:30pm. See here
• New Cost of Living Payments in 2023: Millions will receive new cost of living support from Spring 2023, following up on the support given in 2022. Cost of Living Payments will total £900 for people on means-tested benefits. These payments will go direct to bank accounts in three payments over the financial year. There will also be extra cash support for disabled people and pensioners too. For more details, please read the press release in Gov.uk
• Cost of Living Statistics- This has been updated to show the total payments processed across government as of 12 December 2022. See here
• Benefit Cap Statistics – Statistics on households that have had their benefits capped between April 2013 and August 2022. For the latest information please see here
• Cold Weather Payments- Remember, duringwinter months, households receiving certain benefits could be eligible for extra money to help keep warm during the cold weather between now and the end of March 2023. DWP’s Cold Weather Payments are an automatic payment of £25 directly paid into bank accounts.

The payments are triggered to eligible households when the average temperature has been recorded as, or is forecast to be, zero degrees Celsius or below over seven consecutive days at the weather station linked to an eligible person’s postcode. Eligible customers do not need to apply, they will have the payment credited to their bank account within 14 days of the trigger. People can check if a cold weather period has been declared for their area – see here. The latest statistics covering estimated Cold Weather Payments made for the period 1st November 2022 to 20th January 2023 are here

• Access to Work- An easy read leaflet looking atCommunication support at a job interview has been added to Gov.uk. See here

• Health Adjustment Passport: As a reminder, this form can be used to support a person to identify what help and changes are available to help them move into work or stay in a job. An easy read guide about this has recently been added to Gov.uk. See here
• New funding and support scheme to finally end armed forces veterans’ homelessness. A news story has been published announcing extra funding to ensure no veteran should sleep rough this Christmas, and veteran homelessness is ended in 2023. See here
• Helping people secure, stay and succeed in higher quality, higher paying jobs: A recently published policy paper looks atthis issue and the link below also takes you to the government’s response to the In-Work Progression Commission’s Report. See here
• LA Welfare Direct Lite Bulletin – issue1/2023 has been added to Govuk. This includes information about an increase to the benefit cap and a link to the ‘Completing the move to Universal Credit: Learning from the Discovery Phase’ Research.
• Child Maintenance Service: New laws protecting parents who use the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) from abusive ex-partners are due to be introduced following an independent review. For more information, please see here
• In addition, see the links below too

**Independent review of the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) response to domestic abuse – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)  and

**government-response-to-the-independent-review-of-the-child-maintenance-service-response-to-domestic-abuse.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk)

• District Provision Tool added to Gov.UK The District Provision Tool is a list of support services which can be used by Jobcentre Plus staff, local authorities and support services to help them signpost their customers to organisations where additional help and advice could be provided. See here
• Social Tariffs for broadband – Sky has become the first major connectivity provider to join the DWP initiative making it easier for benefits claimants to get discounted broadband and mobile tariffs

An automated benefit verification system means that claimants don’t have to prove their own benefit status in order to get access to the discounted tariffs   see here

• Planned industrial action in jobcentres: The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) has announced a one-day strike on 1 February across the Civil Service, including in DWP. Benefits are paid automatically and people who rely on that support will continue to receive it.

We will keep jobcentres open where there are sufficient numbers to make it safe to do so, offering a limited service to vulnerable customers. Where this is not possible we will display a contact number or alternative office details in the window. We will contact customers if appointments need to be rescheduled. Produced by Kath Goodman, Partner Support Manager, Hull Jobcentre