Welcome to this week’s E News on the Citizens Advice Dorset website. The Advice Dorset Partnership is a network of organisations providing advice and support to residents of Dorset and Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole. It is managed by Citizens Advice and is open to any organisation which provides information, advice and support/guidance to local residents.
The Advice Dorset Partnership E news is published fortnightly on a Thursday. However, if there is something urgent in-between we will send out a supplementary edition.
You can now subscribe to the newsletter (it is free and you will get an automatic notification when it is published) – and do encourage colleagues to subscribe too. The subscribe option is at the bottom of this page.
If you would like to send anything out via the bulletin, and for all other enquiries about the Advice Dorset Partnership, contact Thomas Hensher at Citizens Advice Central Dorset: [email protected]
BENEFITS
Removal of Two Child Limit: The government has presented a bill abolishing the two child limit in Universal Credit (UC), with effect from 6 April 2026. You can read the bill and track its progress on parliament.uk.
Problems with Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) Claimants and Managed Migration: ESA claimants claiming UC through managed migration may find their limited capability for work and work related activity (LCWRA), or transitionally-protected limited capability for work (LCW) element missing if they apply for UC after their final deadline. This is incorrect. Although the DWP has been alerted to this error, they have stated that a fix will take some time to implement.
If the LCWRA or LCW element is missing in such a case, the claimant should request a mandatory reconsideration.
HOUSING
Investigatory Powers for Local Authorities: On 27 December 2025 local authorities were given new powers under the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 (RRA) to aid investigations of potential breaches of private rented sector housing legislation.
These include:
- A power, in certain circumstances, to enter residential premises without a warrant (section 126 RRA). This includes where the authority wish to investigate potential unlawful evictions and breaches of the new RRA landlord database requirements (once in force). At least 24 hours notice must be given to the occupier
- A power, in certain circumstances, to ask any person or organisation for information (section 115 RRA). This includes where the authority wish to investigate potential unlawful evictions and breaches of Parts 1-4 Housing Act 2004 (housing conditions and licensing).
It is an offence to obstruct a local authority officer exercising these powers without reasonable excuse.
Read MHCLG’s ‘Investigatory powers guidance’ on GOV.UK.
Local Housing Allowance (LHA) Freeze: The government has made regulations freezing the LHA rates for 2026/27. They will remain at the same levels they’ve been since April 2024.
You can read the legislation freezing the LHA rates on legislation.gov.uk.
Dorset Council Urges Property Owners to Maintain Their Buildings: Dorset Council is calling on property owners next to public highways to check and maintain their buildings – before hazards put lives at risk. Recent road closures caused by falling debris from unsafe structures have disrupted communities and highlighted the importance of regular maintenance. The council is urging owners to act now to prevent avoidable incidents.
IMMIGRATION
Visitors Will Now Eet eVisas: From 12 January, most people granted a visit visa, and some other visa types, will get an eVisa as well as a visa sticker (vignette in their passport). Eventually, they’ll only get the eVisa and later in 2026, UKVI will stop issuing visa stickers completely. Most people with a valid UK visa sticker that was issued before 12 January will also be able to access their eVisa through their UKVI account.
EUSS Status Holders Unable to Update Their UKVI Accounts Before Travelling: As of 30 December 2025, EUSS status holders who are unable to update their UKVI account have the option to obtain an EUSS travel permit ahead of travelling. EUSS travel permits are now available outside the UK. They are free and last for 6 months, but clients need to make an appointment at a visa application centre, and can then wait up to 3 weeks to receive it.
The Home Office have also clarified that holders of Certificates of Application (CoAs) will also be able to board carriers once ETAs come into force on 26 February, even though they may not have had a decision on their application at the time of travel.
You can apply for EUSS travel permit on GOV.UK.
DEBT
Tax Penalty Appeals – Burden of Proof: In the case of HMRC v Sintra Global Inc & Parul Malde [2025] EWCA Civ 1661, the Court of Appeal has decided that when appealing a tax penalty, the responsibility is on the taxpayer to prove that the underlying tax liability is wrong. This reverses previous tribunal interpretation of the law. While HMRC must prove the basic facts leading to the penalty, clients challenging the penalty must disprove the correctness of the assessed tax. This means clients must present evidence on the core tax issue, not just rely on HMRC failing to prove it.
EMPLOYMENT
Day One Right to Parental and Paternity Leave from 6 April 2026: As part of the measures proposed under the Employment Rights Act 2025 (“the 2025 Act”), the government has issued new regulations (from 6 April 2026) creating day one employment rights to access parental and paternity leave, which also remove the current restrictions on taking paternity leave after shared parental leave.
The Employment Rights Act 2025 (Parental and Paternity Leave) (Removal of Qualifying Periods etc.) (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2026 (SI.No.15/2026) will come into effect on 6 April 2026, reflecting what is set out in sections 15-17 of the 2025 Act:
- Section 15 of the 2025 Act amends section 76 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 (the 1996 Act) removing the current requirement to have 1 year or more continuous employment to be eligible for parental leave. You can read more about parental leave on GOV.UK.
- Section 16 of the 2025 Act amends sections 80A and 80B of the 1996 Act removing the requirement for 26 weeks continuous employment before the qualifying week to be eligible for paternity leave after the birth or adoption of a child. You can read more about paternity leave and pay on GOV.UK.
- Section 17 of the 2025 Act changes sections 80A and 80B of the 1996 Act and section 171ZE of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 removing current restrictions on:
- the right to take paternity leave after having taken shared parental leave,
- to be paid statutory paternity pay after having received statutory shared parental pay or taken shared parental leave
CONSUMER
Council Cracks Down on Underage Sales of Age-Restricted Products: Dorset Council’s Trading Standards team is stepping up efforts to protect young people from harmful products by targeting illegal sales of age-restricted items. Age-restricted products must not be sold to anyone under the legal age.
If you suspect a business is selling age-restricted products to underage customers, report it to Trading Standards via Citizens Advice. Tel: 0808 223 1133.
Consumer Savings Schemes – New Protections from 1 January: The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 has given new protections to people who put money into consumer trading schemes (CSSs). A scheme is a CSS if:
- a consumer agrees to make payments to a trader in advance of receiving goods or services
- payments made by a consumer are credited to an account held by the trader for the consumer
- payments can be redeemed against goods, services or digital content
There are two requirements for businesses:
- consumers’ money is protected if the trader fails
- consumers get information on how their money is protected
Not all schemes are covered – there are exclusions based on the size of the business and the amount of money people can put in. Utilities contracts, insurance and financial services and communications contracts aren’t covered as they are already regulated.
You can read ‘Consumer savings schemes legislation for businesses’ on GOV.UK.
SCAM AWARENESS
Beware of Scams Impersonating HMCTS: Scammers are impersonating HMCTS enforcement teams and courts through phone calls, emails, and text messages to demand payments or personal details.
You can find guidance on how you can recognise these scams on GOV.UK
Research and Reports
Shut Out of Work: How Workplaces are Excluding Disabled People: Many of the disabled people we support at Citizens Advice are excluded from the labour market because workplaces remain inaccessible and unsupportive. Despite the Equality Act intending to protect disabled people from facing disadvantage at work, we helped 5,393 people with health-related employment discrimination in 2025. This report outlines the barriers to work that disabled people face at every stage of the employment journey Read the report here.
How to Balance Fairness and Effectiveness in Unemployment Insurance: A new Citizens Advice report has a number of recommendations for the government around their Unemployment Insurance proposals. The proposals risk significantly disadvantaging disabled people and those with long-term health conditions by scaling back long-standing contributory entitlements. Read the report here.
Unemployment, Benefits and Household Spending: New Evidence from UK Bank Account Data: A new report from the IFS uses UK bank account data to track financial impacts of job loss. Read the report here.
Upcoming Events & Training
Level 2 Safeguarding Training with Online Safety, Saturday 14 February, from 9:30am to 4pm, Reef Youth & Community Centre : This training is suitable for anyone working with children and young people across Dorset that have not attended Level 2 training before.
The course will cover:
– What safeguarding is
– Types of abuse young people may experience
– Symptoms of abuse
– How to raise concerns
Migration Festival, Wareham, Friday 30th January to Sunday 1st February: Careys Annual Migration Festival returns this year – hear from leading thinkers and storytellers whose talks open up new ways of understanding how movement shapes lives, communities, and ecosystems. Book a ticket here.
Funding
EDC Project Fund for Strength and Sustainability: The EDC (Ethnically Diverse Communities) Project is funded by National Lottery Community Fund for 3 years from April 2024 to March 2027. The Project is being delivered by a partnership of local agencies who have come together to strengthen local community groups that represent and support ethnically diverse communities in the BCP area: Community Action Network (CAN), Dorset Community Foundation, Dorset Race Equality Council (DREC) and BCP Council.
The funding programme is by invitation only. Groups that are actively engaging with Capacity Building Officers at CAN will be sent an invitation to apply at the appropriate time.
If your community group supports an ethnically diverse community as its primary purpose, and its leadership team are representative of the community it supports, you might benefit from getting involved in the EDC Project. Please contact a Capacity Building Officer at CAN to arrange an initial appointment to find out more. There are two officers, Catia and Tama: