Welcome to this week’s E News on the Citizens Advice Dorset website. Just a reminder that 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, BUT if there is something urgent in-between we will send out a short supplementary edition.
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If you would like to send anything out via the bulletin, and for all other enquiries about the Advice Dorset Partnership, contact Caroline Buxton at Citizens Advice Central Dorset: [email protected]
Job opportunities
Citizens Advice Central Dorset is currently advertising for 3 roles – as below – and more information is here.
- An advocacy worker for the Dorset Gypsy Roma Traveller project: 23 hours/week, £15.56 per hour.
- A GP Surgery caseworker for the Cranborne Surgery: 6 hours/week (Fridays), £15.56 per hour.
- An Advice Session Supervisor for the Dorchester office: 15 hours/week, £15.56 per hour.
Information updates
COST OF LIVING
February Quick Links fact sheet:
2025 FEB Cost-of-Living-Crisis-factsheet
BENEFITS
UC Hardship Payments: Claimants can ask DWP to review their decision that a claimant must repay a hardship payment. This scheme is for people who received a Recoverable Hardship Payment from Universal Credit. Hardship payments provide financial protection for customers whose benefit is reduced by a sanction or a fraud loss of benefit penalty. Customers might be eligible for a refund if DWP refused a request to consider either:
- stopping (‘waiving’) their repayments, or
- reviewing the rate of repayment
Further information on the eligibility and how to apply can be found on GOV.UK, here. Applications must be made by 4 May 2025. Customers who would like support in completing the application can call the scheme helpline on 0800 158 5557.
UC migration and ‘Nil awards’ of tax credits: Tax credits will end on 5 April. At a recent meeting of the Tax Credits Consultation Group stakeholders were informed there are currently 66,000 ‘nil award’ cases who are not being invited to migrate to Universal Credit. A ‘nil award’ means there is entitlement to working tax credit and/or child tax credit but the level of income means that any entitlement is tapered to nil. This applies if entitlement is less than £26 a year. An award can potentially be put into payment if there is a fall in income or other change of circumstances during the tax year. Where HMRC is told of the change within one month of it occurring, it would be backdated to the date of change. HMRC has previously estimated that around 300 ‘nil award’ cases per month would have a change of circumstance that brings an award into payment. These claimants could still be issued with a migration notice if an award could be put back into payment so advisers should be on the lookout for these cases.
EMPLOYMENT
Neo-natal care and pay changes from April 2025: In May 2023, the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act 2023 (NCA) was approved by parliament providing for statutory leave entitlement and payment for neonatal care leave (NCL) absences from work of eligible working parents, (or others with a personal relationship with a child) for a child receiving or having received neonatal care. This legislation required other implementing legislation, which took effect on 17 January 2025, setting the wheels in motion for the NCA to take full effect from 6 April 2025. Read the Govt press release here.
FAMILY
Extension of Family Mediation voucher: The Ministry of Justice has extended the Family Mediation Scheme by a further 12 months. The scheme provides a £500 voucher to those eligible, to encourage participation in the mediation process. For further information about mediation and who can qualify for the mediation voucher scheme, there is advice from Citizens Advice here, and more on this scheme from the Family Mediation Council – here.
CONSUMER
Solid wall insulation fitted using Great British Insulation Scheme or Energy Company Obligation: Ofgem has suspended 39 traders (not named) from installing solid wall insulation under the Great British Insulation Scheme (GBIS) and Energy Company Obligation (ECO4). Checks found poor-quality insulation installed by the traders, and things like missing or incomplete paperwork and insufficient or exposed insulation. People will get a letter from Ofgem if they had this type of work done under one of the schemes by one of the suspended traders. It could be internal or external solid wall insulation. The letter will explain their next steps and who to contact. If people get a letter from Ofgem, they should make sure it’s genuine – it could be a scam. Read more here.
IMMIGRATION
Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme: The UPE scheme will open to applications on 4 February 2025. A Ukrainian national, or the family member of a Ukrainian national, living in the UK with existing permission on one of the Ukraine schemes, may be eligible to apply for UPE to continue living in the UK for up to a further 18 months. It will be free to apply. People will need to make an application online. If their application is successful, they will be able to continue to live, work and study in the UK and access public funds. Read the Govt information here, and this template letter (prepared by Citizens Advice Central Dorset) can be used by people whilst awaiting their new permission:
Ukrainian Refugee Visas Beyond April 2025
Ukraine Permission Extension Scheme and council tax: In England, clients on a Homes for Ukraine visa are entitled to a 50% council tax discount if they live alone or if they and all the other adults they live with have a Homes for Ukraine visa. However, this is just for the duration of their initial leave on that scheme. When the 3 years or 18 months ends, they then apply to move onto a Ukraine Permission Extension visa. The government has announced that in England the exemption will no longer apply.
OTHER
Cyber Awareness: Two helpful publications from Dorset Police:
Individuals Cyber Awareness Booklet
Social Media Privacy & Security Settings – Updated
LOCAL
SGN Dorset Help for Warmth: This is a partnership between Southern Gas Networks and Ridgewater Energy. It supports vulnerable residents by providing free high quality energy advice home visits by qualified advisors, focused on reducing costs, increasing efficiency and maintaining a warmer home. Read more here.
Support for people with cancer: Tuesday 4 February was World Cancer Day. Locally we have various support services, including:
- The Dorset Cancer Care Foundation – financial assistance to Dorset residents and their families who are experiencing financial hardship due to cancer.
- Citizens Advice – Dorset Macmillan Advice Service and BCP Macmillan Advice Service: advice on welfare benefits, help to fill in applications for benefits, access to charitable grants and one-off payments, etc.
Events
Safer Internet Day 2025 -11 February: This year’s learning is based around the theme “Too good to be true? Protecting yourself and others from scams online.” The UK Safer Internet Centre has educational resources and information on stakeholder events – here.
Citizens Advice Data Insights 25 February 2-3pm, Debt- barriers to recovery: At our February Data Insights event a panel of experts will explore our latest data, uncovering what’s driving people into debt, the challenges they face, and how the government can better support people in debt forced to make dangerous cuts to essential expenses. Register via eventbrite.
LGBTQ+ History Month – Ferbuary 2025: This highlights the incredible things LGBT+ people in all our diversity have achieved throughout history in all areas of life. Read more here.
Access Wellbeing drop-in spaces: The Access Wellbeing programme is expanding to provide more drop-in services across Dorset, based in existing community settings and operating on different days of the week, giving people more options to access wellbeing and mental health support. These new drop-in services are in addition to the Access Wellbeing Hubs already open in Poole, Boscombe and Weymouth. New community drop-in services are now being trialled in Bournemouth, Christchurch, Dorchester and Weymouth, with additional spaces opening in Wimborne and Ferndown in early February. Further venues in West Dorset, North Dorset and Purbeck will open over the coming months. Read more here.
Thriving Communities in-person event – Wednesday 19th March: 10am till 3pm, including a networking lunch. D’Urberville Centre, Wool, BH20 6DL. Free. All Village Halls, community centres and faith centres are invited to this informative and thought-provoking conference and networking event. Speakers on funding, recruitment, the Voluntary Sector Assembly, etc. More info here.
Reports, research, etc
Move to Universal Credit – DWP update: On 17 December 2024 DWP published their fourth Insight document, Move to Universal Credit – Insight on Income Support and Housing Benefit and initial ESA cohort activity. Read it here.
Universal Credit Managed Migration: A recent letter from the DWP Permanent Secretary expands more on the approach to clients who are vulnerable and at substantial risk of harm – read the letter here.
Committee on safeguarding vulnerable adults: In the last edition we reported on Citizens Advice evidence submitted to this committee. Here is an interesting letter, this time a reply from Sir Stephen Timms to the committee chair Debbie Abrahams.
Citizens Advice report: ‘Found anything yet?’: This new report by Citizens Advice look at the role of Jobcentre Work Coaches who have a significant role in shaping claimants’ experience of Universal Credit. Their responsibilities range from providing employment support and giving general advice to monitoring compliance with conditionality requirements. While many work coaches seek to provide meaningful support to claimants, they face multiple challenges in achieving this. The report recorded a wide spectrum of claimant experiences from empathetic and constructive support to bureaucracy and indifference, and even actively hostile and unproductive interactions. Work coaches work in a system that prioritises the application of a harsh conditionality regime to achieve short-term outcomes. It offers limited capacity to deliver high-quality employment support and accommodate personal needs. Too often this leaves claimants feeling unsupported and disempowered. Read more here.
DWP Independent Case Examiner’s Report 2023 – 24: The report is here. Joanna Wallace comments : Notwithstanding DWP’s developments …….. things do clearly still go wrong – I agreed with a customer’s view that they had not received the service they should, and that DWP hadn’t recognised that fully, in about half the cases I saw during this last year.
Policy in Practice blog – The Fraud Error and Recovery bill, a fresh approach to fraud or fuel for stigma?: The DWP has unveiled plans to recover benefit fraud overpayments by directly accessing people’s bank accounts, new powers of search and seizure for the DWP, and driving bans, all controversial proposals within the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Bill. Read more here.
Back to Square One – How poor debt advice is pulling people into inappropriate IVAs: This new Citizens Advice report provides up-to-date evidence on issues in the IVA market, and the impact of inappropriate IVAs. The findings are based on a survey of over 1,000 people who are currently in an IVA or who have been in the last 5 years, including those with terminated, complete or ongoing IVAs. Read more here.
Funding News
The Royal Countryside Fund ‘Supporting Rural Communities’ grant programme: Community-led organisations can now apply for a grant of up to £25,000, paid over a period of 24 months. The themes are
- Keeping young people in the countryside
- Powering up rural communities
- Increasing environmental sustainability
- Building emergency resilience in rural areas.
If you are interested in applying:
- Step 1 – Read the guidance to decide whether your activities align with programme objectives
- Step 2 – Send a short video and expression of interest form. Deadline 21st February, 2025.
- Step 3 – Shortlisted organisations will be contacted in March 2025 to submit a full proposal.
Read more here.
Children in Need Emergency Essentials funding: Family Funds Services works with the BBC Children in Need Emergency Essentials Programme to supports children and young people in crisis. The programme provides items that meet a child’s most basic needs – from a bed to sleep in or a cooker to provide a hot meal, to other items and services critical to a child’s wellbeing. All applications must be made by a registered referrer and the programme has limited funding.
Get information on the Emergency Essentials grants, including how to register as a referrer and apply on behalf of a family in need. Read more here.
