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.
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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 Thomas Hensher at Citizens Advice Central Dorset: [email protected]
CONSUMER
UK Cleaning Products Industry Association (UKCPI) dementia safety campaign: The UKCPI is running a home safety awareness programme for carers of people with dementia. It is supported by the Office of Product Safety and Standards. The campaign has information on how to use and store household cleaning products safely. UKCPI top tips are:
- store cleaning products out of reach and out of sight, ideally in a secure cupboard
- store cleaning products separately from food and drink, and not in the kitchen
- store cleaning products in their original container and close the lid after use
- purchase products that cannot be mistaken for food or drink
You can read about dementia home safety on the UKCPI website.
AI-assisted fraud targets older people: Criminals are using AI technology to clone people’s voices. They then set up unauthorised direct debits over the phone. The process starts with a so-called ‘lifestyle survey’ phone call. It is designed to gather detailed information. The criminals use the data to develop AI-generated voice clones. These clones are used to simulate consent for direct debits. The details are then passed or sold to other criminal operations.
FAMILY
Refuge exposes abuse of wearable technology: Refuge is raising concerns about the “emerging forms of abuse” concerning AI and wearable technology which includes smart watches and glasses being used by perpetrators to abuse and control survivors of domestic abuse.
Refuge are keen to raise awareness about how digital tools and devices are being used to “perpetuate abuse” and they have produced a four part webinar series which looks into this.
Statistics gathered by Refuge in 2025 suggests that, compared to 2024, there had been a 62% increase for referrals to the charity’s Technology-facilitated Abuse and Economic Empowerment team. There has also been a 24% increase in referrals from survivors aged under 30.
Renewed code for child victims: The government has proposed plans to introduce a “child friendly version” of the victim’s code to provide better support to child victims within the criminal justice system. The proposal follows concerns that young children do not know how they can access support “following crimes of domestic abuse and sexual violence”.
The revised code aims to explain what a child’s rights as a victim of crime are, using age appropriate language.
You can read the press release about renewed Victim’s Code on GOV.UK.
EMPLOYMENT
Bereavement, Paternity and Unpaid Parental Leave: From 6 April 2026, a new right to Bereaved Partner’s Paternity Leave will, from day 1 of employment, support employees who lose the mother or primary adopter of their child within the first year of their child’s life or adoption.
- the right to take time off work applies where an employee’s child is less than a year old, or within the first year of adoption, and their mother or primary adopter has died
- employees may be eligible for up to 52 weeks of leave, depending on when the bereavement occurs
- there is no statutory pay requirement – paid leave is at employer discretion
- applies only to employees, not workers
You can read:
Your Parental Leave Rights as a Bereaved Partner on GOV.UK.
The Bereaved Partner’s Paternity Leave Regulations 2026 on legislation.gov.uk.
DISCRIMINATION
Forthcoming changes to discrimination legislation: The Employment Rights Act 2025 (and also at some point the Equality [Race and Disability] Bill), will bring in a number of significant changes to discrimination law. They are mainly, but not all, in the field of employment. Changes won’t start coming into force until the latter end of this year, but here is a heads – up on what’s in the pipeline:
Third party harassment
At present: generally speaking, employers are not liable for the discrimination of a third party, e.g. a member of staff in a bar could – generally speaking – not hold the bar owner responsible for the discriminatory behaviour of a customer.
What’s changing: employers will become liable for the harassment done by third parties, unless they can show that they took all reasonable steps to prevent it.
Sexual harassment
At present: employers are obligated to take ‘reasonable steps’ to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. Failure to do so can result in investigation by the EHRC and an uplift in any compensation award.
What’s changing: employers will have to take ‘all reasonable steps’ to prevent such: if there was one reasonable preventative action they didn’t do, they may fail this test.
Sexual harassment whistleblowing
At present: it is already possible to bring a sexual harassment whistleblowing claim. What’s changing: it will become easier to bring such claims. Sexual harassment, or the likelihood of it ocuring, will automatically be classed as ‘protected disclosures’.
Unlike discrimination claims, in a whistleblowing claim a claimant can get ‘interim relief’ orders compelling the employer to take immediate action before a claim is decided (e.g. an order that a dismissed claimant be re-instated). There is also no upper limit to the compensation, which can make it a worthy alternative/addition to a discrimination claim.
Equality Action Plans
At present: employers with 250 employees or more have to publish data on any gender – based pay gap that may exist in their workforce. This requires data on average pay rates.
What’s changing: employers will have to:
- publish the same for employees, based on ethnicity and disability
- publish equality action plans showing what steps they are taking to address gender inequality
The data these reports produce could provide powerful evidence to support discrimination claims.
Further updates will cover these changes when they come into force at the end of this year.
DEBT
FCA published buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) rules: From 15 July, BNPL products will become regulated by the FCA and Consumer Credit Act 1974. They’ll be known as ‘Deferred Payment Credit’ agreements covering brands Klarna and Clearpay. The FCAs rules confirm:
- most existing CONC rules will apply to affordability assessments and collections
- there will be greater flexibility around communications following missed payments
- complaints rules (DISP) will apply as will Financial Ombudsman Service jurisdiction
Lenders wanting to offer BNPL credit after 15 July must enter the FCA temporary permission regime (TPR) when that opens, and receive authorisation in due course.
Read the BNPL statement on the FCA website.
IMMIGRATION
Expansion of eligibility for the Hong Kong British National (Overseas) visa route: The Home Office has extended eligibility under this route to include the adult children of BN(O) status holders who were under the age of 18 at the time of Hong Kong’s handover to China in 1997. The change will allow eligible individuals to apply independently of their parents, and to include their partners and children in the application to relocate to the UK. Those arriving on the BN(O) route will continue to benefit from a five-year pathway to permanent UK settlement, compared with a new standard baseline of ten years’ residence for most other migrants.
You can read about the changes on GOV.UK.
Research and Reports
Pushed into the Wrong Job?: A new report from New Economics Foundation (NEF) assesses the link between conditionality and poor quality employment. Read the report here.
Space to Breath: In 2025, Citizens Advice supported over 400,000 people with debt – nearly a 45% increase compared with 2021. People we help owe nearly £9,000 on average, a 36% increase over the same timeframe. More and more people need help with wider issues such as housing, work, and family problems alongside debt itself. Breathing Space was introduced in 2021 to help tackle this rising tide of financial difficulty. Breathing Space regulations include a commitment to review the scheme at five-year intervals, with the earliest review completed no later than 4 May 2026. Ahead of that review, this report from CA outlines how the scheme is working in practice and the key issues that need to be addressed. Read the report here.
Upcoming Events & Training
Managing Risk Workshop, Dorset Community Action, 05.03.2026, 13:30-15:00, Online: Most organisations understand why managing risk is important, but have less expertise on how to do it. Many trustees don’t realise that it is an essential part of their role. The Charity Commission lays a duty on trustees to have an up-to-date risk management plan. This workshop will break down the main areas of risk and help you to identify your own priorities and work through how to tackle them. There is a £5 admind fee. Register here.