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.
Please can you now subscribe to the newsletter (it is still FREE but 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 Caroline Buxton at Citizens Advice Central Dorset: [email protected]
Jobs
Citizens Advice East Dorset & Purbeck – Head of Business and Development: This a full time role, to manage all grant-funded projects, maintain funder relationships, and ensure compliance. The postholder will drive service quality, staff development, and recruitment. Alongside business development and sustainability planning they will contribute to research, training, and strategic growth. A commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion is essential. This role offers the opportunity to shape our services and make a lasting impact. More details here. Closing date 3 April.
Information updates
BENEFITS
Green Paper – Pathways to Work: The government has published a Green Paper seeking views on their proposals to reform health and disability benefits. Some of the main points include: removing the Work Capability Assessment, freezing the UC element for Limited Capability for Work Related Activity, and changes to how PIP is assessed. The UC standard allowance will increase. The Govt are consulting on some of the proposals, and the consultation, here, is open until 30 June. For initial comments on the Green Paper see links under the Research heading below.
Move to Universal Credit update: Tax credits are closing on 5 April 2025, and customers must respond to their migration notices by their deadline date to continue to receive financial support from the Government. DWP continue to increase the number of migration notices being sent to customers receiving ESA, with all notices due to be sent by the end of 2025. The department recognises that some tax credit customers may wait until their deadline to claim Universal Credit. For those customers who have a deadline date close to the tax credit closure date, the DWP want to provide as much support as possible and are therefore opening the Universal Credit Migration Notice Helpline on Saturday 5 April, to answer any customer questions, telephone: 0800 169 0328 (free).
Periodic reviews for Universal Credit claimants: Stephen Timms (Minister of State for the Department for Work and Pensions) has confirmed in a written response that Universal Credit claimants will be subject to periodic claim reviews from April 2025. The minister stated: ‘As announced at Autumn Budget 2024, the department will prompt Universal Credit claimants to confirm whether they have had a change in circumstances that might affect their claim. Any changes in circumstances declared will be processed and verified in the usual way. A roll out of this initiative will commence in April and testing will help determine frequency.’ Read more here.
Deadline to fill National Insurance gaps to increase State Pension: People have until 5 April 2025 to fill gaps in their National Insurance (NI) record dating back to 6 April 2006. After this date, payments can only be made for the previous six tax years. The quickest and easiest way for people to check a State Pension forecast and find out if they can benefit from paying to fill NI gaps is by checking their NI record on GOV.UK – read more here.
EMPLOYMENT
Statutory Sick Pay: Through the Employment Rights Bill, the Government is strengthening Statutory Sick pay by removing the Lower Earnings Limit so that the safety net of sick pay is available to those who need it most. They are also removing the Waiting Period so that Statutory Sick Pay is paid from the first day of sickness absence. As part of the Government amendments to the Employment Rights Bill it was recently announced that low earners who find themselves ill will either receive 80%of their normal weekly earnings or the flat rate of Statutory Sick Pay (which will be £118.75 per week from April) – whichever is lower. Read more here.
IMMIGRATION
Electronic Travel Authorisations (ETAs) for European citizens: European citizens travelling to the UK as visitors can now apply for an ETA if they intend to travel to the UK on or after 2 April 2025. ETAs are compulsory after that date. They will be valid for any visits within the 2 years following issue, and currently cost £10 per person, increasing soon to £16. Read more here.
Changes for Care Work Visas: There are changes to the rules for care worker visas from 9 April to make sponsors of care workers recruit from the pool of workers who have lost their sponsorship or who have insufficient work. Alongside this, there are increases to the yearly minimum salary and the rules concerning deductions from an applicant’s salary. Read the Govt press release here.
RELATIONSHIPS
Domestic Abuse Protection Notice/Order (DAPN/DAPO): If someone has experienced or been threatened with domestic abuse, they might be able to ask the police to send the abuser a protection notice, or ask the court to make a protection order. The rules about protection orders and notices depend on where the abuser lives. See the Citizens Advice information here for further details.
ENERGY
Heat Networks Service Launches 1 April 2025: From 1 April 2025, Citizens Advice will become the statutory advocate for heat network consumers in England and Wales, and will provide advice to heat networks consumers via telephone as part of their consumer service. The current heat networks webpage will include a link to the new content about what to do if a client is struggling with their heat networks bills.
SCAMS
Holiday Fraud: People looking to snap up online holiday deals ahead of the summer are being warned to stay extra alert and do their research before booking their getaways, as new data reveals victims lost a total of over £11 million to holiday fraud last year. Read more on Action Fraud.
Rental fraud: National Fraud Intelligence Bureau data has revealed that young people between 18 and 39 account for almost three quarters of cases of rental fraud. Fraudsters offer properties that either don’t exist or aren’t theirs to rent. This is often done through social media. The prices are well below the market rate but to secure the property, or even arrange a viewing, the fraudsters demand a deposit or the first month’s rent. Read more from the Home Office – here – who are urging renters to avoid rushing into a quick decision, or paying any money for a property before they have viewed it in person.
OTHER
Stamp price increase: Royal Mail has announced price increases to stamp prices, in effect from 7 April. The price of 1st class stamps will increase from £1.65 to £1.70 and the price of 2nd class stamps will increase from 85p to 87p. Read more here.
Events
Dorset Community Action – Energy Saving Session: Wednesday 26 March, 10 – 11, online.. This is an opportunity to learn the latest on how you can support your communities, with valuable information on how to save on energy bills, be more energy efficient, signpost to energy schemes, upgrade heating or replacing appliances and make referrals to access grants and fuel vouchers. For those who attended previously this is an opportunity to refresh/upskill. Book here.
Resolution Foundation webinar – minimum wage, maximum pressure: The minimum wage has been a huge success story since its introduction in 1999 – but 2025 might be its trickiest year yet. The combination of increases to employer National Insurance and a bigger-than-expected 6.7 per cent rise in the National Living Wage has left businesses warning of jobs cuts and hiring freezes. This webinar will asses the short-term impacts and long-term plans for the UK’s wage floor. Monday 31st March, 10 – 11.15. Register here.
Research, reports etc
Green paper on health and disability benefits – comments: Various organisations have commented including; Citizens Advice, CPAG, Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
Successful initial claim rate drops for Personal Independence Payment (PIP): In response to a written question, Stephen Timms has revealed statistics that show that the success of PIP claims has fallen from 70% in 2016 to 55% in 2024. These statistics relate to initial decisions made on new PIP claims. In contrast, tribunal statistics show that 7 in 10 PIP decisions are changed, in favour of the claimant, at the appeal stage. These statistics suggest that claimants should be advised to appeal negative decisions made on initial claims as there is a good chance that this decision will be overturned at tribunal. Read more here.
AKT Report on hidden homelessness for LGBTQ+ young people: The findings in this report – here – highlight a major gap in government data, which fails to accurately reflect the scale of the crisis. LGBTQ+ young people are twice as likely to experience hidden homelessness, such as sofa surfing, squatting, or staying in unsafe accommodation, yet their experiences remain overlooked in mainstream housing services.
Funding news
Lloyds Bank Foundation – Racial Equity Programme: This programme is aimed at registered charities and CICs which are led by and working with people who are experiencing economic inequity because of their race or ethnicity. Your organisation will be led by the communities you serve, working with people over the long term to help them break free from poverty and achieve their potential. Your organisation will be directly delivering services that help people from racially minoritised communities experiencing significant economic disadvantage.
Under this programme, successful applicants will receive a grant of £75,000 over three years (£25,000 per year), along with a breadth of tailored support aimed at helping strengthen charities and building the knowledge, skills and capabilities of their staff and trustees. The grants will be unrestricted, and can be used to support any costs that further your organisation’s social purpose.
Closing date 29 May 2025. Read more here.
Morebus Community Fund: Our local bus company has a Community Fund – a dedicated resource for supporting local causes, charities and organisations, whether it is monetary support, marketing help, free travel or the use of a bus/coach for an event required.
In March and September local charities, organizations and events can apply for community funding. This application could be as small as a raffle prize or as large as a £500 donation. We have a total of £500 to give away, twice per year. It will be at the discretion of the assigned judging panel to select the worthiest causes and allocate the support/donation to the causes they feel would most benefit from our support.
Read more here.
Skipton Building Society Charitable Foundation: Grants are available to UK registered charities for charitable work in the UK that helps people experiencing hardship and/or under-served groups to access a place to call home and to improve their financial wellbeing.
For both focus areas, priority will be given to charities supporting people in the top 50% of the UK Index of Multiple Deprivation. The maximum grant available is £10,000. The Foundation will consider funding core costs, project costs, and small capital contributions.
Read more here. The first funding round will close on 1 May 2025 (17:00).