Forum Home → Discussion → Covid-19 issues → Thread
DWP response to coronavirus
On Monday, the DWP will announce that face-to-face assessments for people claiming sickness and disability benefits will be suspended for three months. Instead claimants will be assessed by phone or paper-based methods ...
Confirmation: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/face-to-face-health-assessments-for-benefits-suspended-amid-coronavirus-outbreak
COVID-19: guidance for hostel or day centres for people rough sleeping:
Hi all -
We’ve put together a new page to help collect together the information we’re all coming across as it relates to social welfare law ... let us know if you spot something we need to add ...
https://www.rightsnet.org.uk/covid19
Cheers - Shawn
I’ve picked up a couple of queries on other threads about what DWP will do about extending deadlines etc. in the light of coronavirus outbreak. I’m going to email via the stakeholder’s forum with those queries and am happy to send in any others if people want to post them here.
Daphne i’ve forwarded to your email an email we sent to our local regional DWP
I’ve picked up a couple of queries on other threads about what DWP will do about extending deadlines etc. in the light of coronavirus outbreak. I’m going to email via the stakeholder’s forum with those queries and am happy to send in any others if people want to post them here.
Thanks Daphne, we’ve been asked by local partners whether there will be flexibility around the 6-week window to return a completed Attendance Allowance form from first contact, where our advisers might have problems visiting clients in that timescale?
Update on coronavirus from the PCS DWP group yesterday incliudes -
‘... guidance for claimants is being improved to make clear that where they have had potentially any risk from coming into close contact with the coronavirus they should follow the health advice they are given. Where individuals cannot come into our offices there should be no impact on their benefits and we will be exploring ways with management to mitigate any other adverse impact on claimants who cannot attend our offices because of the coronavirus.
Work is being done to improve the scripts to help identify any claimants, who may be at risk of having come into close contact with the Coronavirus, before booking a face to face appointment for them in our offices or with visiting officers. Like our members this can include checking if they have recently travelled from a hotspot location for the coronavirus.
On Monday, the DWP will announce that face-to-face assessments for people claiming sickness and disability benefits will be suspended for three months. Instead claimants will be assessed by phone or paper-based methods ...
Confirmation: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/face-to-face-health-assessments-for-benefits-suspended-amid-coronavirus-outbreak
I thought this was just Northern Ireland, or am I mistaken?
On Monday, the DWP will announce that face-to-face assessments for people claiming sickness and disability benefits will be suspended for three months. Instead claimants will be assessed by phone or paper-based methods ...
Confirmation: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/face-to-face-health-assessments-for-benefits-suspended-amid-coronavirus-outbreak
I thought this was just Northern Ireland, or am I mistaken?
There’s a separate announcement on suspending face-to-face assessments for Northern Ireland which also postpones all routine appointments at jobcentres, excuses people from signing-on and announces more telephony support for people claiming universal credit -
Chancellor has just said -
- in the coming days, he will work with trade unions and businesses to support people’s financial security by urgently developing new forms of employment support to help protect jobs and incomes
- mortgage lenders are to offer a three month mortgage holiday for those in difficulty due to coronavirus
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/chancellor-of-the-exchequer-rishi-sunak-on-covid19-response
Govt has published details of the emergency measures to be contained in the new Coronavirus Bill, including in relation to:
- paying statutory sick pay to those self-isolating without symptoms from day one; and
- allowing small businesses to reclaim SSP payments from HMRC
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/emergency-bill-to-strengthen-coronavirus-covid-19-response-plans
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-bill-what-it-will-do
Early Day Motion calling on the Government to introduce a temporary universal basic income:
That this House calls on the Government to introduce a temporary universal basic income or an emergency measure to help freelancers and the self-employed effected by the covid-19 outbreak.
https://edm.parliament.uk/early-day-motion/56765/temporary-universal-basic-income
Commons Library have prepared a briefing in relation to today’s Opposition Day Debate in the Commons on SSP. ....
https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-2020-0061/
Funding news for orgs in London:
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today pledged £1 million to a new emergency support fund to help London’s community and voluntary organisations affected by the impact of the coronavirus.
The Mayor has joined City Bridge Trust, the City of London Corporation’s charitable funder, and London Funders, a network of investors of London’s civil society, to launch the new fund – with an initial £1 million provided by City Hall and £1 million from City Bridge Trust.
He is also making a plea to other funding organisations – and calling on central Government – to contribute to the £2m fund.
The emergency scheme, which will be coordinated by London Funders, will be available to organisations facing immediate financial pressures and uncertainty because of the coronavirus. These include increasing demands for services, higher staff absences, fewer volunteers and lower donations.
https://www.london.gov.uk/press-releases/mayoral/mayor-contributes-1m-to-emergency-support-fund
Unfortunately there is no change to the requirement for explicit consent.
received this reply this afternoon