News from DWP
This page brings you DWP news and announcements. It also includes important changes to our websites and publications we have added. If you want to find out about something from a previous period, please go to the archive.
Latest news
27 March 2007: Tackling child poverty
New measures to lift thousands more children in the UK out of poverty have been announced today (27 March) by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions John Hutton.
‘Working for Children’ sets out how the DWP will help parents lift themselves and their children out of poverty through employment.
The strategy was published alongside the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) figures for 2005/2006, which showed a rise in the number of children in relative poverty of 100,000 from 2004/2005 to 2005/2006.
19 March 2007: Benefits going unclaimed
An estimated £1.8billion of Council Tax benefit is going unclaimed each year across the UK and people in some regions could be owed as much as £600.
The Department for Work and Pensions is actively encouraging home owners, pensioners and people on low incomes to find out if they are eligible for a rebate on their council tax bill.
Benefits Minister James Plaskitt said: “We encourage people to tell their friends and family about Council Tax benefit and urge them to contact their local authority to find out what they are entitled to.”
15 March 2007: Independent Living Funds review published
The review of the Independent Living Funds (ILFs) is published today as part of the Government’s regular review of non-departmental public bodies.
The ILFs enable severely disabled people to live independently in their own homes.
The Review recommends that the Funds should remain in their present form until 2009/10, but in the longer term that there should be a smooth transition towards full integration within a system of personalised budgets.
Anne McGuire, Minister for Disabled People, said: “While I welcome this thorough and professional report which will inform discussions of the future of social care, my priority is to ensure that the people who use the funds will continue to be supported to live independently.
14 March 2007: Numbers on all main benefits fall
Employment is up and numbers on all main benefits are down, labour market figures show.
In the last year employment has risen by 221,000 while the number claiming unemployment benefit, Jobseeker’s Allowance, has fallen by 2,800.
Welcoming the figures Jim Murphy said: "This is a strong set of figures. The numbers on each of the main benefits – Jobseeker’s Allowance, Incapacity Benefits and lone parent benefits – are down over the year, the number of people in jobs continues to rise and the number of vacancies remains very high.
13 March 2007: Plans for mesothelioma legislation announced
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions John Hutton today set out proposals to provide faster compensation to all people diagnosed with mesothelioma, a condition caused by asbestosis (this link will take you to the NHS Direct website). The measures would provide up-front financial support to people who were previously not eligible.
Speaking at a mesothelioma summit in London, John Hutton said:
“No amount of money will ever make up for the suffering and loss to individuals and families caused by Mesothelioma, but no-one should have to worry that they or their family will have to wait years before they see a penny of compensation.
“This legislation would mean that once diagnosed, every sufferer should receive a substantial payment within six weeks of making a claim.”
7 March 2007: New domestic gas safety drive
A new scheme to improve domestic gas safety has been launched following a review which found unacceptably low public awareness about the risks of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning from gas appliances.
Health and Safety Minister Lord McKenzie said: “Complacency on gas safety is not an option. The new scheme is designed to ensure industry works together to raise public awareness.”
The new regime will be overseen by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and delivered by industry via a reformed gas installer registration scheme.
5 March 2007: Radical review of welfare could help thousands more into work
A radical review of the welfare system carried out by David Freud has been welcomed today by Prime Minister Tony Blair, Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown and the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions John Hutton.
The recommendations in David Freud’s report include greater use of private and voluntary sector resources to help people into work, more personalised employment support, and matching increased support with greater obligations on claimants to look for work. In particular it suggests placing greater responsibilities on lone parents with older children to look for work once their youngest child reaches 12, rather than the current age of 16.
Welcoming the review John Hutton said:
“We have made real progress so far, with 2.5m more people in work since 1997 and 900,000 fewer on benefits. But we must go further and find new ways to support the hardest to help into work.”