BANK HOLIDAY - On Monday 29 May, Jobcentre Plus offices and phone lines are closed.

To make sure people get their payment on a day when Jobcentre Plus offices are open, some payments will be paid early. If the expected payment date is Monday 29 May, benefits will be paid on Friday 26 May.

If the expected payment date is not shown, customers will get their money on their usual payment date.

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DWP POSTAL ADDRESSES - always a popular post, we have reposted this useful information. 

We get asked a lot about where to send mail to. This should help. 

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is modernising how it receives and processes post by gradually changing from a paper-led system to a digital solution. This has resulted in changes to office postal addresses. The updated details are provided to help you correctly address correspondence.

1. How to get the correct correspondence address for offices using the service

There are 2 annexes showing details of office addresses.

Annex A contains details of the office that transferred to the modernised service most recently, from November 2015 to winter 2017. The following business units are involved:

• Compensation Recovery Unit
• Disability Living Allowance 65+
• Employment Support Allowance
• Fraud and Error Service
• Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
• Social Fund

More offices will be added to this document as they approach their rollout date.

Annex B includes the addresses of offices that transferred to the service from August 2013 to spring 2015.

There will be no postal changes for offices that are not shown within either Annex A or Annex B - continue to use their current address.

2. Postal diversions and business reply envelopes (BREs)

All external partners, including local councils, should make sure they are using the appropriate business reply envelopes for those offices using the service. These can be obtained in the usual way. The business reply envelope process does not apply to the Compensation Recovery Unit - refer to Annex A for the new postal address.

3. Further information about the service

DWP has a service for opening, scanning and indexing post on its receipt. Processing staff are then notified when a scanned image is available for action.

The scanning service provides efficiencies to the department, as well as citizens, For example:

• documents are traced and processed more quickly
• certificates, wage slips and other valuable documents are returned to citizens on the day of receipt
• scanned images cannot be altered, ensuring that documents cannot be tampered with, or information lost

All business units within the Pensions Directorate, Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment, amongst others, are benefiting from the service provided by mail opening units in Kidderminster and Telford. Offices using this service have a Wolverhampton postal address.

In addition to the scanning and indexing facility, the mail units are also providing a hard copy post opening and distribution service for the other DWP business areas, some of which are currently transferring to the scanning process.

4. Annex A: Office addresses for Compensation Recovery Unit, DLA 65+, ESA, Fraud and Error Service, IIDB and Social Fund

4.1 Compensation Recovery Unit

4.2 Disability Living Allowance 65+ (DLA65+)

4.3 Employment Support Allowance (ESA)

4.4 Fraud and Error Service

The Fraud and Error Prevention Service (FEPS) is part of FES.

4.5 Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB)

4.6 Social Fund

5. Annex B: Other offices using the new service

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WINTER FUEL PAYMENT -  The form to claim a Winter Fuel Payment for winter 2023 to 2024 will be available at a later date.

You can claim for winter 2023 to 2024 from 18 September 2023.

If you were born before 26 September 1956 you could get between £250 and £600 to help you pay your heating bills. This is known as a ‘Winter Fuel Payment’.

The amount you get includes a ‘Pensioner Cost of Living Payment’. This is between £150 and £300. You’ll get this extra amount in both winter 2022 to 2023 and winter 2023 to 2024. This is in addition to any other Cost of Living Payments you get with your benefit or tax credits.

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

Most people get the Winter Fuel Payment automatically if they’re eligible.

If you’re eligible, you should have had a letter in October or November saying how much you’ll get.

If you did not get a letter but you think you’re eligible, check if you need to make a claim.

Most eligible people were paid in November or December. Find out what to do if you have not been paid.

Other help with heating bills

You could also get:

• a Cold Weather Payment - if you get certain benefits and the temperature drops to zero degrees celsius or below for 7 days in a row
• the Warm Home Discount - this is a £150 discount on your bills if you get Pension Credit or live in a low-income household
• help from the Household Support Fund, if you’re eligible under your local council’s rules - check on your local council’s website

You’ll automatically get a discount on your energy bills for winter 2022 to 2023 with the Energy Bills Support Scheme.

 Next:Eligibility

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DOMESTIC VIOLENCE - Domestic violence exploded during the first two months of the COVID-19 outbreak. In the U.S., there was a 30% increase in spousal/partner abuse towards women, and the U.K. saw a similar increase as well – 25%. Similarly, there has been an uptick in violence against men and the elderly, with financial strain caused by the pandemic being noted as the main stressor in domestic situations. Still, there is no updated, comprehensive resource that tells you where to go if you are suffering such horrible violence or know someone who is a victim.

Such a resource is critical, as there are abusive partners that have made use of the pandemic itself as a tool of terror. In many cases, they withhold medication, insurance cards, and even the ability to go purchase hand sanitizer from their victims – all while public health procedures, such as mass quarantines, prevent any chance of escape; this is on top of the pre-existing threat of violence that constantly looms over their heads.

Sadly, you can’t trust the government either. Social Services aren’t getting the necessary funds in these times, and non-profit rescue organizations can’t do it alone. It is our duty to help the victims of this viciousness and not forget that there are victims of abuse across all age groups and genders.

In this guide, you will find every possible contact and useful tips that will help you to stop being a bystander, take action, and save lives (without putting your own at risk).

Because North America is so culturally diverse, the prevalence of domestic violence differs greatly from country to country. However, intimate partner violence is the most serious in the United States, which may be because of the high levels of gun ownership as well as the fact that many victims of domestic violence are afraid to report it for fear of reprisals.

Domestic Abuse has been outrageously common in the USA, long before the COVID-19 plague. In fact, 50% of women visiting emergency rooms nationwide have a history of abuse, and 40% of those murdered by their abuser tried to get help in the last 2 years before their death. In too frequent of circumstances, they didn’t get enough help from their surroundings – and in these times of lockdowns and mobility limitations, it’s even harder for them to reach out. According to recent research, domestic violence across all genders and age groups has increased by 30% in the U.S. during March and April alone.

It seems the next murder is right around the corner. The U.S. has seen an increase in violent risk factors: Gun sales reached a 7-year peak, with 1.9 million firearms sold in March 2020 alone; and liquor sales also rocketed by 31.7% in the same period, in comparison to 2019.

These contacts can help stop the next death and save a person’s life.

United Kingdom: Domestic Abuse Accounts for 16% of All Violent Crime

 The 25% jump in U.K. abuse reports isn’t surprising. A recent study shows that the pandemic exposed severe flaws in the government’s approach to domestic abuse.

Funds promised to services that support victims of domestic abuse back in October 2019 have not yet been supplied. This is surprising, considering the Government signed the Istanbul Convention in 2012 to reaffirm the U.K.’s strong commitment to tackle violence against women and girls. In reality, most of the U.K.’s 48 support services had to shut down at least one of their support channels. Abuse victim shelters are nearing full capacity, and the COVID-19 outbreak made everything worse – particularly for minorities.

We need to take the initiative and help people ourselves. This list will show you contacts that are still available and can help save lives today.

European Union: Men and women are almost equally affected by domestic violence

As COVID-19 grew in Europe, cases of domestic violence simply skyrocketed.

Designated hotlines in Spain reported a 47% increase in women calling for help and a shocking 700% increase in online approaches from victims. Calls for help increased by 40% in Austria, and in France there’s been a 36% increase in police interventions for cases of abused women and children since the outbreak.

Being locked in with their abuser made calling for help harder than ever. Women in France and Spain had no choice, and began asking for help from pharmacists when they managed to go out to get medications. You can help make a difference by utilizing these contacts – whether you’re a victim of Domestic Abuse in the E.U. yourself or know somebody there who is being abused.

Domestic Violence Resources in Europe

Africa: a Third of All Women Have Experienced Violence

There has been a surge in domestic violence cases in Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a study by the United Nations, 70% of women in Africa have experienced physical or sexual violence at the hands of their intimate partners. This number is even higher for women living in poverty or with disabilities.

During the pandemic, there has been a marked increase in the number of domestic violence cases reported. In Nigeria, for example, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) reported a 50% increase in domestic violence cases during the lockdown period.

In South Africa, the police have reported a 25% increase in domestic violence cases since the start of the pandemic. This is likely because many women are now working from home and are, therefore, more accessible to their abusers.

The increased stress and anxiety of the pandemic have also led to an increase in domestic violence against men. In Kenya, the National Gender Violence Recovery Centre (NGVRC) has seen a 30% increase in the number of men seeking help for domestic violence since the pandemic began. The NGVRC has also seen an increase in the number of men reporting sexual violence.

Asia: Rampant Domestic Violence Is Linked to Cultural Trends

 Following worldwide trends during the COVID-19 pandemic, domestic violence in Asia has also increased. Reports indicate that in China, domestic violence hotline calls increased by 20%, while in South Korea, domestic violence reports increased by 30%, and in India, domestic violence cases increased by 40%.

With many people losing their jobs or having their hours reduced, it’s likely that arguments about finances have increased. This, combined with the anxiety and stress of the pandemic, as well as members of households being confined together for long periods, has resulted in frustrations being taken out on each other, often leading to abuse and violence.

Sadly women are affected far more in Asia, with 80% of domestic violence victims in China and 90% of victims in India being women. This is largely due to cultural attitudes in the region where women are often seen as subordinate to men and are, therefore, less likely to speak out or seek help if they are being abused.

South America: the Highest Rates of Gender-based Violence in the World

 A study by the UN Women’s Office for South America found that domestic violence increased by 25% during the pandemic. The study also found that men were more likely to perpetrate violence than women and that the vast majority of victims were women between the ages of 18 and 34.

The increase in domestic violence can be attributed to a number of factors, including stress and anxiety caused by the pandemic, social isolation, and economic insecurity. The UN Women’s study found that women who experienced violence were more likely to live in households with lower incomes, to have lost their jobs due to the pandemic, and to have experienced anxiety and depression.