Benefits news: page 16
- July 2022
First means-tested Cost of Living Payment of £326 made
The first instalment of the 2022 means-tested Cost of Living Payment, £326, was paid in July 2022 to households entitled to a qualifying benefit in a six-week qualifying window.
Fit notes can be issued by more healthcare professionals
From 1 July 2022 fit notes supporting a New Style Employment and Support Allowance claim can be issued by a wider range of healthcare professionals, not only a GP or hospital doctor.
- June 2022
Case transfers from Personal Independence Payment to Adult Disability Payment began
People in Scotland receiving Personal Independence Payment began to have their awards transferred to Adult Disability Payment from 13 June 2022, as part of the phased replacement of the UK benefit.
- May 2022
Chancellor announces cost of living payments for benefit claimants
The Chancellor announced a £15 billion cost of living support package on 26 May 2022, including a one-off £650 payment to more than eight million low-income households on means-tested benefits.
BEIS consultation opened on expanding Warm Home Discount in Scotland
BEIS has opened a consultation on expanding the Warm Home Discount in Scotland to 50,000 more households, raising it from £140 to £150 and extending it to 2026.
Universal Credit managed migration restarts
Managed migration to Universal Credit restarted on 9 May 2022 after a pause, beginning with pilots in Medway and Bolton before expanding to further areas later in the year.
Guidance updated with rates effective from 11 April 2022
The Department for Work and Pensions has updated its Pension Credit technical guidance with the latest benefit rates, effective from 11 April 2022, in a change recorded on 6 May 2022.
Chancellor stated benefits would be uprated by September's CPI
In May 2022 the Chancellor said working-age benefits would be uprated by that September's CPI, a commitment later examined against proposals to raise some benefits by earnings instead.
DWP deploys machine learning model for UC advances
The Department for Work and Pensions began using a machine learning model in May 2022 to flag potentially fraudulent claims for Universal Credit advances, according to the National Audit Office.
Government announces substantial cost of living support package
The government added a substantial package of cost of living support in May 2022, including targeted payments through the benefits system and covering people on legacy benefits.
SSAC publishes formal reference report on Universal Credit managed migration regulations
The Social Security Advisory Committee has published a formal reference report on the Universal Credit managed migration regulations, making 11 recommendations on oversight and governance to safeguard claimants.
Work and Pensions Select Committee holds one-off session on UC Managed Migration
The Work and Pensions Select Committee held a one-off session in May 2022 on Universal Credit managed migration, raising concerns about the three-month migration notice period.
- April 2022
DWP stops fuel deductions from benefits
The Department for Work and Pensions stopped taking deductions from benefits for ongoing fuel consumption on 26 April 2022, with an exception where a claimant requests one.
Guidance updated with rates effective from 11 April 2022
Government guidance on the new State Pension and New Style Employment and Support Allowance was updated with benefit rates effective from 11 April 2022, part of the annual uprating of benefit amounts.
Post Office Card Account access to benefits payments ends
From 5 April 2022 people receiving tax credits, child benefit and other statutory payments could no longer collect them through the Post Office, after the DWP contract with Post Office Limited ended.
Amendments to Best Start Grant, Best Start Foods and Scottish Child Payment regulations laid
Scottish ministers have laid amending regulations changing child responsibility, kinship carer definitions, automatic awards and payment timing across Best Start Grant, Best Start Foods and Scottish Child Payment.
Around 210,000 disability benefit claimants set to lose Warm Home Discount
Around 210,000 people claiming disability benefits are set to lose the Warm Home Discount under changes to the scheme, Fair By Design says, as the rebate rises from £140 to £150.
Basic rate of statutory maternity and parental pay set at £156.66 per week from April 2022
The basic rate of statutory maternity and parental pay stands at £156.66 a week from April 2022, equal to 47% of the National Living Wage for a 35-hour week, according to a maternity charity survey.
Benefits uprated by 3.1% while inflation stood at 9%
Most working-age benefits and the State Pension rose by 3.1 per cent in April 2022, based on September 2021 inflation, while the cost of living was already rising far faster.
Benefits to be uprated by September 2021 inflation in April 2022
Benefits including Universal Credit were uprated in April 2022 by September 2021's inflation rate, a figure likely to sit below the inflation households faced over the winter.
Cold weather payments responsibility transferred to the Scottish Government
Responsibility for cold weather payments in Scotland moved to the Scottish Government at the start of 2022-23, the Office for Budget Responsibility has confirmed in its latest welfare report.
DWP launches ongoing Pension Credit awareness campaign
The Department for Work and Pensions ran an ongoing Pension Credit awareness campaign from April 2022, with increased advertising, as later figures showed take-up falling and unclaimed amounts rising.
DWP publishes Completing the Move to UC policy document
DWP statistics published in February 2026 show 2.35 million people in 1.82 million households were sent migration notices moving them from legacy benefits to Universal Credit between July 2022 and December 2025.
DWP requires consent for new or increased Fuel Direct deductions for ongoing energy costs
From 1 April 2022 the Department for Work and Pensions will only agree to new or increased deductions for ongoing energy costs from benefits where the customer gives consent.
ECO4 scheme starts with changes to benefit eligibility
The fourth phase of the Energy Company Obligation begins on 1 April 2022, removing several disability benefits from automatic eligibility and requiring claimants to receive another qualifying benefit.
Energy bills support scheme announced
The UK government announced the Energy Bills Support Scheme in April 2022, a £400 payment to eligible households, alongside a separate guarantee that fixed the Ofgem price cap.
Face-to-face support for initial Universal Credit claims ended
Face-to-face support for the initial Universal Credit claim ended in April 2022, the TUC has said, as part of a submission warning that benefit levels remain inadequate.
Fuel Direct scheme paused
The Fuel Direct scheme, which allowed energy and water bills to be paid directly from benefits, was paused in April 2022, so suppliers can no longer approach the Jobcentre Plus to arrange payments.
UK Government announced energy support package for almost all GB households
The UK government announced a support package in April 2022 for almost all households in Great Britain, including the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme and a guarantee capping the unit price for a typical bill.
Government announced Warm Home Discount changes for the UK
The government has announced changes to the Warm Home Discount that will extend eligibility to 750,000 more households, including people receiving housing benefit, and has opened a consultation on the scheme in Scotland.