Latest news with #DWPPIP
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'Cheapest' supermarket now most expensive for essentials
The supermarket that was deemed the cheapest of the main shops is now the most expensive for essentials, according to a recent price comparison. For most of January, Morrisons was working out cheaper than Aldi and Lidl in the weekly price comparison. The Manchester Evening News tracks the costs of eight basic items including bread, milk, butter, beans, tea, coffee, mince and chicken. However, this week the supermarket has increased the price of its cheapest loaf from 47p to 49p, making its overall bill of £13.45 the dearest of the lot. Aldi and Asda have also increased their cheapest mince to £2.99 per pack, whilst Tesco and Sainsbury's have reduced theirs to £2.95. READ MORE: 'Hidden gem' seaside resort an hour from Blackpool with heated pool, sauna and lush landscapes READ MORE: DWP PIP 'special rules' for specific illnesses can fast-track application Lidl remains the cheapest for a sixth week running, with a bill of £13.04. Aldi is second cheapest at £13.17, with Tesco now in third place, with a bill of £13.25. It had previously spent 17 consecutive weeks as the most expensive, until Sainsbury's swiped the unfortunate accolade in April. Asda is fourth cheapest at £13.31, followed by Sainsbury's at £13.43. A number of supermarkets do disagree with the MEN's comparison of bills. Aldi says the list doesn't take into account the difference in quality, insisting, for example, that its own Diplomat Red Label tea bags and its coffee are 'higher quality' than the comparative products used. The supermarket says its tins of beans are also heavier than some of the others. An Aldi spokesperson added: 'Our promise to customers is that they will make significant savings every time they shop with Aldi, which is why we've been named Which? Cheapest Supermarket of the Year for four years running.' The comparison for mince includes the cheapest from each place, which is the 25% fat versions at Morrisons, Aldi and Lidl. The others though, sell 20% fat versions which is seen as better quality. Asda also disagrees with the comparisons, stating they do not account for deals and the fuller picture of prices. The supermarket says that, across the board, its Just Essentials range is the largest and cheapest available, alongside Aldi's. A Sainsbury's spokesperson said: 'This review of a limited number of products does not reflect the fantastic value our customers will find at Sainsbury's. We are committed to offering the best possible value across a wide variety of products, whether that's through our value Stamford Street range, Low Everyday Prices, Nectar Prices, or our current biggest ever Aldi Price Match offer.' Loaf of white bread 800g - 49p Milk 2 pints - £1.20 Coffee 200g - £1.99 Teabags 240 - £2.79 / equates to £1.86 for 160 Salted butter 250g - £1.99 Beans 420g tin - 27p Chicken 300g - £2.25 Mince 500g 25% fat - £2.99 Total £13.04 Loaf of white bread 800g - 49p Milk 2 pints - £1.20 Coffee 200g - £1.99 Teabags 160 - £1.99 Salted butter 250g - £1.99 Beans 420g tin - 27p Chicken 300g - £2.25 Mince 500g 25% fat - £2.99 (up from £2.95) Total: £13.17 (up from £13.13) Loaf of white bread 800g - 49p Milk 2 pints - £1.20 Coffee 200g (2 x 100g) - £2.30 Teabags 160 (2 x 80-pack) - £1.80 Salted butter 250g - £1.99 Beans 420g tin - 28p Chicken 300g - £2.40 for 320g, equates to £2.25 for 300g Mince 500g 20% fat - £2.95 (down from £2.99) Total £13.25 (down from £13.30) Loaf of white bread 800g - 49p Milk 2 pints - £1.20 Coffee 200g (2 x 100g) - £2.28 Teabags 160 (4 x 40-pack) - £1.80 Salted butter 250g - £1.99 Beans 410g tin - 28p Chicken 300g - £2.28 Mince 500g 20% fat - £2.99 (up from £2.95) Total £13.31 (up from £13.27) Loaf of white bread 800g - 49p Milk 2 pints - £1.20 Coffee 200g - £2.30 Teabags 160 - £1.99 Salted butter 250g - £1.99 Beans 400g tin - 26p Chicken 300g - £2.40 for 320g, equates to £2.25 for 300g Mince 500g 20% fat - £2.95 (down from £2.99) Total £13.43 (down from £13.47) Loaf of white bread 800g - 49p (up from 47p) Milk 2 pints - £1.25 Coffee (2 x 100g) - £2.30 Teabags 160 (2 x 80-pack Savers) - £1.80 Savers Salted butter 250g - £1.99 Beans 410g tin - 26p Chicken 300g - £2.65 for 330g, equates to £2.41 for 300g Mince 500g 25% fat - £2.95 Total £13.45 (up from £13.43) Subscribe to our daily newsletter LANCS LIVE NEWS and get all the biggest stories from across Lancashire direct to your inbox
Business Mayor
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Mayor
PIP claimants that ‘shouldn't be affected by reform' could still be at risk experts warn
The changes will make thousands of people currently getting PIP ineligible for the benefit (Image: GETTY) A loophole in new DWP PIP criteria could expose people to losing their benefits, according to an advice organisation. Last month, Disability Minister Stephen Timms responded to a written parliamentary question regarding the changes to PIP eligibility announced by the government in March. Labour MP Neil Duncan-Jordan had inquired about the impact of these changes on PIP claimants of retirement age. Sir Stephen offered reassurance, stating: 'In keeping with existing policy, people over State Pension Age are not routinely fully reviewed and will not be affected by the proposed changes.' He also confirmed that the new eligibility criteria would only apply to reviews and claims made after November 2026. Many people welcomed this confirmation at the time, which was intended to alleviate concerns for approximately 700,000 state pension age PIP claimants, according to the Mirror. However, Benefits and Work has identified a loophole that could still subject these individuals to the new criteria, potentially resulting in the loss of their benefit. The benefit experts cautioned: 'The phrase 'not routinely fully reviewed' is deeply ambiguous. It is true that claimants over pension age are likely to have a light-touch review. 'This involves the shortened AR2 review form and will not normally require the claimant to have a face-to-face or telephone assessment. But the AR2 form still asks the claimant if there have been any changes in their daily living needs since their last assessment.' PIP claims are reviewed to check if the claimants disability and circumstances have changed (Image: GETTY) After November 2026, people who do not meet the new eligibility criteria and respond 'no' on this form may technically disqualify themselves by highlighting that they don't meet the criteria. If they answer 'yes', it could initiate a new review, which will also be evaluated against the new criteria. This loophole could leave state pension age PIP claimants in a difficult position, but the experts have reassured: 'We don't want to alarm pension age PIP claimants. Reviews after pension age are much less frequent, so most claimants may not be affected. However, it seems that tens of thousands a year might be. 'Pension age PIP claimants will certainly be impacted by the Green paper changes. The only way to avoid this would be to specify that the new points system regulations will exempt pension age PIP claimants.' They encouraged people to ask their local MPs to urge the minister to clarify his statement. Many details about the Green Paper are still unknown and open for consultation, including transitional protection so this gap for state pension age claimants could still be addressed in the future. The loophole could mean people assured the change won't affect them could be at risk of losing their benefit (Image: GETTY) What has been confirmed in detail are the proposed changes to PIP eligibility criteria. At present, applicants need to score at least eight points across 10 activities to receive the standard rate of the daily living component of PIP and 12 points to get the enhanced rate. The more assistance or equipment you require to carry out these activities safely and efficiently, the more points you can accumulate in each category. The updated criteria will still necessitate these minimums, but if individuals fail to score at least four points in any one category, they won't qualify for the daily living component at all. It remains uncertain how those who currently qualify and receive PIP but don't meet this criteria will be supported during the transition. The consultation is particularly open to disabled individuals and disability organisations in England, Scotland and Wales.
Daily Mirror
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
PIP claimants that ‘shouldn't be affected' could still be at risk
700,000 people were recently told the changes won't affect them, but a loophole may mean it does A loophole in new DWP PIP criteria could expose people to losing their benefits, according to an advice organisation. Last month, Disability Minister Stephen Timms responded to a written parliamentary question regarding the changes to PIP eligibility announced by the government in March. Labour MP Neil Duncan-Jordan had inquired about the impact of these changes on PIP claimants of retirement age. Sir Stephen offered reassurance, stating: "In keeping with existing policy, people over State Pension Age are not routinely fully reviewed and will not be affected by the proposed changes." He also confirmed that the new eligibility criteria would only apply to reviews and claims made after November 2026. Many people welcomed this confirmation at the time, which was intended to alleviate concerns for approximately 700,000 state pension age PIP claimants, according to the Mirror. However, Benefits and Work has identified a loophole that could still subject these individuals to the new criteria, potentially resulting in the loss of their benefit. The benefit experts cautioned: "The phrase 'not routinely fully reviewed' is deeply ambiguous. It is true that claimants over pension age are likely to have a light-touch review. "This involves the shortened AR2 review form and will not normally require the claimant to have a face-to-face or telephone assessment. But the AR2 form still asks the claimant if there have been any changes in their daily living needs since their last assessment." After November 2026, people who do not meet the new eligibility criteria and respond 'no' on this form may technically disqualify themselves by highlighting that they don't meet the criteria. If they answer 'yes', it could initiate a new review, which will also be evaluated against the new criteria. This loophole could leave state pension age PIP claimants in a difficult position, but the experts have reassured: "We don't want to alarm pension age PIP claimants. Reviews after pension age are much less frequent, so most claimants may not be affected. However, it seems that tens of thousands a year might be. "Pension age PIP claimants will certainly be impacted by the Green paper changes. The only way to avoid this would be to specify that the new points system regulations will exempt pension age PIP claimants." They encouraged people to ask their local MPs to urge the minister to clarify his statement. Many details about the Green Paper are still unknown and open for consultation, including transitional protection so this gap for state pension age claimants could still be addressed in the future. What has been confirmed in detail are the proposed changes to PIP eligibility criteria. At present, applicants need to score at least eight points across 10 activities to receive the standard rate of the daily living component of PIP and 12 points to get the enhanced rate. The more assistance or equipment you require to carry out these activities safely and efficiently, the more points you can accumulate in each category. The updated criteria will still necessitate these minimums, but if individuals fail to score at least four points in any one category, they won't qualify for the daily living component at all. It remains uncertain how those who currently qualify and receive PIP but don't meet this criteria will be supported during the transition. The consultation is particularly open to disabled individuals and disability organisations in England, Scotland and Wales.
Wales Online
09-05-2025
- Wales Online
Mum's warning to all women after abusive 'predator' ex freed from jail early
A mum-of-three has issued a warning to women in the Midlands after her abusive ex-boyfriend was freed from jail early. Matthew Kowal was jailed for three years last November after being convicted of three counts of assault and one count of common assault. He had been remanded in custody ahead of his trial which means that time spent on remand would have counted towards his sentence. It is understood Kowal has since been moved from prison to a property in Stoke-on-Trent just eight weeks into his sentence. Victim Hayley Johns, who suffered four years of abuse at the hands of Kowal, has now slammed the criminal justice system. The 38-year-old said: "I want to bring attention to the people residing in the area what kind of man he is. READ MORE: DWP PIP warning over changes that could see some UK households lose out on £12k "He is an absolute predator. People don't need to believe me. "Don't take my word for it - just make sure you do a Clare's Law search on him and go from there. "Please trust your gut based on what you see. "I'm very, very lucky that he didn't kill me. "There were a number of occasions where it was very close. "I don't want someone to lose their life because I didn't speak up." Nail technician Hayley said her relationship with Kowal began in May 2020 and was initially 'magical', StokeonTrentLive reports. Issues began for the couple when they moved in together, she said. Hayley said: "We met working as couriers during the first Covid lockdown. "When it ended, we started a relationship. "As the second lockdown started, we decided to form a bubble together. "He moved in with me - and by the end of the year the attacks had started. "I was with him for four years. During that time, multiple attacks were happening. "He was very controlling and coercive. He had me isolated from my friends and family. "He just wasn't a nice person at all. I never felt I could say anything." Hayley told how her friend encouraged her to raise the alarm with police and 'saved her life'. She said: "It took the help of a friend to get me out of it. "Last March, he attacked me and ended up putting me in hospital. "I was that bad that they couldn't even take my blood pressure. Don't miss the biggest and breaking stories by signing up to the BirminghamLive newsletter here. "Every single part of me was bruised, I couldn't stand being touched. "My friend had a feeling something was wrong at home so she came to see me. "After one look at me she said "you're going to the police station and I'm not taking no for an answer". She saved my life." Hayley described how she contemplated suicide when she was told her attacker was being released from prison. She added: "My prison liaison officer has told me he's been released to Stoke-on-Trent because his Nottingham prison was full. "I nearly killed myself when I found out he was getting released. "People need to watch out for him. He's so good at manipulation. "At the start of the relationship, you won't see it. It's magical to begin with. "Even better than the usual honeymoon period because he's already employing the little underhanded tactics that you won't recognise until it's too late. "He'll portray himself as the most charismatic, perfect person. "By the time the first blow of physical or emotional abuse comes from him, he's got you right where he wants you. "Then that's it - you're trapped." The Ministry of Justice did not comment on the case of Kowal, formerly of of Mackworth. A Ministry of Justice spokesperson said: "Anyone released into Home Detention Curfew faces strict licence conditions and must be tagged. "Those who break the rules face being returned to custody."
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
HMRC urges people earning under £80k to claim benefit worth £1,300 a year
His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is advising people earning under £80,000 a year to claim a benefit worth up to £1,354 annually. Child Benefit can be claimed by parents and carers to help cover the expenses of bringing up a child under the age of 16, or under 20 if they stay in approved education or training, reports The benefit is handed out at two different rates - a higher payment for the eldest or only child, and a lower payment for any additional children. READ MORE: DWP PIP claimants will see more money in accounts amid benefit payments change Get breaking news on BirminghamLive WhatsApp, click the link to join Only one person can claim the benefit but there's no limit to how many children you can claim for. The benefit was uprated by 1.7% in April which means parents or carers can now get £26.05 each week for the eldest or only child, which over a year amounts to £1,354.60 per year. For each additional child you can receive an extra £17.25 per week, making the annual total for two children £2,251.60 per year, or £3,148.60 per year if you have three children. The allowance is issued monthly to you for each child you have and you'll also gain National Insurance credits which count towards your State Pension, plus a National Insurance number for your child without them having to apply. HMRC is urging parents who aren't currently getting the benefit to submit a claim and urged high earners to make sure they aren't missing out. The maximum earning amount to receive any Child Benefit is £80,000, although if your income is more than £60,000 per year you may have to pay the High Income Child Benefit Charge. In a message on X (formerly Twitter) HMRC urged people to check their eligibility, particularly those on a high income. The government department said: 'Opted out of Child Benefit payments and earn under £80k? You may be missing out on support. The amount you or your partner can earn before you start paying the High Income Child Benefit charge is now £60k. Opt back in online or in the HMRC app.' If you or your partner earn £60,000 or less per year then you can claim the full amount of Child Benefit if the child lives with you, or if you're paying the same weekly amount as the benefit towards looking after them. You can claim Child Benefit 48 hours after you've registered the birth of your child, or once a child comes to live with you and it can be backdated for up to three months. Claims can be made online via the government website or by calling the HMRC helpline on 0300 200 3100.
