Dear Partners, We are pleased to share the latest edition of the NRNE Partnership Spring 2026 Newsletter. If you have been wondering what we have been working on over the past few months, this edition brings together some of our latest updates from across the partnership, highlighting our work, learning, insights, and the lived realities […]
NRNE Partnership Spring 2026 Newsletter. Read More »
The latest Department for Work and Pensions statistics confirm that outcomes for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) Work Capability Assessments remain broadly stable, with no significant shift in decision-making patterns. The majority of claimants continue to be placed in the Support Group, indicating limited capability for work and work-related activity, and reinforcing the trend that
ESA Work Capability Assessments (WCA) – June 2026 Update Read More »
When Two Systems Don’t Talk: Problems Between Social Security Scotland and the DWP A recent parliamentary debate has highlighted ongoing problems in how Social Security Scotland (SSS) and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) work together. For advisers, this is worth noting as the issues raised are ones many of us will recognise in
Problems Between Social Security Scotland and the DWP Read More »
A new report from Scottish Women’s Aid reveals a hidden but serious problem across Scotland: coerced debt. This is a form of economic abuse where an abusive partner builds up debt in someone else’s name—often without their knowledge or through pressure and control. The research shows this is not rare, but a common tactic used
Hidden crisis of coerced debt (Scotland, 2026) Read More »
Housing benefit spending in Britain is projected by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to increase by £913 million, reaching £38.8 billion in 2026–27. In real terms, this would be the highest level recorded since comparable figures began in 1970, representing a 40 per cent rise compared to 2018–19. Lord Best, co-chair of the
Housing Benefit Bill Set to Hit Record £38.8bn as Rents Surge Read More »
The SNP’s 2026 Holyrood manifesto set out a clear direction on welfare: expand Scotland’s devolved benefits and use them to tackle poverty, particularly child poverty, rather than cut support. The headline pledge was to increase the Scottish Child Payment to £40 per week, reinforcing its central role in anti‑poverty policy. This sits alongside a broader
What the SNP Promised on Welfare at the 2026 Scottish Election Read More »
The reassessment exercise covers cases from April 2015 to September 2025 in which earnings-related Carer’s Allowance overpayments arose due to guidance that did not accurately reflect the statutory position on averaging irregularly fluctuating earnings. The DWP will now review over 200,000 cases. Around 25,000 carers could see their debts reduced, cancelled entirely, or receive refunds
Carers Allowance overpayment reassessment exercise Read More »
I am reaching out to ask for your support in sharing and helping us recruit new members for the NRNE Lived Experience Group. This group is a key part of the NRNE Partnership and brings together people with lived experience of No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) to connect, share experiences, and help shape how
NRNE Lived Experience Group Read More »
From 6 April 2026, major changes apply to the Limited Capability for Work and Work‑Related Activity (LCWRA) element of Universal Credit, following the Universal Credit Act 2025 and the UC and ESA (Rates of Allowances) (Amendment) Regulations 2026. DWP guidance is set out in ADM Memo 04/26. Two LCWRA rates now apply LCWRA is no
Universal Credit: LCWRA Changes from April 2026 Read More »
