Guidance

Decision makers’ guide: memos: staff guide

Guidance that supplements the information in the decision makers' guide.

Documents

DMG memo 04/25: Income and Capital Disregards for the MoD's LGBT Financial Recognition Scheme

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DMG memo 03/25: Identity of Claimants and Children, effect of Upper Tribunal decision

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DMG memo 02/25: Legacy Benefits and State Pension Credit -- The Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 (Disability Assistance) (Consequential Amendments) Order 2024

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DMG memo 01/2025: Transition to Universal Credit and Pension Credit: Miscellaneous Amendments

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DMG memo 08/2024: Disregard for Capital Payments from an Estate of Infected Blood Compensation Payments

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DMG memo 07/2024: Social Security co-ordination legacy

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DMG memo 06/2024: Competing competency and the AH judgment

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DMG memo 5/2024: AT and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights Assessment

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DMG memo 4/2024: Closure of Tax Credits for State Pension Age Claimants and Transfer to Universal Credit and Pension Credit

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DMG memo 3/2024: Self-sufficiency and the WV decision (revised)

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DMG memo 1/2024: The Social Security and Universal Credit (Migration of Tax Credit Claimants and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2024

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DMG memo 12/23: Legacy Benefits - The Carer’s Assistance (Carer’s support payment) (Scotland) Consequential Amendments 2023

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DMG memo 11/23: Israel, OPTs and Lebanon HRT & PPT Exemption, and Capital

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DMG memo 9/23: Change to Underlying Entitlement Conditions for Widowed Parent's Allowance due to the Introduction of the Bereavement Benefits (Remedial) Order 2023

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DMG memo 8/23: Capital disregard for Infected Blood Compensation payments

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DMG memo 7/23: Disregards for Grenfell Tower, Post Office Compensation and Vaccine Damage Payments

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DMG memo 6/23: Disability Living Allowance for Children - Changes to Residence and Presence Test and People Moving from England and Wales to Scotland

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DMG memo 5/23: Sudan HRT and PPT Exemption

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DMG memo 2/23: The Bereavement Benefits (Remedial) Order 2023 - Widowed Parent's Allowance and Higher Rate Bereavement Support Payment

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DMG memo 1/23: HRT & PPT Exemptions For Specific Irish Citizens

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DMG memo 11/22: Social Security Co-ordination - European Union (Withdrawal Agreement)

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DMG memo 8/22: Ukraine - HRT and PPT exemption

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DMG memo 2/22: Changes to AA and DLA - Introduction of Adult Disability Payment

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DMG memo 1/22: Pre-settled status – Income related benefits – effect of Fratila and another v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2021] UKSC 53 decision

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DMG memo 15/21: Disregard for historical abuse and Windrush schemes

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DMG memo 14/21: Claimants without a status under the European Union Settlement Scheme at the end of the grace period

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DMG memo 11/21: Afghanistan HRT and PPT exception

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DMG memo 10/21: Consequential amendments to Social Security legislation due to the introduction of Child Disability Payment (CDP)

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DMG memo 7/21: Right to reside – Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Act 2020 (Consequential, Saving, Transitional and Transitory Provisions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 – CA, DLA and AA

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DMG memo 26/20: Right to reside: The Citizens' Rights (Application Deadline and Temporary Protection) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 – IS, JSA, ESA and SPC

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DMG Memo 6/21: Right to reside – The Citizens’ Rights (Application Deadline and Temporary Protection) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 – CA, DLA and AA

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DMG memo 5/21: Right to reside – The Citizens’ Rights (Frontier Workers) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 – CA, DLA and AA

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DMG memo 2/21: Transferring SMI loans

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DMG memo 1/21: Pre-settled status – Income related benefits – Effect of Court of Appeal decision

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DMG memo 30/20: Right to reside – European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020 – IS, JSA, ESA and SPC

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DMG memo 29/20: Right to reside – The Citizens' Rights (Frontier Workers) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 – IS, JSA, ESA and SPC

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DMG memo 27/20: Retaining worker status and the genuine prospect of work test

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DMG memo 22/20: Scottish Child Payment

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DMG memo 25/20: Right to reside – The Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Act 2020 (Consequential, Saving, Transitional and Transitory Provisions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 – IS, JSA, ESA and SPC

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DMG memo 21/20: Right to reside: family members and extended family members of British citizens – IS, JSA, ESA and SPC

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DMG memo 18/20: NHS Test and Trace self-Isolation payment

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DMG memo 17/20: Right to reside: persons of Northern Ireland: family members – IS, JSA, ESA and SPC

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DMG memo 16/20: Tolley lead cases guidance (revised)

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DMG memo 15/20: The social security (income and capital) (miscellaneous amendments) regulations 2020

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DMG memo 13/20: HMRC and devolved administration coronavirus schemes and benefits other than UC

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DMG memo 11/20: The Troubles permanent disablement payment scheme

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DMG memo 08/20: Parental bereavement leave and pay - consequential amendments to social security benefits

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DMG memo 6/20: JSA and CA: Coronavirus (COVID-19) further measures

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DMG memo 3/20: Identifying employment/self-employment for the determination of competency for cash sickness benefits

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DMG memo 16/18: The Social Security (misc amdt no. 5) Regs 2017

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DMG memo 1/17: Amendment to the Northern Ireland reciprocal arrangements Regulations in respect of Bereavement Support Payment (BSP), ESA(cont) and JSA(IB)

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DMG memo JSA/IS 106: JSA and IS – Tax Credits – changes from September 2005

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DMG memo SPC 53 – housing costs – service charges

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DMG memo JSA/IS 64: JSA and IS – Tax Credit – change from April 2004

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Details

This guidance is for DWP staff who make decisions about benefits and pensions. It helps them make decisions that are accurate and consistent.

The introduction of Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment affects the guidance DWP staff use.

DWP decision makers now use Advice for decision making (instead of the DMG) for decisions that involve:

  • Universal Credit
  • Personal Independence Payment
  • New Style Jobseeker’s Allowance and New Style Employment and Support Allowance, which are for people who are eligible for Universal Credit and are based on their National Insurance record

Why we publish this guide

We publish this guide to help people understand how we make decisions.

Information for claimants

Information for claimants about eligibility and how to claim:

Updates to this page

Published 16 October 2013
Last updated 318 March 2025 + show all updates
    1. Added DMG memo 03/25: Identity of Claimants and Children, effect of Upper Tribunal decision.

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