Decision makers’ guide: Vol 1: Decision making and appeals: staff guide

Updated DMG Vol 1 Ch 6: Making appeals and staying and DMG Vol 1: Summary of changes from October 2020 -- Updated March 2025.

Updated DMG Vol 1 Ch 2: Claims -- annotated with references to DMG memo 2/2025.

Updated DMG Chapter 3 "Revision" at paragraph 03017 and DMG Chapter 6 "Making appeals and staying" at paragraph 06015 to include guidance from DMG memo 13/22 "Reinstatement of a qualifying benefit and revision". The rolling summary of changes has also been updated.

Updated DMG Vol 1 Ch 1: Principles of decision making and evidence and DMG Volume 1: Summary of changes

New Vol 1 Chapter 6: Making appeals and staying and new summary of changes added.

Updated DMG Vol 1 Ch 6: Making appeals and staying and added Summary of changes from October 2020: February 2024.

Updated DMG Vol 1 Ch 3: Revision, DMG Vol 1 Ch 4: Supersession, suspension and termination, and also DMG Vol 1: Summary of changes from October 2020

Updated DMG Vol 1 Ch 1: Principles of decision making and evidence and also DMG Vol 1: Summary of changes from October 2020.

DMG Vol 1 Ch 2: Claims has been updated.

Updated DMG Vol 1 Ch 6: Making appeals and staying and added summary of changes from October 2020.

Updated DMG Vol 1 Ch 3: Revision.

Updated DMG volume 1 chapter 6: Making appeals and staying and added summary of changes.

Updated Volume 1 rolling summary of changes, Chapter 3 (Revision) and Chapter 6 (Making appeals and staying).

Updated DMG chapter 4: Supersession, suspension and termination.

Updated DMG volume 1 chapter 2: Claims and added summary of changes.

Updated DMG Vol 1 Ch 6: Making appeals and staying.

Updated DMG Vol 1 Ch 2: Claims, DMG Vol 1 Annexes A to M and DMG Vol 1: Summary of changes from October 2020.

Updated DMG Vol 1 Ch 1: Principles of decision making and evidence. Changes are shown in updated DMG Vol 1: Summary of changes from October 2020.

Replaced DMG Vol 1 Ch 1: Principles of decision making and evidence and DMG Vol 1: Summary of changes from October 2020.

Replaced 'DMG Vol 1 Ch 2: Claims' and 'DMG Vol 1: Summary of changes from October 2020'.

Updated chapter 6 and summary of changes.

Updated chapter 6 and summary of changes.

Updated chapters 3 and 4.

Updated DMG Volume 1, chapter 1 and summary of changes.

Updated DMG Volume 1, chapters 3 and 6 and summary of changes.

Updated chapter 2.

Updated chapter 3 and summary of changes.

Updated chapter 6. Added 'DMG Vol 1: Amendment 62, October 2020'.

Annex D updated in 'DMG Vol 1 Annexes A to M': under paragraph 2 of 'Contributions decisions' schedule 3 now added as previously omitted. Vol 1 Ch 1 updated: reference in 01052 changed: Vol 1 Ch 2 updated: 02330 – ‘Time for claiming’ – WB, BSP added, BA removed (not incorporated in previous amends); 02331 – new paragraph for ‘mixed-age couples (incorporating DMG Memo 07/19); 02339 – (old Bereavement Payment paragraph) removed as no longer required; 02340 – BPT and BA removed, BSP added (not incorporated in previous amends), note and legal reference removed; 02064 – 02036 reference removed – paragraph doesn’t exist; 02560 – reference to DMG Memo 07/19 removed; 02569 – new paragraph for mixed-age couples.

Updated DMG volume 1, chapters 3 and 5.

Updated DMG volume 1, chapters 2 and 4. Updated 'Vol 1 Annexes A to M' where 'Annex B - Electronic Communications' has been updated.

Revised chapters 1 and 2. Summary of changes in 'DMG Vol 1: Amendment 61, June 2020'.

Added updated version of 'DMG Vol 1 Ch 2: Claims'. Added updated version of 'Annex A to M' which includes an updated Annex B within the document.

Updated DMG volume 1, chapters 2, 3, 4, 6 and annexes A to M. All amendments are listed in the summary of changes, February 2020.

Added revised DMG Vol 1: Amendment 54, June 2017 to include annotations to DMG Memo 01/20: Civil Partnerships for opposite sex couples.

Updated Chapter 3 'Revision'. The amendment updates paragraph 03025 point 3 to make clear that where the Decision Maker considers they have before them a hopeless application for supersession, no decision should be made.

Added updated version of Annexes A to M, which includes an updated Annex E within the document.

Added revised 'DMG Vol 1 Chapter 1: Principles of decision making and evidence' and associated amendment note 'DMG Vol 1: Amendment 59, June 2019'.

Replaced DMG Vol 1 Annexes A to M following various corrections to the document.

Updated chapter 2 - Claims.

Revised version of DMG Volume 1 chapter 3.

Revised versions of DMG Volume 1 chapters 1, 2 and 4 with amendments listed in amendment 58.

Revised DMG chapter 2 annotated to DMG memo 1/19.

Added revised DMG volume 1 chapters 1 and 2 with amendments listed in amendment 57.

Revised DMG chapter 1 - update to guidance in paragraph 01031.

Published revised DMG volume 1 chapter 2: Claims. Annotated to DMG memo 13/18.

Published revised DMG volume 1, chapter 6 and amendment 56, which lists the amendments.

Published revised DMG volume 1, chapter 6 and amendment 55, which lists the amendments.

Published revised DMG volume 1 chapter 3 annotated to new DMG memo 17/17.

Published revised DMG volume 1, chapters 2, 3, 4 and 6 and amendment 54, which lists the amendments. Also deleted out of date amendments 48 and 49.

Published revised chapters 2 to 4 annotated to memos.

Published revised chapters 1, 4, 6 and amendment 53, which lists the amendments.

Published revised chapter 3 annotated to new DMG memo 25/16.

Published revised chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, annex D and amendment 52, which lists the amendments.

Published revised chapter 4 annotated to new DMG memo 20/16.

Published revised chapters 2, 3, 4, 6 and amendment 51, which lists the amendments.

Published revised chapters 2 and 4 annotated with new memo 13/16.

Published revised amendment 50 - page 2 - amended abbreviations and statute abbreviations.

Published revised chapters 2, 3, 4, 6 and annex D annotated with new memo 11/16.

Published revised chapters 2, 3, 4, 6 and amendment 50, which lists the amendments.

Published revised chapter 2 annotated with new relevant memos 28 and 29/15.

Added revised chapters 2 to 5. The amendments to these PDFs are listed in amendment 49.

Added revised chapters 2, 3 and 4. The amendments to these PDFs are listed in amendment 48.

Published revised chapters 3 and 4 annotated with new relevant memos 6 to 12/15.

Added revised chapters 2, 3, 4, 6, annexes A to M and amendment 47. The amendments to these PDFs are listed in amendment 47.

Added amended chapter 3 and annex E and new amendment 46.

Replaced chapter 3 - missing text added to paragraph 03346.

Replaced chapter 6 with revised version - appendix 2 added.

Added revised chapters 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and amendment 45. The amendments to these PDFs are listed in amendment 45.

Replaced chapter 5 with revised version annotated with reference to memo 11/14 - Work-related activity and work-focused interviews for lone parents.

Replaced chapter 2 with revised version. See DMG memo 9/14 for details of amendment.

Replaced chapter 6 with revised version with new appendix 2 added.

Added revised chapters 2, 3, 4, 6 and annex A to M. The amendments to these PDFs are listed in amendment 44 - also added.

First published.