Tag: Department for Work and Pensions

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 13 February 2023.

The review will examine how TPR is performing its role and where it can improve, providing greater efficiency and value to taxpayers.

The Department for Work and Pensions has announced the appointment of Mary Starks to lead a review of The Pensions Regulator (TPR).

This is in line with the expectation that public bodies are reviewed each Parliament. The Minister for Pensions has asked Starks to aim to deliver the report in May 2023.

Stark’s previous experience includes serving as executive member of the Board and Director of Competition and Chief Economist at the Financial Conduct Authority. She has also served as Executive Director of Ofgem, focussed on innovation, customer behaviour and safeguarding public confidence while moving towards a net zero carbon and digitalised energy system.

Minister for Pensions Laura Trott MP MBE said:

All public bodies must ensure that they are accountable and working for taxpayers.

Mary Starks has a background working in the regulatory sector and with public bodies, which will help her to deliver effective recommendations.

TPR Lead Reviewer Mary Starks said:

I am delighted to be appointed to lead this review. The Pensions Regulator plays a vital role protecting the interests of savers and ensuring employees benefit from workplace pensions.

As well as drawing on my own regulatory experience, I look forward to hearing from stakeholders from across the pensions sector and working closely with the teams at DWP and TPR.

The lead reviewer aims to identify efficiency savings of more than five percent where possible.

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 13 February 2023.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced the appointment of Sara Weller CBE as the new permanent Chair of the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS).

Sara has been serving as a non-executive board member since September 2022 and will formally take up the role of permanent Chair on 29 March 2023.

Her prior experience includes serving as Joint Managing Director of Sainsbury’s, Managing Director of Argos, and non-executive director and Responsible Business Committee Chair at Lloyds Banking Group.

Minister for Pensions, Laura Trott said:

It’s brilliant to see Sara appointed as the permanent Chair of MaPS Sara will bring a wealth of experience to this challenging but rewarding role, continuing the work of her predecessor in supporting people across the country with vital money guidance.

Economic Secretary to the Treasury, Andrew Griffith said:

I’d like to welcome Sara to her new post as Chair of MaPS, and to thank Sir Hector for his successful leadership over a number of years.

Sara’s expertise in delivering for the consumer will ensure MaPS is well geared in the years ahead – taking forward vital work enhancing the financial capability of people across the country.

Sara Weller CBE, said:

I am delighted to have been appointed as the second Chair of the MaPS, with great thanks to Sir Hector Sants for his stewardship of MaPS in its early years.

MaPS has a key role to play making impartial money guidance accessible to all, particularly so at the moment given the current economic challenges, and I look forward to working closely with our many partners, to help people right across the country feel more able to manage their money.

Outgoing Chair of MaPS, Sir Hector Sants said:

I warmly welcome the appointment of Sara as my successor. In her current role, as a non-executive, she has already made a significant contribution to the work of MaPS.

MaPS is an arm’s-length body of the DWP and provides free and impartial MaPS guidance across the UK, as well as debt advice in England. In providing these services it supports the policy delivery of DWP and HM Treasury.

The appointment was made following an open competition regulated by The Office for the Commissioner of Public Appointments. Sara will serve as Chair of MaPS for five years until 28 March 2028.

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 8 February 2023.

Cohabiting parents with dependent children who need support following the death of their partner can apply for bereavement benefits from tomorrow (9 February 2023).

The government has extended the eligibility criteria for Bereavement Support Payment and Widowed Parent’s Allowance, helping thousands more grieving parents to access this support.

The benefits are designed to help parents with the financial impact of losing a partner. Previously it was only available to eligible bereaved parents who were married or in a civil partnership.

The law change will ensure more children in bereaved families are equally supported, regardless of their parent’s legal relationship status.

DWP Minister Viscount Younger of Leckie said:

Losing a partner is tragic and this change will mean more bereaved parents can access this support through a profoundly difficult time for them and their children.

It has been our priority to get this legislation right, so it is fairer to bereaved children with parents who were not married or in a civil partnership, and I am very pleased this is now confirmed in law.

Minister for Social Mobility, Youth and Progression Mims Davies MP said:

We have made this important change to help thousands more grieving parents access the financial support they need and deserve.

We know so many lone parents are doing their best to support their families through such a difficult time and our bereavement benefits offer a lifeline to help them adjust to the impact of this.

I would urge anyone who thinks they may be eligible to make an application, as crucially, some bereaved parents will also be able to receive backdated payments to ensure they don’t miss out.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has opened a special 12-month application window for bereaved parents with dependent children whose partner died before 9 February 2023. The bereavement benefit and amount they are entitled to will depend on when they lost their partner.

To qualify, claimants must have met the eligibility criteria for either Bereavement Support Payment or Widowed Parent’s Allowance on or after 30 August 2018.

This means those who lost their partner before 6 April 2017 might be able to receive the legacy benefit Widowed Parent’s Allowance, should they be found to have been eligible for this on 30 August 2018.

Similarly, a surviving parent who lost their partner on or after 6 April 2017 may be eligible for its replacement, Bereavement Support Payment, should they have been qualified for this on 30 August 2018.

Alison Penny MBE, Director of the Childhood Bereavement Network said:

We are relieved that at last, cohabiting families who have suffered the devastating loss of their mum or dad will now have the same access to bereavement benefits as married and civil partnered families.

These benefits are a lifeline for grieving families, helping parents and carers put their children’s needs first as they begin to adjust to a life that has changed forever.

Our charity estimates that thousands of families, some bereaved as far back as 2001, may be in line for a retrospective payment of the benefits they have missed out on, paid from August 2018. The 12-month window for claiming a retrospective payment will help Government and support organisations to raise awareness and give families time to understand the effect that a back payment could have on their wider tax and social security entitlements.

Claims for Bereavement Support Payment can be made online via gov.uk, over the phone or through a paper application form. Claims for Widowed Parent’s Allowance will be processed by paper. Paper applications can be downloaded from gov.uk or requested over the Bereavement Service helpline.

More details on the full eligibility criteria and claims process will be available on GOV UK from 9 February 2023.

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 7 February 2023.

Over 8 million families in the UK will continue to receive direct financial support from Government, with the first of five Cost of Living Payments – worth £301 – hitting bank accounts this spring.

• Over 8 million families in the UK on means-tested benefits will automatically receive £301 this Spring, and over 6.5 million people on disability benefits in the country will receive a £150 payment this summer
• £301 payment is the first of five direct cost of living payments for the most vulnerable households, including pensioners and disabled people, with the total amount of support reaching up to £1,350
• Full breakdown released showing recipients of Cost of Living and disability payments by local authority and parliamentary constituency

After confirming the payment schedule for five cost of living payments through the 2023/24 financial year, The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has today announced in Parliament more detail on the support.

This includes estimates of how many people across the UK, and in each local authority and parliamentary constituency, will receive the first £301 Cost of Living Payment and the £150 Disability Payment, which follows on from up to £1,200 in support for low-income households in 2022.

Work and Pensions Secretary, Mel Stride said:

These direct payments will help people right across the UK over this year and the start of the next, as we continue to provide consistent, targeted and substantial support for the most vulnerable.

Our wider support package, including the Energy Price Guarantee, will ensure every household is being helped through this challenging period of high inflation, caused by Putin’s illegal war and the aftershocks of the pandemic.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Jeremy Hunt added:

High inflation, exacerbated by Putin’s illegal war, is hurting economies across the world and making people poorer.

These payments are the next part of the significant support we are providing through this challenging time, with millions of vulnerable households receiving £900 directly into their bank accounts this financial year alongside additional help for pensioners and those with disabilities.

This latest payment will provide some temporary relief, but the best thing we can do to help families and businesses is to stick to the plan to halve inflation this year.

Exact payment windows and qualifying periods for eligibility will be announced in due course, but are designed to ensure a consistent support offer throughout the year. Payment windows will be broadly as follows:

• £301 – First 2023/24 Cost of Living Payment – during Spring 2023
• £150 – 2023 Disability Payment – during Summer 2023
• £300 – Second 2023/24 Cost of Living Payment – during Autumn 2023
• £300 – 2023 Pensioner Payment – during Winter 2023/4
• £299 – Third 2023/24 Cost of Living Payment – during Spring 2024

There are several benefits that could make claimants eligible for the £301 Cost of Living Payment, including Universal Credit and tax credits – through which 5.4 million households across the UK are expected to qualify, and Pension Credit, through which 1.4 million pensioner households are expected to be paid. 1.3 million will be eligible through legacy DWP benefits such as Jobseekers Allowance and Income Support, reaching a total of 8.1 million households.

Eligible individuals do not need to apply for payments, as they are made automatically. Those eligible for cost of living payments through tax credits, and no other means-tested benefits, will be paid by HMRC shortly after DWP payments are made.

This builds on the government’s wider support package, which includes further funding for the Household Support Fund, bringing its total value for October 2021 to March 2024 to over £2 billion. The fund is distributed to English councils, who know their areas best and are then able to offer direct support for those most in need in their local area. Every household with a domestic electricity supply is also benefitting from the Energy Price Guarantee, which is saving the average household around £900 this winter and a further £500 in 2023/24 by capping energy costs.

Benefits will also rise in line with inflation from April, which will see a 10.1% increase for pensioners and those on the lowest incomes, whilst the National Living Wage will see its biggest ever cash rise, bringing it to £10.42 an hour.

This all follows on from 2022’s support package, which included:

• A £650 Cost of Living Payment for means-tested benefit claimants, split into two payments, each of which supported over eight million households
• Further £300 and £150 payments, which reached over eight million pensioner households and six million disabled people respectively
• A £150 Council Tax rebate for all households in Council Tax bands A to D in England
• A £400 energy bill discount for all households, which will continue to run through March 2023

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 30 January 2023.

Government launches competition for businesses to bid for share of £1m to stimulate innovation in Occupational Health.

• Organisations to receive up to £100,000 to help with challenges small businesses and self-employed face with ill health at work
• Projects to focus on research and development to increase access and capacity in Occupational Health

A £1 million fund for new ideas to boost health and welfare at work for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and the self-employed was launched today.

Successful bidders will receive up to £100,000 to back their projects from 19 May 2023, with the Government looking for innovative solutions to drive better access for SMEs and the self-employed to Occupational Health (OH) services. Applicants are being encouraged to demonstrate how they would deliver improvements to OH, harnessing technology such as artificial intelligence or data collection, to deliver better health outcomes for employees of SMEs.

Better health provision for staff helps employers look after their workforce, meaning more are likely to stay in work. While larger employers often have better access to OH services, for smaller businesses and the self-employed the lack of support for people with health needs can potentially lead to more people becoming economically inactive.

Applications can be from those who work alone or with others from business, research organisations, research and technology organisations or the third sector, with the Government looking for proposals to:

1. Discover new and innovative ways for the OH market, which supports people to stay well in work, to deliver services that drive better access for SMEs and self-employed
2. Discover new and innovative ways that the OH market can deliver services and better serve the demand for OH
3. Deliver innovations that can be scaled up for businesses to have an impact in the OH market through new services and better use of technology

The competition is a joint venture between the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and The Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC), as part of the Joint Work and Health Unit, and in conjunction with Innovate UK, an arm of UK Research and Innovation. The fund will be open to applications from 30 January 2023 and run until 15 March 2023.

Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, Tom Pursglove MP, said:

Good occupational health within workplaces is vital in supporting our overall health and standard of living. We spend so much of our lives at work, and it is imperative that our employers can give us the support we need to maintain our physical and mental health. This in turn means we can give our best at work.

Through the launch of our new £1 million fund, I look forward to seeing innovative, workable solutions to help SMEs deliver the best for their employees, creating healthier, welfare-driven working environments that will ultimately drive growth and improve people’s working lives.

The new Fund to Stimulate Innovation in Occupational Health (OH) competition will be delivered in the form of a Small Business Research Initiative, a well-established, output driven funding tool run by Innovate UK.

Minister for Care, Helen Whately, said:

This new £1 million fund will help us find better ways to support the health of our workforce – especially looking at small businesses and the self-employed.

Making sure people stay well enough to work is so important – it means a bigger workforce, boosted productivity, and better quality of living.

Successful bidders will look at innovative new ways to support people in their field of work, help them to live healthier, happier lives while driving growth in our economy.

For more details about the Fund to Stimulate Innovation and how to apply, please visit this link.

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 30 January 2023.

Helping more people progress into higher paid jobs will support the UK’s labour market and economic growth.

• More working people on income-related benefit will receive additional help from the end of February to boost their earnings, helping families improve their prospects and finances
• Over 120,000 more low-income workers will receive tailored support and be supported to earn more

New regulations which come into force on Monday (30 January) mean more than 120,000 working people on Universal Credit across Great Britain will receive a job support boost this spring.

The Administrative Earnings Threshold (AET) determines which group a Universal Credit claimant is placed in based on how much they earn. This in turn impacts the level of support they receive to find work and develop a career, and the types of activities they must undertake, such as searching for opportunities to take up more or better paid work or researching new career options.

From the end of February, an increase to the threshold will mean more Universal Credit claimants will be moved from the ‘Light Touch’ group to the ‘Intensive Work Search’ group, helping them to get better-paid work and boost their long-term prospects. Combined with a previous increase in September, this will mean around a quarter of a million more people will have been moved into ‘Intensive Work Search’.

New claimant commitments will be tailored to individual circumstances and will consider caring responsibilities and any health conditions.

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Mel Stride MP said:

A hallmark of a compassionate society is giving those on low incomes the tools to progress and earn more. It is important that we continue to deliver targeted support so that those in work have access to the expertise and guidance of our dedicated work coaches.

By raising the Administrative Earnings Threshold, we are forging a robust labour market building on positive changes we have already made and supporting even more people to progress in the workplace.

Additional claimants will benefit from more face-to-face time with a work coach, allowing them to access opportunities to increase their earnings, whether that is developing their skills, progressing in their current sector, or by starting a new role.

The new AET is the equivalent of an individual working 15 hours per week, or a couple working 24 hours per week between them, at the adult National Living Wage rate.

This year, the Government will also be driving forward an agenda to ensure the labour market remains robust, reviewing workforce participation at pace to understand what action can be taken to drive down economic inactivity.

In 2021 the Universal Credit taper rate was reduced from 63% to 55% and the Work Allowance was increased by £500 per year so claimants can keep more of what they earn. The National Living Wage is also increasing by 9.7%, bringing it to £10.42 an hour from April.

This rise to the AET will build on this work to ensure work pays and will be complemented by a new In Work Progression offer which will be rolled out to all Jobcentres by the end of March, focused on helping claimants in the ‘Light Touch’ work group to progress.

People impacted by the change will be contacted with more details via their Universal Credit journal. Claimants will receive this journal message at the end of their first full assessment period after Sunday 26 February.

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 30 January 2023.

Minister for Pensions Laura Trott announces shake-up of private pensions to create fairer, more predictable, and better-run pensions.

Measures include consultation on new Value for Money framework, defined contribution scheme charge cap reforms, further work on small pots, and extension of Collective Defined Contribution (CDC) pension schemes.

• These plans will help address the pension inequality gap which has risen since the decline of Defined Benefit (DB) and the emergence of Defined Contributions (DC).

Minister for Pensions Laura Trott has today (Monday 30th January) unveiled a package of measures to deliver value for savers and boost fairness, predictability, and adequacy across the private pensions sector.

The measures include a consultation on a new and much anticipated Value for Money (VFM) framework, developed in partnership with The Pensions Regulator and the Financial Conduct Authority, which sets out how schemes will be expected to provide savers with better value from their investments and a quality level of service.

Minister for Pensions Laura Trott MP MBE said:

There is a pension inequality gap between those who had secure retirements thanks to DB, to much more uncertainty now. Since 2012, Automatic Enrolment has transformed the pensions landscape in the UK for the better, but we know there’s more to be done to ensure a fairer future for savers.

Being in an underperforming pension scheme can lead to someone missing out on thousands of pounds. The Value for Money framework and our new measures will improve security and create better returns for savers, so they can enjoy the retirement they’ve worked so hard for.

Today’s proposals include plans for:

• Schemes to disclose their investment performance, costs and charges, and quality of service via clear and comparable metrics to the benefit of savers;
• Reforms to the charge cap, giving schemes more flexibility to invest in so-called “illiquid assets” such as start-up companies, renewables and infrastructure;
• Feedback on workable solutions to tackle the issue of small pots;
• An extension of Collective Defined Contribution (CDC) schemes, most significantly to include multi-employer models

Executive Director of Regulatory Policy, Analysis and Advice at The Pensions Regulator, David Fairs said:

Ensuring every pound that savers put into their DC pension pot delivers value for money is vital to help people achieve the best possible retirement. The measures announced as part of this far-reaching reforms package deliver on our commitment to put savers at the heart of all we do.

Our joint Value for Money framework will drive greater transparency and standardisation of reporting across the DC pensions market, allowing trustees to make more informed decisions and improve long term outcomes for savers. I urge the industry to take part in these important consultations.

Executive Director of Markets at the Financial Conduct Authority, Sarah Pritchard said:

Pensions are complex, and savers need to be able to trust that their providers have the information they need to make the right choices. These proposals will help ensure that they take a wide ranging and long-term view – value for money is not just about costs and charges.

We will continue to work with Government, other regulators, and industry to deliver long term value and support savers in their retirement.

Value for Money

The VFM framework will improve transparency, comparability, and competition between defined contribution pension schemes and help deliver the best possible value and long-term outcomes for pension savers.

It will require pension schemes to disclose key metrics and service standards shifting focus from a dominant consideration of costs only, to enable a holistic assessment of VFM.

Illiquids

These measures – due to come into force in the Spring – will require schemes to provide transparency to savers over their approach to illiquid assets and disclose information on their overall investment asset allocations.

This will unlock the potential for savers to see improved returns over a longer period, while also providing a boost to UK growth initiatives.

Small Pots

The average worker will have around 11 jobs over the course of their career, meaning they may accrue multiple small pension pots. This creates a risk of members losing track of their pension savings and creates cost and inefficiency in the system. The call for evidence will seek feedback on workable solutions, enabling savers to achieve better outcomes at retirement.

CDCs

The introduction of CDC schemes last year– which see both the employer and employees contributing to a collective fund from which individual retirement incomes are drawn – was a landmark moment for UK pensions.

The new consultation, launched following discussions with a wide range of stakeholders and interested organisations, will explore what new types of multi-employer CDC schemes should look like and how to maximise their benefit for UK savers.

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 24 January 2023.

Bereaved cohabitees with dependent children will soon be eligible for additional financial support, following a successful debate in the House of Commons today.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is in its final stages of extending Bereavement Support Payment and Widowed Parent’s Allowance to working age parents who were not married or in a civil partnership with their late partner.

Subject to final Parliamentary approval of the draft Bereavement Benefits (Remedial) Order 2022, the application window is expected to open early this year, allowing more parents to claim.

Some people may be eligible for backdated payments if their partner died before the law was changed. The DWP will publish more details on gov.uk soon, explaining the application window and how to claim.

Minister for Work and Pensions Viscount Younger of Leckie said:

I am pleased to see this important change is nearing its very final steps to becoming law, so more bereaved parents can access this support.

Claims for Bereavement Support Payment will be made on gov.uk or by calling DWP’s Bereavement Service helpline. Claims for Widowed Parent’s Allowance will be processed by paper, with applications downloadable via gov.uk.

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 17 January 2023.

New laws protecting parents who use the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) from abusive ex-partners are due to be introduced following an independent review.

• New measures to protect survivors from direct contact with abusers
• Improvements to domestic abuse staff training
• One-to-one support for survivors to be trialled

Survivors of domestic abuse will be given the choice to allow the CMS to collect and make payments on their behalf – without the consent of an abusive ex-partner.  This will prevent perpetrators from using child maintenance as a form of ongoing financial abuse and control and mean survivors will not have to have contact with their ex-partner if there is evidence of domestic violence.

The CMS will also have new powers to report suspected cases of financial coercion to the Crown Prosecution Service to help bring abusers to justice. One-to-one support for survivors will be piloted and domestic abuse training for staff improved.

These changes come after the DWP commissioned Dr Samantha Callan, a leading expert on domestic abuse, in the autumn of 2021 to review CMS support for parents who had experienced domestic abuse in setting up a child maintenance arrangement. This followed the tragic death of Emma Day, who was murdered by her ex-partner, Mark Morris.

Minister for Work and Pensions Viscount Younger of Leckie said:

Domestic abuse is an abhorrent crime and we are doing everything in our power to support survivors to make child maintenance claims safely and without fear.

We have strengthened the ways in which the Child Maintenance Service can support survivors in making a maintenance claim safely. I am grateful to Dr Samantha Callan for recognising this and for her vital work which will protect more parents from abuse, bring more perpetrators to justice and help keep families safe.

Minister for Social Mobility, Youth and Progression Mims Davies, DWP’s Lead for Women, said:

Any form of domestic abuse and coercive control is unacceptable and illegal but very sadly can be found in most communities and we need to help people speak out and get the assistance they need. Here at DWP we are committed to doing all we can to provide vital support to those affected.

Our improvements to the Child Maintenance Service will mean no one will be prevented from making a claim because of domestic abuse and financial control, and will run alongside our wider support for DWP claimants experiencing abuse or who are in vulnerable situations to disclose this and be helped to move forward in safety.

Dr Samantha Callan said:

As well as violence, there is now legal recognition that domestic abuse includes financial and other forms of coercive control which can continue to play out – or be initiated – after parents separate. My review highlights the pressing need for the Child Maintenance Service to help protect its clients from all forms of abuse and be aware that these can be perpetrated by the receiving as well as the paying parent and I am pleased the Government is acting on my recommendations.

Domestic Abuse Commissioner Nicole Jacobs said:

Emma Day’s death highlighted the critical role of the Child Maintenance Service in responding to domestic abuse.  The proposed changes to the CMS demonstrate the powerful impact that a Domestic Homicide Review can have and why it is so important that lessons are learnt. I am particularly thankful to Emma’s family for all their work to campaign for change.

I welcome the Government’s response to the independent review and pleased to see that the majority of the recommendations have been accepted. I look forward to working with DWP to make further improvements to the CMS for survivors, and to following the progress of the Child Support Collection (Domestic Abuse) Bill.

All CMS customers are asked if they have experienced or witnessed domestic abuse. If customers feel that their specific claim will put them in danger, they will be signposted to support – such as the National Domestic Violence Helpline for example – and asked to contact the police about their case.

If a customer is in immediate danger, the CMS will offer advice on contacting the police and, if customers do not feel able to do this, then to ask whether customers are content for the CMS to call the police on their behalf.

Tackling domestic abuse is a key priority for this government. That is why it introduced its landmark Domestic Abuse Act 2021, alongside a comprehensive action plan of other non-legislative measures.

The cross-government Tackling Domestic Abuse plan, published in March, invests over £230 million into tackling these heinous crimes. Meanwhile, the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 extended the controlling or coercive behaviour offence to clamp down on economic abuse, which can be part of a pattern of controlling or coercive behaviours by domestic abuse perpetrators.

For the new offence to be effectively implemented and to further assist frontline agencies in identifying, investigating and evidencing domestic abuse offences, the government is updating the Controlling or Coercive Behaviour Statutory Guidance. This will be published in spring 2023, in line with the extended offence coming into force.

The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 also removed the ‘living together’ requirement for controlling or coercive behaviour, which means the offence will soon apply to intimate partners, ex partners or family members, regardless of whether the victim and perpetrator live together.

Information about the independent review of the Child Maintenance Service response to domestic abuse is published on GOV UK.

The government response to the independent review of the Child Maintenance Service response to domestic abuse can also be found on GOV UK.

The press release issued by the Department for Work and Pensions on 16 January 2023.

• Bidding process for share of £3.6 million fund to help families where children are exposed to conflict
• Local authorities, digital firms and expert public, private and voluntary sector organisations invited to bid
• Projects must support disadvantaged parents and those with complex needs, or any parent needing support through digital and interactive self-help tools

Successful bidders will receive a minimum £150,000 grant to back their projects, between June 2023 and November 2024.

The application window opens today (16 January), closing on 24 February 2023. Potential applicants must also complete an eligibility check by 8 February.

Applicants can include local authorities or other public sector organisations, private sector companies working in digital for example, or social enterprises, voluntary or community organisations.

Bidders’ projects will need to fall into one or both of the following strands:

• projects that support diverse families at a greater risk of parental conflict
• projects that use digital tools to support parents experiencing conflict and/or self-guided tools that central government could integrate into its services

Since launching in 2018, the DWP’s Reducing Parental Conflict programme has been pivotal in finding ways to address relationship distress between parents, to protect children’s mental health.

The programme supports couples and separated parents to reduce conflict, so their children have healthier environments to grow up in and can reach their full potential as adults.

The programme has already worked with all 152 local authorities in England and dozens of organisations to lead the way in building a solid evidence base on what works to help families.

Minister for Work and Pensions Viscount Younger of Leckie said:

Conflict between parents can have a lasting impact on children, affecting their school grades and life chances.

Our projects are guided by the expertise of those working closest with families, who often witness the impact of conflict on children and can support with solutions.

With the launch of our new £3.6 million Challenge Fund, I look forward to seeing the innovative, workable ideas of experts so we can help more families overcome difficulties and improve their lives.

The main fund will be managed by Ecorys UK in coordination with other government departments’ programmes including Family Hubs and Supporting Families. Ecorys UK will review applications for funding and oversee the delivery of final projects.