The DWP has confirmed the full list of 24 skin conditions that could qualify for Personal Independence Payment (PIP), worth up to £114 a week

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has revealed the complete list of 24 skin conditions that qualify for the monthly Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

PIP offers vital financial assistance to millions of people throughout England and Wales. As of April 2026, more than 3.7 million claimants depend on this benefit to help cover the additional costs linked to long-term disabilities, physical health conditions, or mental health difficulties.

The tax-free, non-means-tested payment is intended to help individuals meet their day-to-day living needs.

Among the skin conditions that could make someone eligible for PIP are eczema – varicose and dermatitis – psoriasis and rosacea, amongst others, reports the Manchester Evening News.

PIP remains accessible to those who are working, studying, or have savings. It consists of a “daily living” component and a “mobility” component. Applicants may qualify for one, both, or neither, subject to their assessment outcome.

In January, the DWP revised its payment rates for 2026, incorporating 92 new qualifying conditions. This follows a 3.8 percent inflationary rise. The updated rates are as follows:

Daily Living Component

• Standard Rate: £76.70 per week
• Enhanced Rate: £114.60 per week

Mobility Component

• Standard Rate: £30.30 per week
• Enhanced Rate: £80.00 per week

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is available to you if the following criteria all apply: you are 16 or over, you have a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability, you experience difficulty carrying out certain everyday tasks or getting around, and you expect these difficulties to persist for at least 12 months from when they began.

Below is the complete list of 24 skin conditions being claimed for as of January 2026 – the latest data available – along with the number of claimants for each condition. There are 29,634 claimants in total.

• Acne vulgaris: 19
• Eczema – varicose: 171
• Eczema (dermatitis): 1440
• Papulosquamous and inflammatory rashes – Other / type not known: 913
• Psoriasis: 2213
• Rosacea: 17
• Urticaria: 249
• Bullous disease – Other / type not known: 150
• Dermatitis herpetiformis: 49
• Epidemolysis bullosa: 317
• Pemphigoid: 32
• Pemphigus vulgaris: 36
• Blood vessels/lymphatics – Other diseases of / type not known: 1137
• Leg ulcers (arterial): 638
• Leg ulcers (venous): 1123
• Lymphoedema: 6356
• Pressure sores: 19
• Venous insufficiency – chronic: 156
• Collagen and elastic tissue – Other diseases of / type not known: 154
• Ehlers Danlos syndrome: 7175
• Burns: 763
• Skin disease – Other / type not known: 2318
• Cellulitis: 906
• Infections/other: 315

To begin a claim, contact the DWP on 0800 917 2222. This initial contact date is crucial for backdating claims should they prove successful.

Applicants will be sent the “PIP2” form, entitled: ‘How your disability affects you’. Further details and the complete application guidance can be found on the official Gov.uk website.

Donald Trump has paused a military operation to free stranded ships off Iran as a possible peace deal emerges – giving millions of holidaymakers hope of a summer getaway after all.

The nine-week Middle East conflict has seen fuel prices soar because of Tehran’s chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz and led to airlines scrapping planned flights to cope with shortages.

Yesterday it was revealed seating capacity on planes has fallen by 2 million this month, with 13,005 flights cancelled around the world.

But the US president yesterday said his Project Freedom was being put on hold as a deal – said to based on a 14-page A4 document – was possible.

‘If they don’t agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before,’ Mr Trump posted.

Mr Trump said previously in a post on Truth Social that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen ‘assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is, perhaps, a big assumption.’

Oil prices plunged on news of a possible deal. Brent crude, the global benchmark, fell more than 10% to below $100 per barrel. Though still well above the average $70 before the conflict began, the fall helped US stock markets rise.

Only two merchant ships are known to have passed through the route protected by American ships and aircraft, and hundreds of merchant ships remain stranded.

But a shaky ceasefire had largely held, despite exchanges of fire, and the sinking of six small Iranian boats, as the operation in the strait began on Monday.

The carefully optimistic situation was put to test this evening after US fighter jet fired at an Iranian-flagged ship to stop it from reaching a blockaded port, the US Central Command said.

US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has said the offensive stage of the war, Operation Epic Fury, is over.

Iran’s hard-line religious regime said the statements meant the US had ‘retreated’ but did not respond to suggestions a deal was close.

Mr Trump has argued the war – which began on February 28 with a missile attack that killed Iran’s leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, 86 – was to stop it building a nuclear bomb.

The proposed deal is said to involve Iran halting all uranium enrichment for 12 to 15 years, with extra years added if it violates terms. It would also have to agree to move stockpiles of its highly enriched uranium out of the country. It has claimed its stocks are for a nuclear power programme – not weapons.

Mr Trump has called his predecessor Barak Obama’s 2015 agreement with Iran the ‘worst deal ever’. But the new plan is said to echo it, with sanctions lifted and assets worth billions gradually released.

Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei later said the proposal to end the war is ‘still being considered’. But another official described the plan as more of a ‘wish-list than reality’.

Both sides hope China can bridge the gap between them, after the repeated breakdown so far of peace talks brokered by Pakistan.

Mr Trump is due to visit Beijing next week to meet president Xi Jinping. His country’s close economic and political ties to Tehran give it unique influence.

Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi was there yesterday for his first visit since the US and Israel attacked.

China’s foreign minister Wang Yi said the conflict ‘has not only caused serious losses to the Iranian people, but also had a severe impact on regional and global peace’. He added: ‘China is deeply distressed by this. We believe a comprehensive ceasefire is urgently needed.’

But at a White House briefing Mr Rubio responded: ‘I hope the Chinese tell him (Araghchi) what he needs to be told… that what you are doing in the strait is causing you to be globally isolated. You’re the bad guy in this.’ Aviation analytics company Cirium revealed 120 flights from the UK have been axed so far this month as jet fuel prices soar.

Around 20% of global oil is shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, off Iran’s coast. Though the figure represents only 0.53% of all departures it has cut capacity by 7,972 seats. The final week of May is half-term at many schools, and a peak getaway period.

Transport secretary Heidi Alexander vowed summer holiday plans will not face major disruption as fuel for planes is being imported from the US.

But Paul Charles, founder of travel consultancy The PC Agency, said if the conflict continues ‘there will need to be many more cancellations as the jet fuel supply is squeezed’.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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Two people who returned independently to the UK from the cruise ship that was hit by a hantavirus outbreak have been told to self-isolate

Two people who returned independently to the UK from a cruise ship affected by a hantavirus outbreak have been instructed to self-isolate. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued the guidance while stating that “the risk to the general public remains very low.”

The Government is “working urgently” to support British nationals caught up in the outbreak, which is linked to three deaths. A total of 19 British passengers and four British crew members were listed on the vessel as it sailed from Argentina toward Cape Verde.

Two Britons—one passenger and one crew member—are among those who have fallen ill during the suspected outbreak. Investigators have traced the source of the infection to a birdwatching expedition in Argentina, which two passengers attended before boarding the ship.

The crew member, understood to be a doctor on the ship, along with a Dutch crew member and another passenger were taken from the Dutch-flagged cruise ship MV Hondius on Wednesday for onward travel to the Netherlands, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said.

Spanish health officials said the British medic is now in a more “stable condition” after previously being in a “critical condition”.

The Associated Press reported that a medical evacuation flight arrived at Amsterdam’s airport on Wednesday evening.

The passenger was medically evacuated from the ship on April 27 and taken to Johannesburg, South Africa.

The Foreign Office said that it was “working urgently” to help get Britons “safely home with proper protection for public health”.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “The outbreak of hantavirus is very serious and deeply stressful for those affected and their families.”

Health Secretary Wes Streeting added: “The outbreak of hantavirus on the MV Hondius will be worrying many.

“The Government are taking this incredibly seriously and are working urgently to support the British nationals involved.

“We are working across DHSC, UKHSA and the FCDO to ensure all those affected get home safely.”

The evacuation means the ship can now continue on its three-day journey to the Canary Islands after Spanish authorities gave permission for the boat to dock.

But a row erupted after the president of the Canary Islands expressed concern over the ship docking in Tenerife.

In an update posted online, Spanish health authorities said that the ship is expected to arrive within 72 to 96 hours.

Officials said that passengers will be disembarked in a “controlled” way with “direct transfer from the port to the airport and subsequent return to their countries of origin, avoiding at all times transit through spaces open to the general population”.

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) said that everyone on board should be considered as a “close contact”.

A Threat Assessment Brief posed by the European health agency states: “We consider everyone on the ship to be close contacts, due to the closed setting and shared social areas and activities, aligned with the precautionary principle.”

But it said that the strain of the virus “does not transmit easily so it is unlikely that it would cause many cases or a widespread outbreak in the community, if infection prevention and control measures are applied”.

The technical brief says people with symptoms should be medically evacuated while passengers without symptoms should receive a test when they disembark. However, it points out that a negative test “may not exclude infection”.

“Disembarking passengers should be provided with clear instructions and recommendations until their diagnosis is confirmed or ruled out,” it adds.

The Associated Press reported the Argentine government’s hypothesis is that a Dutch couple contracted the virus during a birdwatching outing in the city of Ushuaia before boarding.

Two Argentine officials told the news agency that the couple visited a landfill during the birdwatching tour where they may have been exposed to rodents carrying the infection.

The ship has been anchored off Cape Verde. Passengers are confined to their cabins while “disinfection and other public health measures are carried out”, the WHO said on Tuesday.

It is understood that none of the remaining passengers on board have symptoms and two extra medics have been flown in to assist.

The WHO said there are eight cases, three of which are confirmed, after a passenger on the boat presented himself to a hospital in Zurich, Switzerland, and was confirmed to have the virus.

Health officials in South Africa are looking for people who had possible contact with one of the suspected cases.

The South African Health Ministry said officials have traced 42 out of 62 people they believe had contact with the two infected passengers who travelled there, the Associated Press reported.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) announced via social media today, Wednesday, May 6, that they are trying to trace the family of a man named Alan Ross.

Officers said the 78-year-old died on Sedgefield Drive in Bolton on April 30.

The force said there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death and urged anybody with information to contact the Police Coroner’s Office in Bolton.

A spokesperson, via social media, said: “Police are appealing for the public’s help to trace the family of Alan Ross, 78, who died on Sedgefield Drive, Bolton on 30 April.

“There are no suspicious circumstances surrounding his death.

“Anyone with information should contact the Police Coroner’s Office in Bolton on 0161 856 4687.”

Once the police have the details that they need, they will be passed along to the Coroner’s Office to let full cause of death be established.

Bayern Munich players, coaching staff and fans at the Allianz Arena were in disbelief after they were denied a penalty for a handball by Joao Neves in their Champions League semi-final second leg against Paris St-Germain.

Trailing the holders 1-0 on the night and 6-4 on aggregate, the German side’s players surrounded referee Joao Pedro Silva Pinheiro at the half-hour mark when Vitinha rifled a clearance against his own team-mate Neves’ arm inside the box.

But Pinheiro waved away the Bayern protests with the video assistant referee (VAR) also not intervening, leaving social media wondering why a spot-kick was not given.

According to BBC Sport’s Football Issues Correspondent Dale Johnson, it was due to a little-known exemption within the handball law.

According to the laws of the game, it is not a handball if “hit on the hand/arm by the ball which has been played by a team-mate (unless the ball goes directly into the opponents’ goal or the player scores immediately afterwards, in which case a direct free-kick is awarded to the other team)”.

“It covers when the ball is unexpectedly hit at you by a team-mate, even if your arm is away from your body, the law says you should not give away a penalty,” said Johnson.

“When Vitinha blasts the ball clear, could Joao Neves think the ball would be hit straight at him?

“Of course, this could be overridden by deliberate handball, but in the context of this situation, a penalty would not be expected to be awarded.”

In a statement tonight, Lisburn North Cllrs Gary Hynds and Pat Catney said: “Councillor Catney and I were informed after our committee meeting this evening, and we immediately went to Hillview Avenue together to speak with police and local residents.”

“Hillview Avenue is a great area with many good people and families living within it, including elderly residents and personal friends of mine.

“I want to thank the PSNI and council staff for acting quickly and professionally in what is a very difficult situation. I hope the situation is resolved as soon as possible and that residents can return safely to their homes.”

In an update issued on Wednesday evening, the UKHSA said “the risk to general public remains very low”

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Two people who returned independently to the UK from the cruise ship MV Hondius that was hit by a hantavirus outbreak have been told to self-isolate, the UK Health Security Agency has said.

In an update issued on Wednesday evening, the UKHSA said “the risk to general public remains very low”, adding that neither of the two individuals who have been asked to self-isolate had reported symptoms.

The organisation said: “They are receiving advice and support from UKHSA and have been advised to self-isolate.

“UKHSA are supporting a small number of individuals identified as close contacts of those on the boat. They are being offered support and are also self-isolating. None are reporting any symptoms. The risk to the general public remains very low.”

The statement continued: “UKHSA is working closely with the FCDO, the Home Office, and Border Force to trace further individuals who may have been on the same flight as a confirmed case, in order to carry out public health risk assessments and ensure appropriate precautionary measures are in place.”

Dr Meera Chand, deputy director for epidemic and emerging infections at UKHSA, said: “Our thoughts are with all those affected by the hantavirus outbreak onboard the MV Hondius.

“It’s important to reassure people that the risk to the general public remains very low.

“We are standing up arrangements to support, isolate and monitor British nationals from the ship on their return to the UK and we are contact tracing anyone who may have been in contact with the ship or the hantavirus cases to limit the risk of onward transmission.

“UKHSA will continue to work closely with government partners to offer all necessary support.”

Hantaviruses are a family of rodent-bourne viruses, with each strain tied to a specific host species.

It’s spread when people come into contact with infected droppings, saliva, urine or nesting materials, but is extremely rare, and rarely passed from person to person.

If caught, hantavirus can lead to two main illnesses, one of which affects the lungs (Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome or HPS) and the other which affects the kidneys (Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome or HFRS).

The incubation period for this illness is generally two to four weeks, according to the government, but can range from as little as two days to as long as eight weeks.

What are the symptoms?

Early symptoms of hantavirus are similar to the flu, and include headaches, dizziness, chills as well as abdominal problems like diarrhoea, vomiting and nausea.

If it progresses into Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, patients can experience headaches, dizziness, chills and abdominal problems like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea.

If you develop Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome, initial symptoms will include intense headaches, back and abdominal pain, fever or chills, nausea, and blurred vision.

If the disease progresses, later symptoms include low blood pressure, acute shock (lack of blood flow), internal bleeding, and acute kidney failure, according to the CDC.

Hantavirus can be fatal, so it’s important to keep an eye on symptoms if you believe yo

A retired police officer said the case was “particularly striking” and opportunities to take action were overlooked

A mum feels her son “could still be here” if more had been done to help him after he was stabbed. Following a review into his death four years after the incident, the mum said she was left “dumbfounded” and “shocked” he had “received so little support”.

The man, referred to under the pseudonym Joe in an Oldham Safeguarding Adults Board report, was found dead in a wooded area of Oldham in September 2024. He was 27 years old when he died.

Following his death, the board commissioned a review led by David Mellor, a retired police officer which was published in April 2026. The purpose of the review is to look at whether any lessons needed to be learned.

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Mr Mellor said the case was “particularly striking” due to “the rapid disengagement by services from working with Joe” in the months before he died. He also said “abuse in the form of suspected cuckooing and financial abuse and self-neglect may have contributed to [Joe’s] death”.

Cuckooing is where vulnerable people are exploited by a criminal gang or individuals to use the property for criminal purposes such as drug-dealing, hiding weapons and other criminal activities

In response, Dr Henri Giller, the independent chair of Oldham Safeguarding Adults Board, said all partner agencies “have committed to act in response” and the board will be “closely monitoring progress to ensure that the learning from Joe’s circumstances leads to meaningful and lasting change across Oldham’s safeguarding system to reduce the risk of similar incidents occurring in the future.”

Having lived with his family until his early 20s, the review said Joe “survived a serious stabbing incident which took place when males armed with knives entered the family home in June 2020”. Joe’s mum said he “never got over it” and “was reluctant to discuss the incident because she felt that he did not wish to relive it”.

According to Joe’s aunt, Joe had been trying to protect his mum and his two younger siblings. Described by his family as a “lovely lad” who was “pleasant, caring, and helpful”, the stabbing incident left him “tortured” and “started taking drugs to blot things out”.

The mum said she “eventually stepped away from supporting her son as it became ‘pointless’ because he would spend any money she gave him on alcohol and drugs and would pawn any phone she bought him”.

Over time, she said her son’s behaviour changed and he became “such an angry person” and on one occasion, he barricaded himself in his flat. The mum said an arrest in July 2024 was the “nail in his coffin” as bail conditions isolated him from family support, adding this isolation “tipped him over the edge”.

The family criticised local services over their response to their son. The review said his aunt “was very upset to read of the difficulties Joe experienced in the last few months of his life when several agencies closed his case and she felt that opportunities to make safeguarding referrals were missed”

His mum also said she “felt angry because she felt that if Joe had received the support he needed “he could still be here”.

The review said Joe had moved out of the family home following the stabbing incident “after a series of reported familial domestic abuse incidents in which he was perceived to be the perpetrator”. When receiving support, he was described as “angry and aggressive” and his GP planned to refer him for an autism spectrum assessment and in 2023 he was imprisoned for common assault and obstructing police.

In 2024, staff at the Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust believed Joe “may be experiencing a first episode of psychosis” but the case was later closed. Before he died, the review said Joe was de-registered by his GP and attended the Royal Oldham Hospital “in considerable distress on several occasions”.

Mr Mellow said: “There were indications that he was being financially exploited but opportunities to make safeguarding referrals were overlooked. With hindsight, the risks to Joe appeared to be escalating but this was not recognised by the various agencies with which he came into contact in the months before he died.”

An inquest will be held to look into Joe’s death. A total of 16 recommendations have been made to local service providers, the Sanctuary Trust, and the Probation Service while good practice was found in six areas.

Dr Henri Giller, the Independent Chair of Oldham Safeguarding Adults Board, said: “On behalf of Oldham Safeguarding Adults Board, I would like to extend our sincere condolences to Joe’s family and friends. We are profoundly sorry for their loss and are grateful to Joe’s mother and aunt for their valuable time and insight and the courage they showed in contributing to this review.

“This review was undertaken to identify learning that can help prevent similar tragedies in the future. The review highlights examples of committed and compassionate practice by individual professionals, but it also identifies significant shortcomings in how risk was recognised, how services responded to non engagement, and how effectively agencies coordinated their safeguarding responses.

“The review reinforces the need for more trauma informed practice, stronger professional curiosity and challenge and strengthening of responses to adults experiencing homelessness, exploitation, and self neglect.

“The Board are taking the findings of the review seriously and have accepted all its recommendations in full. Our priority is to learn from this case.”

More than five years after receiving final court approval, a massive $2.67 billion antitrust class-action settlement involving Blue Cross Blue Shield is finally entering its payout phase.

Eligible claimants could begin seeing money deposited into their bank accounts within days, as the distribution process is scheduled to begin in May, according to the settlement website.

The settlement comes from a long-running lawsuit that accused Blue Cross Blue Shield and its affiliated insurers of violating antitrust laws by limiting competition in the health insurance market. Plaintiffs argued that the Blue Cross Blue Shield system was structured to reduce overlap among its regional plans, thereby restricting competition in certain parts of the U.S. As a result, the lawsuit claimed it was harder for rival insurance companies to enter those markets. This lack of competition may have reduced consumer choice and contributed to higher healthcare costs for customers in some regions, according to the allegations.

Blue Cross Blue Shield has denied any wrongdoing in the case but agreed to settle the lawsuit, with the final agreement approved in October 2020. To receive payment, claimants were required to file before the deadline, which closed in November 2021.

Eligible participants are expected to receive payments that vary widely based on individual circumstances. Earlier estimates suggested the average payout will fall between $300 and $333 per valid claim, though final amounts will vary.

The total settlement fund is reduced to roughly $1.9 billion after legal fees and administrative costs are deducted. From that remaining pool, payments will be calculated based on factors such as how long a claimant was enrolled in a Blue Cross Blue Shield plan and the amount of insurance premiums they paid between 2008 and 2020.

By the end of the filing period, approximately 6 million claims had been submitted nationwide. Those claims will determine how the settlement funds are distributed, with payout amounts expected to vary depending on factors such as the type of coverage, how long someone was enrolled and the amount of premiums paid during the eligible period.

“This settlement ends a long-running legal challenge to the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association license agreements and related rules,” a company spokesperson said in a 2024 statement upon reaching the agreement. “We deny the allegations made in the lawsuit. However, to reach a settlement and put years of litigation behind us, we have agreed to make some operational changes and a monetary payment to the provider class involved in the case.”

“Our members and health care provider partners can rest assured that Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies continue to be strong and ready to deliver exceptional services. We remain committed to providing access to affordable, high-quality care and improving the health of the communities we serve, just as we have for 90 years,” the statement concluded.

The Independent has contacted Blue Cross Blue Shield for comment.