More than 1.7 million pensioners across Great Britain are now receiving Attendance Allowance, but claimants must report certain changes in circumstances or risk having their payments reduced or stopped

Over 1.7 million pensioners throughout Great Britain are currently in receipt of Attendance Allowance, a tax-free, non-means-tested benefit available to those aged 66 and over. However, recipients must notify the relevant authorities of certain changes in their circumstances without delay — or risk having their payments of up to £458 a month reduced, suspended or even facing a financial penalty.

Guidance issued by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is unambiguous: failing to declare a change could result in overpayments, fines or even prosecution. Even short-term changes, such as a period of hospitalisation, can have an impact on eligibility.

Attendance Allowance is administered by the DWP to assist pensioners with additional costs arising from disability, long-term illness or physical or mental health conditions. Following the annual uprating in April, payments now stand at either £76.70 per week at the lower rate or £114.60 at the higher rate.

Attendance Allowance is no longer accessible to claimants with a Scottish postcode, who instead receive Pension Age Disability Payment through Social Security Scotland. Both benefits are paid at identical rates and operate under broadly similar eligibility criteria.

DWP regulations stipulate that claimants must contact the Attendance Allowance helpline promptly should their condition change, their care needs increase or decrease, or their personal circumstances shift in any way that could affect their claim, reports the Daily Record.

If you are uncertain whether a change warrants reporting, the wisest course of action is to ring the helpline and seek clarification — as overlooking it could jeopardise your weekly payments. DWP guidance on GOV.UK also cautions: “You could be taken to court or have to pay a penalty if you give wrong information or do not report a change in your circumstances.”

The guidance proceeds to outline changes claimants are required to report, which are detailed below.

Reporting a change in circumstances

Should your circumstances alter, your Attendance Allowance payments may rise, fall or cease entirely.

You must contact the Attendance Allowance helpline immediately if:

• The level of help you need changes or your condition worsens or improves
• You go into hospital or move into a care home (you’ll need the address, dates and details of how the stay is funded)
• A medical professional has said you may have 12 months or less to live
• You plan to leave the UK for more than four weeks
• You go into prison
• You change your name, address or bank details
• You want to stop your claim
• Your doctor changes
• Your immigration status changes

If you are uncertain whether something constitutes a change, it is preferable to contact the DWP and verify rather than risk an overpayment or suspended claim.

Reporting a change if you need more help

You should also contact the DWP if you now require additional assistance due to a disability or illness – even if you are not currently receiving that support.

This includes requiring:

• Help with personal care such as dressing, eating, getting in and out of bed, bathing or using the toilet
• Supervision to stay safe during the day or at night

You should report a change if tasks are taking considerably longer, causing discomfort, or you need physical assistance such as something to lean on.

Attendance Allowance is not restricted to physical conditions. You may also qualify for a higher rate if you need more help due to:

• A mental health condition
• Learning difficulties
• A sensory condition, such as being deaf or blind

The Attendance Allowance helpline is 0800 731 0122 and operates Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.

A woman whose first job left her questioning if she was “too stupid to work” is now helping other young people who have struggled since leaving school.

Georgia Sweeney was diagnosed with dyslexia while still at school. At the age of 17, she started attending college, but the condition made her studies a challenge, and she eventually dropped out after it began affecting her mental health.

Later, she secured a six-month apprenticeship at an insolvency firm’s office. However, what started well soon changed a few months into the job.

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Feeling she lacked the training and experience of the person who last held her role, it all came to a head when, just 30 minutes from the end of her shift, Georgia was pulled into the main office. She recalls an upsetting meeting in which her employers raised an incident that happened while she was taking a call that afternoon.

Georgia said one manager told her she could potentially cost the business “millions of pounds” if her mistake hadn’t been spotted. She was given an ultimatum – work her two-week notice or quit. Tearfully, she grabbed the things and walked out of the office for the last time.

Georgia, who lives in Collyhurst, said: “I quite enjoyed it in the beginning. Then I found out that the person I was replacing was someone much older than me – I think they were 27.

“They were also doing an apprenticeship, but theirs was through university, and they were getting, I believe, a degree or some qualification in accounting.

“The workplace very much expected me to work at the same level as the person that I had been replacing, which isn’t feasible.

“I found it extremely difficult. There were many tasks that I didn’t understand, things that they expected me to know. The training was quite brief, and I was really struggling with it because I felt like I was being a burden by asking questions.

“They were also not very flexible with the fact that I’m a carer. I was a carer at that time, I’m still a carer now, and there wasn’t really any flexibility with that.

“I ended up leaving because it just made my mental health so bad. By the end I was pretty much like turning up crying in the car park outside coming into work.”

‘Am I too stupid to work?’

After she left the job, Georgia said her confidence crashed to an all-time low.

“I had lasted for about six months there,” she said. “Which is probably longer than I should have done. I felt it was quite damaging.

“I had no confidence in myself, thinking, how could I ever work a job when I had done so badly at my first one? Is this what everything’s supposed to be like?

“Honestly, it was like, am I too stupid to work? That’s the thought that I had for quite a while.”

After leaving her job, Georgia said she was in a “bad place” and ended up taking time off from education or employment while she struggled with her mental health.

While some may say Georgia was unlucky in her first work experience, the statistics show that many young people are finding themselves in career limbo. They’re not employed, in apprenticeships, or in education.

Research by Health Equals, an organisation that campaigns for health opportunities and highlights health inequalities across the UK, has revealed that young people growing up in the UK’s lowest‑income households are over three times more likely to be out of work, education or training than those from the wealthiest homes.

Often known as NEET: Not in Education, Employment or Training, the research also found that the number of NEET young people with a mental health condition has doubled over the last 15 years.

Of those 16-24 year olds who were NEET, 30% had a likely mental health condition in 2009-10, increasing to 60% in 2023-24.

As Georgia struggled with her confidence and mental health, her doctor put her in touch with the Manchester charity 42nd Street.

42nd Street is a young people’s mental health charity that provides free and confidential services to young people who are experiencing difficulties with their mental health and emotional wellbeing.

It was there that Georgia recommended Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). “I just wasn’t leaving the house, and I didn’t want to get up… I didn’t want to do anything,” said Georgia.

CBT helped her get on top of her social anxiety to the point she was able to use public transport and have the confidence to speak to people again.

“After being shouted at and things in the office I was really anxious to talk to anyone because I was like, well this person might start shouting at me again,” Georgia added.

“CBT really helped that. I was also recommended to go to night classes because I wanted to do more. As much as I wanted to go out and get a job, there was this big barrier because I’d done it before and it had all gone horribly wrong.

“So I went to night classes because there were less people. I could focus on the single subject that I wanted to do instead of having to do four or five subjects.

“It also gave me time to fix my mental health.”

Georgia said when her course of therapy at 42nd Street was coming to an end, she didn’t feel ready to leave, and so she started taking part in the organisation’s support groups.

This helped her rebuild her confidence and eventually return to education, where she trained as a youth worker. Now 26, Georgia runs women’s and youth groups and works as a Peer Consultant on an employment program, helping young people access meaningful work and understand their options.

‘They say it’s not worth their while to get a job’

Georgia now says she wants to help people in a way she didn’t get when she needed help.

Reflecting on her troubled first experience of work, she says: “I definitely think I got bad luck in replacing someone who was older than me. It was a job role that I just wasn’t fit for, and I suppose I didn’t know it at the time.

“But I definitely see young people and my peers coming to talk to me about not feeling ready to be in work.

“I think sometimes workplaces want people who already know what they’re doing. There’s a lack of wanting to train people. I’ve had chats with people trying to get jobs, even retail jobs, and they tend to want you to have worked at a till before, regardless of your age.

“They want you to have some knowledge and not need as much training as the next person might need.”

One of the reasons Georgia cites for why young people are getting stuck and becoming classified as NEET is a lack of entry-level jobs, particularly ones that make it worthwhile for young people to work rather than stay on benefits.

“From the young people I’ve spoken to, and that I work with, generally they say it’s not worth their while to get a job. It’s the simple fact that having a job doesn’t pay to live anymore.

“You know that through benefits things get paid, like housing gets paid, and you might get a cut in council tax and things like that.

“When you’re getting a job, you have to accommodate for the fact that you now need to pay all the things that your benefits are currently paying for, but you also need to afford to be able to travel to your job, you may need to afford to get better internet if you work from home instead.

“You might need extra food to take lunches. There are all these extra expenses that you have to calculate when you’re getting a job.

“If you’re under 25, minimum wage is lower for you than it is for someone over 25. And I think there’s this idea that maybe [young] people are still living at home.

“But for those that aren’t living at home, they either need to work more hours or get a job that’s much higher than minimum wage. Which, for anyone, even people with degrees and experience, they’re hard jobs to find.”

Georgia also feels schools could play a bigger role in preparing young people for the world of work, rather than just academic tutoring. This would include mental health and general life skills, as well as greater financial education.

“I think we’re still very much stuck on the fact that you go to high school, you go to college, you go to university, you get a job,” said Georgia.

“I talk to young people, and they are so incredibly smart, but they may have missed a year of university for their mental health and feel that they’ve completely destroyed their life already. And you know, they’re 19, 20, and they’ve kind of gone, ‘Oh, that’s it, I didn’t do the path the right way the first way.’

“But there are other ways to do things and just because you’ve had that break or that stop for your mental health doesn’t mean that you’ve suddenly destroyed your path or the way into work.”

Dr Luke Munford, a Health Economist at the University of Manchester who carried out the analysis for Health Equals, said: “Our analysis shows a worrying reversal in progress. After years of decline, the proportion of young people who are NEET has risen again. Even more striking is the sharp increase in mental ill‑health among NEET young people: double the rate seen among Millennials.

“The evidence is clear: government must offer a package of support to meet mental health needs, expand high‑quality training and apprenticeships, and target resources to regions and groups facing the greatest disadvantage. Without decisive action, we risk embedding inequalities that will shape outcomes for decades to come.”

Health Equals is calling for the government to invest in community-based support to get people back into employment, and work with employers and education providers to prioritise prevention to stop people from becoming NEET in the first place.

To find out more, you can visit Heath Equals website here.

People across the UK have been issued the urgent message

The British Veterinary Association (BVA) has issued a warning on its website, advising dog owners to take precautions next week. This follows a Met Office forecast predicting temperatures of up to 32C on Sunday (May 24) and Monday, with warm conditions expected across London and rising temperatures also set for cities including Glasgow, Manchester, Aberdeen, Liverpool, Belfast and Brighton.

With the Spring Bank Holiday falling on May 25 for people across England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, experts are urging pet owners to be cautious over the long weekend. They recommend walking dogs early in the morning or later in the evening, and avoiding the hottest part of the day to reduce the risk of serious or potentially life-threatening heat-related illness.

Urging people to take action and walk them when it’s safe, it warns: “Each summer, vets across the country report seeing large numbers of cases involving dogs who require treatment for heatstroke, burnt paw pads, sunburn and breathing difficulties, with some dogs sadly unable to be saved as a result.

“Unlike people, dogs struggle to stay cool in high temperatures and humid conditions because they are unable to cool down quickly through sweating, making them vulnerable to overheating. Even a very short walk in the middle of the day or being locked in a car for a few minutes can be fatal.

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“Panting is a dog’s main way to cool its body temperature. That is why flat-faced breeds such as English bulldogs and pugs, are at even greater risk, as their short muzzles can make breathing difficult. Overweight, old and densely coated animals are also at increased risk.”

BVA president Dr Rob Williams MRCVS said: “While many of us will be looking forward to finally enjoying a bit of sunny weather this Bank Holiday weekend and in the coming week, our pets will need extra care to be safe from heatstroke and other heat-related illnesses.

“Make sure all pets have access to fresh drinking water, good ventilation and shade from direct sunlight at all times. When it comes to walking or exercising dogs, it’s important not to take them out during the heat of the day – stick to early morning or late evening walks only, and never leave them inside a car, caravan or conservatory even for a little while.

“It helps to recognise early signs of heatstroke as quick action could save your pet’s life. In dogs, signs of heatstroke include heavy panting, drooling, restlessness, bright red or very pale gums, and lack of coordination.

“If you suspect heatstroke, take your dog to a cool, well-ventilated place, give it small amounts of cold water to drink if possible, and pour cold water over the body to cool it down, before contacting your vet.”

BVA’s top tips to keep dogs safe in hot weather

• Use the five-second tarmac test before walks: place your palm on the pavement for five seconds. If it’s too hot for you, it’s too hot for your dog’s paws.
• Never leave dogs inside vehicles. If you see a dog in distress in a hot car, call 999 immediately.
• Be alert for signs of heatstroke, including heavy panting, drooling, restlessness, bright red or very pale gums, and poor coordination.
• If heatstroke is suspected, move the dog to a cool, well-ventilated area, offer small amounts of cold water, and cool them with cold water. Contact a vet immediately for urgent advice.
• Always ensure pets have access to fresh drinking water, good ventilation, and shade from direct sunlight. Indoors, provide cooling aids such as a fan or cooling mat.
• Avoid exercising dogs during the hottest part of the day. This is especially important for older dogs, overweight dogs, flat-faced breeds, and dogs with heart or lung conditions. Walk dogs early in the morning or later in the evening instead.

See more of their top tips for keeping animals safe in hot weather.

The speed limits will be in place on sections of a motorway and dual carriageway in Cambridgeshire

Motorists will face reduced speed limits on a major motorway and dual carriageway in Cambridgeshire for more than a year. Reduced speed limits of 40mph and 50mph will be in ofrce on different sections of the M11 and A14 whilst reconstruction works are carried out.

Daily speed limits have already been put in place at different points of the A14 and M11 whilst safety works to the central barrier are taking place. Repairs to the embankment are due to begin soon with the work expected to be carried out from July 2026 until the end of 2027, according to National Highways.

Roadworks near the Girton Interchange will mean lower speed limits are applied to the A14 westbound, the M11 southbound, and the road connecting the two at Junction 14. This means that up until the end of 2027, restrictions on the southbound will be in place.

The 40mph section on the A14 westbound begins at about 400 metres east of the Girton Road Overbridge and lasts for around 800 metres, according to a traffic order. The M11 and A14 southbound carriageways will be restricted to 40mph.

The A14 westbound 50mph speed limit starts further east of the Girton Road Overbridge and stretches for about 800 metres. A traffic order notice, for the embankment reconstruction works, said that a 50mph speed limit will be in place on the “southbound carriageway of the M11 from a point 1115 metres north of Girton Interchange Underbridge, for a distance of 700m”.

A National Highways spokesperson said: “We will be carrying out repairs to the embankment along a small section of the southbound M11 around junction 14 to keep it safe.

“The work will be carried out using narrow lanes and reduced speed limits to minimise disruption from July 2026, and we expect this to be completed by the end of 2027.”

According to an order notice, the road that links the A14 westbound to the M11 southbound at Junction 14 will be closed overnight between the hours of 8pm and 6am or for some consecutive 24-hour periods.

Traffic would be diverted via the A14 westbound carriageway to Junction 25 at Bar Hill and return via the A14 eastbound carriageway to join the M11 at Junction 14 and continue their journey. The speed limits and closure will be clearly indicated by traffic signs.

Janine Kane tells councillors: “This is really to add to the music scene in Belfast.”

A popular Belfast spot is to become a late-night music bar, the owner has announced at City Hall.

Janine Kane, who owns Muriel’s and the Spaniard in the city centre, as well as the Jeggy Nettle in South Belfast, this week told elected representatives and officials at Belfast City Council of her plans for Muriel’s, as a committee granted her a licence for entertainment to 3 am every morning.

At the May meeting of the council’s Licensing Committee, councillors approved an application from JK Pubs Limited for a variation of the seven-day annual entertainments licence “to provide music, singing, dancing or any other entertainment of a like kind,” for Muriel’s, 12-14 Church Lane, Belfast, BT1.

None of the statutory partners made any objections to the application. No noise complaints were received by the council regarding the business in the past 12 months.

Muriel’s old licence covered Monday to Saturday 11:30 am to 2 am and Sunday 12:30 pm to 2 am. The areas licensed to provide entertainment are the ground-floor bar, with a maximum capacity of 60 persons, and the first-floor bar, again with a maximum capacity of 60. At present, entertainment is provided in the form of DJs on Friday and Saturday nights.

Building works are currently ongoing at the premises to increase the area of the public bar on both the ground floor and first floor. This will increase the capacity by around 60, bringing up the maximum occupancy at Muriel’s to 180.

The council Licensing report states: “The licensee has stated that they would like the variation to extend the permitted hours until 3 am as they feel the premises is an integral part of Belfast’s nightlife and that an increase in operating hours will allow them to compete within the sector, which is essential for the commercial success of the business.”

The move follows the acquisition of a 3 am licence for the Spaniard in November 2025.

At the Licensing Committee meeting on Wednesday (May 20), TUV Councillor Ron McDowell asked Janine Kane “The premises is really close to a Church of Ireland out the back, literally beside it. If you are going to 3 am with entertainment on a Sunday morning, what time will the last orders be, and what time do you envisage the bar being cleared and people being on their way home?”

Ms Kane replied: “I’ve been in that location for the last eight years. (In relation to Pablo’s) And unfortunately, due to the nature of business and costs, food operations are particularly difficult to manage, so we are doing what I would call an aesthetic refit to put in a music bar.

“In relation to (the Church of Ireland), the pastor there is a good customer at times. We have a really good working relationship with him, and we haven’t had any issues in the past.

“We will hopefully be serving alcohol until 1.30 am, and there will be music after that until we clear. I am very conscious of the legalities, I am conscious of how we should get people home safely, and noise pollution.”

She added: “This is really to add to the music scene in Belfast.”

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President of the Muslim Leadership Council of San Diego Abdullah Tahiri, though, said he cannot say he is surprised, even while he is horrified. He blamed the bloodshed on a heated political climate that has “tolerated, normalised, federalised, institutionalised, routinised, and actively weaponised” anti-Muslim sentiment for years.

The event, running from May 21 to 25, promises festival-style decorations, entertainment, and chilled Magners cider at participating pubs.

A spokesman for Pub Fest said: “Forget the queues and muddy fields, the real festival atmosphere will be found right on your doorstep.

“Pub Fest promises to bring a taste of festival season to locals.”

Pubs taking part include: 

• Alma Inn, Bolton
• Beeley’s Bar, Bolton
• Gilnow Arms, Bolton
• Keg & Thread, Bolton
• Lamb Hotel, Bolton
• Lord Raglan, Bolton
• Royal Hotel, Bolton
• Victoria, Bolton, BL5

EXCLUSIVE: Linda Clarke, a member of Scottish Labour’s governing body, has hit out at Sarwar and his deputy Jackie Baillie.

A Scottish Labour official has accused Anas Sarwar of admitting “zero” mistakes after a “dire” Holyrood election result.

Linda Clarke also questioned if the party leadership is capable of any “insightful analysis or change” after the crushing defeat.

Her criticisms come as Scottish Labour agreed a review of their defeat to John Swinney’s SNP.

Labour went down to their worst ever Holyrood election result on May 7th, falling to 17 MSPs.

Senior party figures blame Prime Minister Keir Starmer for the defeat, but they also admit failings with the Scottish Labour campaign.

Insiders feel Sarwar tried to win too many constituencies and produced a manifesto lacking in ambition.

READ MORE: Scottish Labour official blasts “toxic” and “authoritarian” party after election humbling

OPINION

Paul Hutcheon

A frank exchange of views took place at Labour’s governing Scottish Executive Committee (SEC) on Saturday.

In a message to an internal Scottish Labour Facebook forum, leaked to the Record, SEC member Linda Clarke hit out at Sarwar and his deputy Jackie Baillie.

She wrote: [The] meeting did not vote to support the SLP top leadership – or give it any seal of approval.

“Nor did it vote to censure or replace it. However there was a very very frank discussion.

“Unfortunately IMO, the top leadership is committed to ZERO change and admitted to ZERO mistakes in policy or strategy.

“I don’t see any evidence that Sarwar or Bailie are capable of any insightful analysis or change.

“There is clearly still a lot of work to be done within the SLP to learn and act from these dire results.”

Clarke represents the Scottish Labour Women’s Committee on the SEC.

A party source rejected Clarke’s claims and said she held a “minority view” on the governing body, adding that Sarwar was willing to take responsibility for the campaign.

The insider also said the SEC agreed a review that would involve interviews with members, staff and candidates.

They also said there is a general acceptance that the Scottish Labour hierarchy could have motivated party members better in relation to the campaign.

Clarke’s criticisms came after another SEC member, Alison Ann-Dowling, also blasted the state of the party.

In a message posted in a feminist WhatsApp group, also leaked to the Record, she wrote:

“I’m afraid I don’t share the view that categorising any challenge to the scottish labour leadership about their performance and the outcome of the election is in fighting or disruptive.

“The way the Scottish Party has been run has been problematic for years, long before Starmer and Reform.”

She claimed the party is too centralised around Sarwar and his deputy Jackie Baillie, and criticised the Holyrood campaign:

“I also think it’s wrong and counter productive to give individuals in positions of leadership full control over the Party, but decouple that from any personal accountability for their actions.

“We had no list strategy. The 38 constituency strategy was wildly optimistic and failed to read the public mood. We failed to communicate a coherent manifesto election offer that we could sell as an elevator pitch on the doorsteps.

“The entire party has been centralised to a toxic level of control held by a small group of people, to an extent I’ve never seen before. I could go on.”

Sarwar has promised to stay on as leader to provide opposition to the SNP Government.

Fellow Labour MSPs Michael Marra and Paul Sweeney have been tipped as potential successors if he stands down.

Scottish Labour has been contacted.

Stephen Colbert has delivered the final monologue of his tenure on The Late Show, thanking viewers for being along for the ride.

Colbert, 62, began the final broadcast of the long-running CBS show by speaking directly to viewers.

“This show, I want you to know, has been a joy for us to do for you. In fact, we call this show ‘The Joy Machine,’” Colbert said. “We call it ‘The Joy Machine,’ because to do this many shows it has to be a machine. But the thing is, if you choose to do it with joy, it doesn’t hurt as much when your fingers get caught in the gears.

“I cannot adequately explain to you what the people who work here have done for each other, and how much we mean to each other,” he continued.

“Now, I’ll say to you what I’ve said to every audience for the last 11 years, and I’ve met it every time. Have a good show. Thanks for being here. And let’s do it, y’all.”

Colbert then dove into his monologue about the news of the day, which featured cameos from Breaking Bad star Bryan Cranston and Ant-Man’s Paul Rudd.

CBS’s long-running Late Show franchise will come to an end Thursday after 33 years on air. It originated in 1993 with David Letterman, who later passed the torch to Colbert in 2015. The network has promised an “extended” send-off beyond the show’s typical one-hour time slot.

The network announced its cancellation last July, just days after Colbert criticized the network’s parent company, Paramount, for reaching a $16 million settlement with President Donald Trump over accusations that its newsmagazine series 60 Minutes deceptively edited a 2024 interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.

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CBS staffers told The Independent it was a continuation of the “Trump shakedown” that began with the settlement.

More to follow