The Thursday letters page tries to predict the contents of today’s Nintendo Partner Showcase, as one reader thinks the next gen Xbox console is doomed.
Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk
Worrying times We’ve had a lot of talk back and forth about Nintendo recently and, to be honest, I felt people were being a bit silly claiming they’d made serious mistakes. But to hear Nintendo themselves say the Switch 2 has underperformed in the West is a bit of a shock. They seem to be talking about profit more than sales, but their whole business has been based on relatively low budget hardware and software that is hugely profitable.
You change that and suddenly the whole foundation of the company is at risk. I’m surprised they didn’t realise this, but then obviously they couldn’t have predicted the RAM shortages and tariffs. Even so, they’ve stuck their neck out further than they usually do and they’re in danger of having it cut off.
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Well, maybe not that much danger but I’m more worried about them now than I was during the Wii U era, even though the Switch 2 has sold tons and the Wii U was a disaster right out the gate. It was recoverable though, which is exactly what happened. I really don’t see what Nintendo does next to get back to its old position, especially when they refuse to announce any decently exciting games. Acheron
Improper Direct It’s hard to know what to say when you realise that when there is finally a ‘proper’ Nintendo Direct it’s going to be the fifth one of the year. Maybe even the sixth if they slip an Indie World one in before it. Are they trolling or is their line-up for the year just really behind? As usual with Nintendo, we’ll never know for sure.
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So what’s going to be announced on Thursday’s Partner Showcase? I have a nasty feeling it’s not going to be much we haven’t heard of before. There’s an awful lot of third party games, like Elden Ring, that have been announced but haven’t got a release date yet, or we haven’t seen running on Switch 2.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t need to sit through 15 minutes of Elden Ring with its unique Master Sword item, or whatever they add to it. Nor do I need to see any more of 007 First Light or whatever else they have. Here’s hoping there’ll be some welcome surprises but the golden rule with these showcase is to expect nothing and never be disappointed. Corden
Console-esque Whatever the next gen Xbox is next year, or whenever, I’ll bet it’s not really a console as we’ve come to think of them. It’s not going to be a new format, that only runs the games made for it, because nobody but Microsoft is ever going to want to make them.
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It’s just going to be a PC, with as much AI nonsense installed on it as Microsoft can cram onto the hard drive, or in the cloud or however they pitch it. They’ve already said it’s going to be hyper expensive and that combined with it not actually being a console is going to be a disaster, I believe.
They would’ve been better off sticking with their portable idea because at least in that case there’s not really a clear leader for PC handhelds. Steam Deck is number one but it could easily be improved on it’s not that much more successful than its rivals. Zeiss
Phoning it in RE: Lurgie. The Fallout TV show has been fine. Entertaining enough to me, at least. I’ve seen some diehards moaning about aspects of the show, but it hasn’t affected me. I’m not a lore buff, so I don’t care about any changes brought in by the showrunners. Only thing is, I hope they have an ending planned and not, like Westworld, it just limps along until it’s cancelled. Bobwallett PS: Whilst I appreciate Walton Goggins making an appearance in Fallout 76, his performance kinda reminds me of Krusty’s recording session.
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Inflation problems I see they have the new Monster Hunter Stories 3 amiibo in stock to pre-order on Nintendo Store UK. They look amazing and very colourful, but very expensive compared to the price of amiibo which came out during the Switch 1’s lifetime. They also have the Super Mario Bros. Wonder amiibo available to pre-order.
I particularly like the Mario elephant character going down a green pipe! I will be picking up some of them in future to add to my collection. Andrew J. PS: On a different subject what is GameCentral’s opinion on the game The Stone of Madness for PlayStation 5? as I am thinking of picking it up on physical.
GC: We haven’t played it, we’re afraid. You’re right about the amiibo though. Those Ratha ones look great, but the price is well outside the impulse purchase range they used to be.
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Customer service Even in the early 2000s, as a 21-year-old gamer, I remember being trolled for liking Nintendo/Pokémon by a certain member of staff (if anyone’s from Wolverhampton).
Years later, I had an issue with ‘Dave’ in 2020, regarding returning a still-sealed GAME in the Merry Hill store.
Besides those idiots, GAME’s trade-in/cash was always lower than GameStation’s. All GAME had was the Reward Points and once I spent those, I never really went back.
GAME got jealous of GameStation, bought them and then shut them down.
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Then they never have any new releases in store on launch day, which meant a wasted journey so I’m personally glad they’re going/gone.
As regards the high street, it’ll be Smyths or Argos for me, regarding brand new, or CeX or eBay for second-hand. LeeDappa
GTApocalypse I’d like to echo a reader’s concern from last month, where he worried what will happen to the rest of the games industry once GTA 6 comes out. Whether you’re interested in the game or not, it’s fascinating to see how massive the hype is for it, but it’s going to leave such a crater I don’t think many people are going to be buying or playing else for months.
That’s a bigger problem when it comes out at Christmas than in May and it’s particularly bad news for Call Of Duty, which has had a really bad couple of years. But how long will GTA 6 be the only game in town? Months and months into 2027 I’m sure. And what will be the first big game to dare go up against it and break the chain? Whatever it is, good luck to the developer. Crumpton
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It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad world As some people have kind of touched on already, I think a lot of the problems with the games industry at the moment don’t have anything much to do with publishers but the wider business world which is, not to put too finer point on it, nuts right now.
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The reason RAM is expensive isn’t because it’s hard to get the raw materials or even because of Trump’s tariffs, it’s because it’s all being used for AI. And when that bubble bursts – and I believe it will this year – suddenly it’s all going to become dirt cheap. Which may sound a good thing but the wider effects on the economy, of companies finally admitting AI is almost worthless, is going to be horrendous. So that’s something to look forward to.
We’re in a situation where the Switch 2 has become the fast-selling console ever and yet it’s still seen as underperforming. What was it supposed to do? Become the fast-selling console in multiple dimensions at once?
Nothing has made sense since Covid, as far as I’m concerned, but the last couple of years, with the rise of AI, has been full on lunacy. The reason stocks are down for video game companies? Because investors think Google’s Project Gemini is going to make video game development redundant. As if you’re going to type in a prompt and get God Of War out the other end.
For a sensible, financially conservative company like Nintendo all of this must be especially infuriating, but they’ve just got to ride out like the rest of us, and hope that sanity returns at some point soon. Ashton Marley
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Inbox also-rans I have to admit, even I thought that Fallout website reveal was going to be the Fallout 3 remaster. Kind of funny that it wasn’t. Maybe they’ll go for an April launch, so that it’s exactly the same as Oblivion? Ken
Was that another case of Inbox magic, with the reader talking about GTA 6 Trailer 3 being around the time of Summer Game Fest and then the next day we get Take-Two talking about just that! Didn’t realise the magic works even on Rockstar. Whaler9
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David Grundy, 61, worked with his brother for more than a decade, making £900,000 and securing thousands of people around the world skilled jobs they were not qualified for.
In an investigation led by the National Trading Standards eCrime Team, hosted by City of York Council and North Yorkshire Council, the brothers were found to have advertised “high quality” and “flawless” certificates from universities across the globe.
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The Court heard how Grundy, of Coton Avenue, Stafford, had used specialist equipment to create the fakes – some of which were sold for more than £1,000 each.
Trading Standards officers confirmed that at least 70 people in the UK were using the brothers’ services – which were customised to help people land places on higher education courses and jobs in engineering, occupational health and safety, teaching, accountancy, biomedical science and law.
Speaking about this, a spokesperson for City of York Council said: “Grundy was able to produce certificates for any purpose, with no concern given to the possible risks to employers or the public.
“In 2021, a Trading Standards investigation began and in December of that year a warrant was executed at Grundy’s home.
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“Specialist equipment used to produce the counterfeit certificates was seized, including embossing stamps, holograms, high-grade paper and a laser engraver.
“A handwritten list containing almost 300 customer names was also recovered, offering a snapshot of the global customer base.”
The Joint Council for Qualification (JCQ) had instructed solicitors to warn Grundy – demanding he stop making the fake certificates.
The Court heard how Grundy had ignored the formal warning.
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A JCQ spokesperson said: “JCQ welcomes today’s sentencing and was pleased to support this prosecution.
“Students work hard to achieve their qualifications, and teachers work hard to support them.
“Fake certificates undermine that effort and today’s outcome reflects how serious and unacceptable this activity is.”
Councillor Jenny Kent, Executive Member for Environment at City of York Council, added: “Mr Grundy’s actions were damaging and dishonest at every level, cheating everyone who studies hard and pays for genuine qualifications, and showing no regard for the public who should be able to trust that qualifications mean what they say.
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“Thanks go to the dedicated National Trading Standards team for their work in achieving a successful prosecution.”
Grundy was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment on Friday (March 13) after pleading guilty to fraudulent trading at York Magistrate’s Court on September 4.
Liverpool remain without Alexander Isak as Ibrahima Konate, Milos Kerkez, Mohamed Salah and Hugo Ekitike all return. The visitors won well at the weekend to strengthen their lead at the Super Lig summit, though are missing the likes of Davinson Sanchez and will have no fans at Anfield due to a UEFA ban. Follow Liverpool vs Galatasaray live below!
Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd helped UConn to an undefeated season heading into March Madness. The pair became the first teammates in six years to make The Associated Press All-America team.
It’s the 10th time that teammates have made the first team, seven of those involving UConn players. The last pair to achieve the feat was Oregon’s Sabrina Ionescu and Ruthy Hebard in 2020.
Strong and Fudd were joined by Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes, UCLA’s Lauren Betts and Texas’ Madison Booker.
Strong was a unanimous choice from the 31-member national media panel that chooses the AP Top 25 each week. Blakes and Betts received all but two first-place votes.
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Strong, who set numerous records as a freshmen for the Huskies, raised her game in her sophomore season, helping the No. 1 Huskies to a perfect record heading into the NCAA Tournament. She averaged 18.5 points and 7.6 rebounds a game and shot 60.1% from the field. Fudd was right behind her, with 17.7 points and 4.2 rebounds while shooting 43.6% from the 3-point line.
“I’m thrilled for Azzi and Sarah. They worked really hard this season and they’re great teammates,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “It’s been a long time coming for Azzi. She’s worked through so many hardships in her time at UConn, and it’s great to see all her perseverance pay off.
“Sarah picked up where she left off last season and has been so consistently good and reliable for us. I’m happy for them individually, but I know it means a lot for them to get this accomplishment together as well.
Blakes has had a sensational sophomore season, leading the country in scoring with 27 points a game. She also averaged 4.4 assists and shot 45.8% from the field.
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“Mikayla has cemented herself as one of the best players in the country as she continues to bring our team and program to new heights while staying laser-focused on winning,” Vanderbilt coach Shea Ralph said. “She continues to do everything our team needs to put us in position to be successful and has elevated her play all season long against the toughest competition in the country.”
Vanderbilt had one of the best seasons in school history behind Blakes, who became only the second first-team All-American ever for the Commodores, joining Chantelle Anderson in 2002.
“Mikayla has changed the trajectory of our program by making everyone around her better and by betting on herself to create a legacy here at Vanderbilt,” Ralph said. “She is both deserving and has earned being named first-team All-American, and we are so proud to be on this journey with her and so happy for her recognition!”
Betts averaged 18.5 points and 7.6 rebounds and shot 60.1% from the field for UCLA. It’s the second straight season the senior post player has earned first-team All-America honors. Last year she became the first Bruins player ever to receive that accolade.
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“Lauren Betts is a generational player; she’s had incredible impact on the game. I’m not surprised for this honor, but I’m also thrilled for her and so excited for what she’s earned,” UCLA coach Cori Close said. “She’s been not only impactful on a on-court and individual level, but also on a team and program level. This is well deserved for Lauren.”
Booker earned first-team All-America honors for the second consecutive season. She averaged 18.9 points and 6.5 rebounds and shot 51.6% from the field. The junior wing helped the Longhorns win the SEC Tournament with a victory over South Carolina in the title game.
“She has the vision and passing skills of a point guard. She enjoys the pass and the assist as much as the bucket,” Texas coach Vic Schaefer said. “She can score at all three levels, but her ability to rise above the defense, create space and get her shot off is what sets her apart from everyone else. Her work ethic and investment in her game is elite. She sees the game and understands the game like a 15-year pro.”
Strong, Betts, Booker, Hannah Hidalgo and Ta’Niya Latson were all on the preseason All-America team.
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Second team
The AP second team was headlined by Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo, a member of the first team in her first two seasons. She was joined by South Carolina’s Joyce Edwards, TCU’s Olivia Miles, Iowa State’s Audi Crooks and Ohio State’s Jaloni Cambridge.
Third team
The AP third team was LSU’s Flau’Jae Johnson, Michigan’s Olivia Olson, UCLA’s Kiki Rice, Duke’s Toby Fournier and South Carolina’s Raven Johnson.
Honorable mention
Clara Strack of Kentucky, Rori Harmon of Texas and Cotie McMahon of Mississippi were the leading vote getters among players who didn’t make the three All-America teams. Players earned honorable-mention status if they appeared on one of the ballots.
Today, Angela Rayner has reignited Labour leader speculation with a speech in Westminster.
The former deputy prime minister told a room at a Westminster pub that Labour is “running out of time”.
Adam and Chris discuss this, and mixed messages coming out of the White House about the effectiveness of Operation Epic Fury with Chief North America Correspondent Gary O’Donoghue.
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Liverpool stamped their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Wednesday with a dominant display over Galatasaray at Anfield, and their route to May’s final is now crystal clear
21:37, 18 Mar 2026Updated 21:48, 18 Mar 2026
Liverpool will face PSG in the quarter-finals of the Champions League following a trouncing triumph against Galatasaray on Wednesday evening. The Reds headed into the clash at Anfield with a 1-0 deficit to overcome from last week’s reverse at Rams Park.
In that match, Mario Lemina made the difference with his seventh-minute strike. Down but never out, Arne Slot’s side emerged in front of the Kop in fighting fashion, and it didn’t take Liverpool long to open the scoring.
Dominic Szoboszlai struck first, 25 minutes into play via a well-worked corner – bursting into the box unmarked as the ball was whipped in hard and low before steering it goalward. Mohamed Salah then had an opportunity to make it 2-0 on the night from the penalty spot when Szoboszlai was brought down in the area by Ismail Jakobs.
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However, the Egyptian failed to beat Ugurcan Cakir from 12 yards, rolling the ball down the middle with the Turkish shot stopper denying Salah with his feet. Attacking the Kop for the second-half, Hugo Ekitike doubled Liverpool’s tally for the night 51 minutes in.
Salah atoned for his earlier error by picking out the French forward at the back stick, leaving the 23-year-old with little work as he slotted the ball Cakir from point blank range. The floodgates well and truly opened soon after, with Ryan Gravenberch finding the back of the net just two minutes later, thumping home a rebounded effort from Salah inside the area.
Wilfried Singo suffered a nightmare soon after the third goal, as he accidentally steered Jeremie Frimpong’s cross into his own net. However, Galatasaray fans worldwide were left breathing a sigh of relief when Frimpong was deemed offside in the build-up, as the score remained at 3-0 on the night and 3-1 on aggregate.
However, it didn’t take Liverpool to finally find a fantastic fourth, Salah cutting in on his favoured left foot, playing a cute one-two with Florian Wirtz and curling into the corner with 62 minutes on the clock.
While Liverpool haven’t finished the job just yet, it seems as though they will make their way into the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a convincing victory over Galatasaray – the game surely too far gone for Okan Buruk’s side to respond.
As things stand, Liverpool will take on Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes come Tuesday, April 7 in the first leg of the quarter-finals. An all-decisive reverse will then take place at Anfield a week later.
It comes after Les Parisiens enjoyed a 3-0 rout of Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday evening, Kvicha Kvaratskhelia, Bradley Barcola and Senny Mayulu making their way onto the scoresheet in that fixture which took the aggregate to 8-2 in PSG’s favour following a 5-2 thrashing in the French capital last week.
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Should Liverpool see an aggregate win over the Ligue 1 titans over two legs, they will then face either Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the semis. A win there would set them up against Sporting CP, Arsenal, Barcelona or Atletico Madrid in May’s final, dependent on who progresses through that half of the Champions League draw.
There will be more to follow on this breaking news storyand Mirror Sport will bring you the very latest updates, pictures and video as soon as possible.
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Liverpool have reached the UEFA Champions League round of 16 where they face Galatasaray on March 18. Fans can watch the game on the TNT Sports Prime Video channel.
Barcelona joined Arsenal in the quarter-finals after a rampant attacking display saw them thrash Newcastle United 7-2 in their second leg at Camp Nou.
Hansi Flick’s side scored three goals in a blistering 16-minute spell at the start of the second half, eventually knocking out their Premier League opposition 8-3 on aggregate.
The Catalan giants will now play the winner of Atletico Madrid versus Tottenham in the quarter-finals, while Arsenal will take on Sporting Lisbon for a spot on the final four.
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But former Manchester City defender Lescott believes that Arsenal would be a considerable ‘problem’ for Barca should both sides meet in the semi-finals in what would be a repeat of the 2006 final.
Asked to rate Barcelona’s chances in this year’s competition, Lescott told TNT Sports: ‘I wouldn’t say so just because of the way they defend.
‘I think a more compact team like Arsenal, and with the offensive talent that they have, I think will cause Barca a lot of problems because I still think there are frailties in their defensive line.
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Barcelona cruised past Newcastle with an 8-3 aggregate win (Picture: Getty)
‘But yes, when they play like this, especially as long as it’s two legs, and how exciting they are and how dominant they are at home, they’ve got a chance.’
Newcastle, meanwhile, were made to pay for a sloppy start to the second half, with Shay Given calling into question the gung-ho approach from ddie Howe’s side.
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‘I think in the cold light of day, when Eddie looks back, I think just frustrating,’ Given said.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal could await Barca in the semis (Picture: Getty)
Champions League quarter-final draw
Paris Saint-Germain vs Galatasaray or Liverpool
Real Madrid vs Atalanta or Bayern Munich
Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid or Tottenham
Sporting CP vs Arsenal
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‘I think the fourth goal came in the 51st minute but we said at half-time, Newcastle don’t have to go out and press them all ovr the pitch and get picked off.
‘I think they had to be more settled in the second half and be more defensive and frustrate them and quiet this crowd down.
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‘Don’t jump out of your positions too much, but the fourth goal comes along and it’s game over at that point, and then it’s just getting picked off for fun because Barcelona really stepped it up in the second half.
‘We are on the pitch level and the speed to move the ball, the movement, the rotations all over the pitch – they are a top team going forward.’
Reflecting after the game, Howe side: ‘Tough way to go out. Really strange to sum that up. First half we were excellent, albeit both halves we didn’t defend properly in key areas. In the second half we weren’t as good.
‘Psychologically, it was a tough one for the lads. They had that penalty right before half-time and scored quite quickly after half-time and psychologically, we didn’t recover.’
An external review of the local authority praised its financial stability and performance, highlighting the “strong and unified culture” among councillors and staff.
The Corporate Peer Challenge, conducted by the Local Government Association (LGA) last year, identified “strong strategic direction and stability” within the new administration after Reform UK gained overall control of the local authority at the May 2025 local elections.
Council officials have now set out an action plan for continuous improvement following the positive review.
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Andrew Husband, council leader, said: “Being a new administration, it would have been easy for us to defer the inspection, but we didn’t.
“If we are to make continuous improvements, the views of senior officers and cabinet members from other authorities are important to hear.”
The council’s partnership working and commitment to community engagement were also praised.
Among several recommendations, the LGA urged the council to establish a comprehensive transformation programme to address the budget gap and drive sustainable change, and develop a refreshed digital strategy.
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The review also called on the authority to “further develop the council’s place leadership as part of the North East Combined Authority and County Durham Vision 2035” and “recognise and demonstrate the council’s leadership role in promoting social cohesion across the entire community.”
Cabinet members were told that around 92 per cent of actions are already underway or complete, with work ongoing to implement the others.
The challenge process is designed to support local councils in improving their performance and governance. Officers from the LGA interviewed more than 100 council representatives, including councillors, officers and staff, during the review in October 2025.
Darren Grimes, deputy leader, told a cabinet meeting: “We have already come a long way since October, and I have no doubt that when we get the follow-up review later this year, we will have made even more progress and that will be acknowledged by the peer team.
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“Some of the actions are straightforward and already addressed, but others are whole council actions that require us to build on that unified culture identified by our peers and work together to deliver the outcomes that the people of County Durham deserve.
“We have all played our part in getting the council to where it is today. And what’s more, we have all had a part to play in what happens next and how we achieve continuous improvement.”
A progress review will take place later this year to assess the council’s implementation of the recommendations.
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England’s World Cup-winning captain Zoe Stratford has announced she is pregnant with her first child.
Announcing the news on Instagram the 29-year-old said the baby is due in September.
“We are so incredibly grateful and excited,” added Stratford.
The news comes seven months after she led the Red Roses to a World Cup triumph on home soil.
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Stratford’s news will rule her out of the Women’s Six Nations, where England will open their campaign against Ireland at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham on Saturday, 11 April.
England are yet to confirm who will lead the side in the 2026 campaign, but Marlie Packer and Meg Jones were vice-captains during the World Cup, with Alex Matthews taking the skipper’s armband for their pool match against Australia.
Red Roses head coach John Mitchell will name his Six Nations squad on Friday.
Stratford was named World Player of the Year in 2021 and has also co-captained her club Gloucester-Hartpury to three back-to-back Premiership Women’s Rugby titles.
Senior DWP officials have updated MPs on the Access to Work scheme, which provides grants for workplace support for those with health conditions or disabilities.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has provided an update on a scheme that could offer £4,000 or more in additional support. Senior officials from the department recently appeared before the Public Accounts Committee to discuss the scheme, which can provide over £60,000 a year in assistance.
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The top officials briefed MPs about the Access to Work scheme. This is a grant programme offering extra workplace support for those with a health condition or disability, helping them carry out their job. Through the programme, you can receive up to £69,260 annually in grants, which can cover things like specialist equipment or a support worker.
The average grant award is £4,000 per year, or £10,500 for those requiring a support worker, the equivalent of almost £200 a week.
Both demand and spending on the scheme have doubled since the 2018/2019 tax year, with the DWP spending £321million on the programme in 2024/2025. The current wait time for applications to be processed is up to 37 weeks.
However, the committee heard that the DWP can fast-track your application. DWP permanent secretary, Peter Schofield, said: “If you have a job that you are ready to start within four weeks, we prioritise it. If there is some other reason why it needs to be prioritised, we prioritise it.”
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The officials said they are making progress in cutting the time needed to process cases. Mr Schofield said one significant change they have observed is the type of medical conditions for which people are claiming the support, reports the Mirror.
He elaborated: “What we have seen is not only a doubling of claims but a really dramatic change in the nature of the claims coming in and of the health conditions that we are talking about-more mental health conditions and more conditions around neurodiversity. There is not a standard way of looking at what would be required in terms of reasonable adjustments.”
Reasonable adjustments are alterations that employers are legally required to make so a person with a health condition can perform their job. This could involve providing physical aids or changing how you execute your work.
Mr Schofield stated: “You have to think about each of those conditions individually. They could be fluctuating conditions; they could be conditions that impact in particular circumstances in a different way.
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“Obviously, the nature of the workplace has changed dramatically as well. To get this right – to get the right decisions – is a really complex piece of work, and we have got to get it right.”
The missing man was last seen in Lisburn on Saturday
Rob Currell Live news reporter
21:03, 18 Mar 2026
Police have put out a public appeal to locate missing man, 22-year-old Cain Matchett, who was last seen at approximately 11pm on Saturday night in the Lisburn area.
Cain was last sighted in the area of Oakridge Crescent, Lisburn, wearing dark clothing and carrying a rucksack and a light-coloured suitcase.PSNI said the man is known to have links to the Newry, Derry, Belfast and Mid Ulster areas.A statement from the PSNI said: “If you have seen Cain or have any information regarding his whereabouts, no matter how insignificant it may seem, please contact Police on 101 quoting reference 1398 16/3/26.”
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