TLB Care Ltd wants to turn a house on Durham Road in Annfield Plain, near Stanley, into a small home for vulnerable young people.

The property, currently a family house, would become a residential children’s home for up to two children aged about 10 to 17 with emotional and behavioural difficulties, learning disabilities or social, emotional and mental health needs.

Planning documents say there would be no building work to change how the house looks from the street.

The home would be run under Ofsted rules, with staff on site around the clock.

The applicant says it would feel like an ordinary family home, with children going to school, sharing meals and taking part in everyday activities.

The plans were scaled back after early talks with Durham County Council. An earlier idea for three or four children was reduced to two following concerns about the impact on neighbours and the wider area.

A noise and behaviour plan promises close supervision, longer staff shifts to cut traffic and clear steps for handling complaints from neighbours.

The applicant says the scheme would provide much‑needed specialist care places for young people in County Durham.

Plans are with Durham County Council, and a decision is expected to be made in the coming weeks.

The well-known pub was built back in 1901

The future of one of West Belfast’s best-known bars remains uncertain as it has gone up for sale.

The Rock Bar, located at 491-493 Falls Road, was built back in 1901 by Frank O’Neill and has survived significant conflict including a rocket attack during The Troubles. The traditional pub has many of its original features, including five snugs.

The pub is well-known for having live music five nights a week, including their famous Rebel Sunday event. It is regarded as one of the district’s most historic pubs.

It is located in a Grade B2 listed building, reflecting its architectural and cultural significance. The pub is listed for sale on PropertyPal with “price on application,” while it is also listed on Savills as “New/Sole Agency/Freehold/For Sale” with no indication of sale agreed or completion.

A brochure for the building from Savills describes it as “combining traditional architectural character with modern functionality.”

It adds: “Arranged over two and three storeys, it features an attractive facade, dedicated off-sales area and The Rock Bar, one of the Falls Road’s leading licensed venues.

“The interior includes a well-presented split-level public bar, a spacious first floor lounge with stage and bar servery and additional storage and office accommodation across the upper floors.”

Many people have taken to social media to express sadness at the loss of the much-loved bar, while sharing memories of time spent at the West Belfast venue.

For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here and sign up to our daily newsletter here.

The Thursday letters page is cautiously optimistic about Tomb Raider: Legacy Of Atlantis, as a reader is worried about the sequel to 007 First Light.

Games Inbox is a collection of our readers’ letters, comments, and opinions. To join in with the discussions yourself email gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Expected response
I think I agree with your summary of the State of Play, in that it was solid, didn’t do anything wrong, and yet I wasn’t excited by it at all. The problem is, and I think you hinted at it, is that while I’ll probably even buy Wolverine and God Of War Laufey, I already know what they’ll be and while I’m sure they’ll have unexpected moments they really don’t seem to be doing anything we haven’t seen before.

It’s the problem with sequels and using existing IP and while I understand it, and even encourage it when it comes to something I really like, they almost seem like wasted games, in terms of not moving anything forward.

I’m sure they’ll rake in the money, because tried and tested is what sells, but I feel Xbox has an opportunity here, to have a much more surprising showcase, with some games that aren’t just the obvious go-tos. They’ll probably miss the open goal though, they usually do.
Gazza

Logan Drake
I’m getting some serious Uncharted vibes from Marvel’s Wolverine. The whole thing with the chase on the bike reminds me of the Madagascar chase from Uncharted 4. That was probably the best bit in the entire game, so you can’t blame them for trying to copy it, but it doesn’t give me much hope that Wolverine is going to be very original.

Especially when they had that bit where he’s looking down at the soldiers below and he’s doing some simple stealthing about (like Batman: Arkham Asylum, again). I just don’t know what’s going to be special about the game other than its production values. But then I suppose Wolverine doesn’t really have particularly interesting powers from a video game perspective.

He’s just got short daggers in his hands really, and there’s probably only so much he can do with that, so I’m not entirely on board yet.
Goldie

Direct cycle
There’s got to be a Nintendo Direct next week. I don’t care how obstinate Nintendo are, you can’t go half a year without announcing a single big game or saying what’s coming out at Christmas. Especially not with a price rise coming up, where you’ve really got to justify why people should be buying the console.

I agree with GC though, in that it’ll be a minimum effort and probably only announce one or two big things, then the rest will be already announced games, DLC, and Switch 2 editions. Then we’ll be right back into wondering if there’s going to be another Nintendo Direct and if there’s a secret Christmas game they haven’t told us about yet.

I get why things are like this now but it’s kind of exhausting and not as much fun as it used to be.
Zeiss

Email your comments to: gamecentral@metro.co.uk

Modern gaming
I recently purchased 007 First Light for the PlayStation 5. I put the disc in and downloaded what popped up to get everything ready for when I could start to play. I sat down today to begin and there was an update, just seven minutes – so annoying but not too bad. I played through the first tutorial mission. All pretty standard but I was keen to see what was next after all the positive reviews.

The game halted suddenly after the intro music, a pop-up stating ‘content downloading, returning to main menu’. I look in the PlayStation 5 downloads and I have more stuff downloading, three hours worth (yes, I have slow internet where I live but nothing too unusual).

I was quite underwhelmed with the early stages of the game, thinking that it continues the trend with modern triple-A games being mildly interactive unimaginative movies rather than actual games. Add to this the fact that I can’t actually play any more of the game today and I really do think that modern gaming is finally becoming not for me.
Alex

GC: You really should’ve waited until it had finished downloading before starting it, as it’s colouring your view of the game.

Traffic jam
Really looking forward to Onimusha: Way Of The Sword continuing the Capcom quality run, but that last week of September period is an absolute nightmare. All those games coming out at the same time, all trying to stay out of the way of GTA 6… they’re all going to suffer and some of them are going to flop completely.

Nobody has enough time or money to play them all even if they wanted to, so hard choices are going to be made. In this case it doesn’t seem publishers had much choice about what to do, but I hope some of them change dates now that they see how things have shaken out.

It’s Control Resonant I fear the most for. Remedy games just don’t sell and this one isn’t going to either if it’s like the sixth most high profile game of the week.
Grackle

Bubble Raider
So what they’re saying about AI in Tomb Raider is that you can guarantee people are going to find AI stuff in the game, in the first week or so, and then we’ll get the usual apology tweet saying they thought they’d removed it all (aka they were hoping nobody would notice).

I would love to know how much time they think they’re saving by using AI for temporary graphics and then going to all the trouble of removing them (or not) and/or changing them. That sounds like a faff to me and unlikely to save much time, while also generating bad publicity.

What did they do before? Presumably used graphics from older games, which considering Crystal Dynamics has been making Tomb Raider games for decades now they must have plenty of by now. Just use ones from Tomb Raider: Anniversary, which was the first time they did a remake.

I understand that AI can help with programming but we’ll probably never know about that, so you can’t say anything about it, one way or the other.

But in terms of anything else I don’t see how it’s helping at all, other than making the developers look incompetent and heartless. The sooner this ridiculous bubble bursts the better. I’d almost wish NFTs had caught on instead at this point.
Sharkton

Thunderballed
As much as I’ve loved 007 First Light, I have big worries about the sequel. It turns out the reason Amazon, who own the Bond licence, weren’t involved in First Light is that they hadn’t bought it when it started. But now they own it they want to publish any game in the future.

That has me very worried, as IO published First Light and that seems to be one of the main reasons they did it. If Amazon kicks off IO from being the developer that would be an absolute disaster.
Private

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Top two
Being firmly in the camp that believes Returnal was the best PlayStation 5 game by a country mile, I’ve been looking forward to Saros more than any other game in a long while. Now that I’ve completed it, I can say without a doubt: this is easily one of the top two games on the console.

Like many others, I was mildly disappointed at first. The atmospheric, abstract storytelling of Returnal is a bit more prescribed here (though, ironically, many complained that Returnal was too abstract). However, once I got over the fact that it’s different, I came to enjoy it immensely, possibly even more than its predecessor.

The combat, as always with Housemarque, is second to none; for my money, it’s the best shooting in any game ever. The new mechanics, like using your shield to charge up power weapons and parrying red bullet, add brilliant, fun layers to the loop. The guns are as good as ever, with each class possessing its own distinct style and playing completely differently to keep things fresh.

At first, I thought the shotguns were duff, but once you unlock the enhanced melee attack, staggering enemies with a blast and smashing them to pieces becomes extremely satisfying. Personally, my favourites are the Chakrams, reminiscent of the Dreadbound in Returnal with a few twists, which can absolutely melt through enemy health bars. The bows are great fun too.

When you’re in that flow state, juggling standard fire, alt-fire, shields, power weapons, and parries, it perfectly captures the intense bullet hell arcade action of Ikaruga or Housemarque’s older titles, but blown out into a big budget, 3D space. The sheer drama of each fight leaves you breathless, and the boss fights are extremely impressive. It is a non-stop rollercoaster ride; a sci-fi, bullet hell space opera extravaganza.

I also enjoyed the narrative and found myself genuinely looking forward to the cut scenes to unpick what was going on. The endings are great too.

Is it better than Returnal? The combat is absolutely better. And while I preferred Returnal’s atmosphere, I still really invested in this story. Ultimately, the reason I keep playing these games isn’t the plot; it’s the gameplay, and in that regard, Saros just pips it to the post.

Either way, both games are entirely unique. No other titles on the market feel like them, which is incredibly rare in this day and age, and exactly why I love them both so much. Choosing between them is like picking a favourite child. Either way, Housemarque has proven once again that they are the absolute kings of modern arcade action.
Mud

GC: We think you liked the story a bit more than we did but generally, we agree – especially in terms of the combat.

Inbox also-rans
Anyone want a Metal Gear film? Give War Machine a go. Obviously, there’s a lot less history, dialogue and confusing plotting. Best thing is, its runtime is a lot shorter than some Metal Gear cut scenes.
Bobwallett

The announcement trailer for the Tomb Raider remake looks absolutely incredible. I’m in awe! One of my favourite video game franchises. They can’t mess this one up, can they?
Paul C.

GC: Anything is possible.

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The small print
New Inbox updates appear every weekday morning, with special Hot Topic Inboxes at the weekend. Readers’ letters are used on merit and may be edited for length and content.

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MORE: Games Inbox: Will God Of War Laufey be a good game?

MORE: Games Inbox: Will tonight’s State of Play be a good one?

MORE: Games Inbox: Is this the most important week for gaming in 2026?

Andrew Colley Watson, who goes by Drew Colson, has launched Colson of York based in Bilton-in-Ainsty, east of Wetherby.

Colson of York has completed its first series of amplifiers, The Three Sisters of Ainsty, expected to cost around £825 each.

They are fully analogue 25-watt amplifiers with no valves or digital modelling, meaning the signal comes purely from the instrument using traditional components rather than it being converted into data then processed by software to create the sound.

The Three Sisters of Ainsty, Maria, Charlotte and Emily, the first completed series from Colson of York (Image: Supplied)

Each amplifier has a hand-built hardwood cabinet – built by Drew in very small numbers using Yorkshire sycamore sourced near Ripon then air dried and cured for more than 15 years – and matched to a speaker.

The Three Sisters of Ainsty series includes three one-off analogue amplifiers, named Maria, Charlotte and Emily.

One of the new amplifiers by Colson of York (Image: Supplied)

More than 30 hours of labour is involved in creating the amplifiers, with each having its “own cabinet style, character and voice”, according to Colson.

Drew said the amplifier business follows his decades of experience as a musician.  

He has owned and tested dozens of amplifiers and performs regularly as a gigging musician. Drew also hosts open mic nights and musicians’ jam sessions, which helped when researching amplifiers.

“As a player, I wanted something that worked naturally with pedals, felt alive under my fingers and had a real presence in the room,” he said. “Colson of York brings together guitars, analogue sound, natural materials, science, design and precision, all things that I’m interested in.”

Read next:

Drew added that he chose to make the amplifiers fully analogue as he is “interested in that direct, physical connection between the player, the analogue circuitry, the speaker, the cabinet and the room”.

“In music, digital modelling can be incredibly useful, but for me there’s a difference between listening to a violin, for example, and listening to a recording of a violin. That’s what analogue equipment gives you.”

Drew built his first prototype valve amplifier around two years ago, followed by further valve, digital and analogue experiments.

And after selling his first fully hand-built amplifier in 2025, he decided to open Colson of York this month.

The Three Sisters of Ainsty amplifiers are now available for sale, with the business announcing that future small series, one-off builds and private inquiries will be handled directly through Colson of York.

For more information about Colson of York, visit www.colsonofyork.co.uk

Bernardo Silva bid farewell to the Manchester City faithful against Aston Villa in a game that was Pep Guardiola‘s final match in charge of the club

Bernardo Silva has decided not to make a call on his future until after the World Cup. Silva left the Etihad Stadium after nine trophy-laden years following the expiry of his contract at the end of the season.

Reports then emerged last week claiming that he was set to sign for Barcelona on a free transfer having also been offered a deal by Atletico Madrid and Benfica. However, the Portugal international has had a change of heart and will now decide his next move after the World Cup.

“Bernardo will decide after World Cup”, Silva’s agent, Jorge Mendes, is quoted as telling journalist Fabrizio Romano.

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Silva played 460 games during his nine years at City, and he won 15 major trophies with the club, including four-successive Premier League titles between 2021-2024, the treble in 2023 and all four domestic trophies in the 2018-19 season.

The Times last week reported that Silva would like to end his playing career at Benfica, where he came through the academy. However, he believes he can still play at a higher level for another couple of years first.

Opening up on his decision to leave City last month, Silva admitted to Canal 11: “It was a decision I made two years ago, that I would see out my contract and then we would go our separate ways. When I made the decision, I knew I wouldn’t change my mind.

“When I arrived, I never imagined I’d stay for nine years, that’s a long time at a club. The decision to leave was a natural one. It’s my last chance to take on another challenge in my life, to do something different.

“Since I left, my family has been pulling me back. They know that nine years is a long time and, after everything I’ve achieved here, it made sense to do something different.”

Asked if City had tried to convince him to stay even longer, Silva added: “They tried. They kept trying, but they realised my stance wasn’t going to change.

“In the end, they stopped pushing the issue. They gradually realised. And then they started joking that I was leaving but never actually would. They didn’t quite believe it.

“Ruben (Dias) and Matheus (Nunes) knew my decision wouldn’t change. I didn’t make a formal announcement, but I always said I’d see out my contract and then leave.”

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Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

When the United States and Israel began their conflict against Iran, the Islamic Republic retaliated – as it has done in the past – by launching missile strikes against Israel as well as US military basis in the region. In addition, Iran targeted military and civilian locations across several Arab Gulf states.

Iran’s proxy in Lebanon, Hezbollah, drew the country into the war on March 2 by responding to the US-Israeli attack on Iran with widespread rocket attacks on northern Israel. In turn, Israel bombarded Beirut’s southern suburbs, where Hezbollah has its power base, as well as sending troops across the border into southern Lebanon.

Lebanon’s prime minister, Nawaf Salam, reacted swiftly. He banned Hezbollah’s military wing calling its activities “illegal” and ordering the Lebanese security forces to “prevent any attacks originating from Lebanese territory”. Hezbollah ignored his call and continued to pound northern Israel, while engaging with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on the ground.

Both sides – the Israeli government and Hezbollah – have framed the use of military force as necessary to protect their respective communities. This is nothing new. When referring to Hezbollah during his speech at the 2024 annual gathering of the United Nations general assembly, Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu explicitly made this link. “Israel has every right to remove this threat,” he declared, “and return our citizens to their homes safely, and that is exactly what we are doing”.

Hezbollah’s secretary general, Hassan Nasrallah (since assassinated in an Israeli strike on Beirut in September 2024) made a similar case of using military force to defend communities across Lebanon earlier that same year. After Israel assassinated Hamas’ deputy political leader, Salah Al-Arouri, in Beirut, in January that year he said that “we cannot keep silent about a violation of this seriousness because this means that all of our people will be exposed. All of our cities, villages, and public figures will be exposed.”

Two years on, both sides continue to justify the use of military force to defend their respective communities. But this claim does not bear scrutiny. As of June 2026, communities on both sides of the Israel-Lebanon border remain highly insecure. This is despite the supposed US-brokered ceasefire between the two sides declared by Donald Trump on April 7.

Hezbollah’s attacks on Israel have resulted in civilian and military casualties as well as severe disruption to everyday life. The situation on the Lebanese side of the border is worse. Since Hezbollah drew Lebanon into the war between the US and Israel on the one side, and Iran on the other, the IDF has significantly expanded its ground offensive, reportedly resulting in more than 3,000 people killed and more than 1 million displaced.

Nevertheless, Nasrallah’s replacement as Hezbollah secretary general, Naim Qassem, has continued his predecessor’s aggressive line against Israel. Upon the onset of the current hostilities he pledged, on March 5, to “continue the fight against Israel”. In addition, he has rejected the Lebanese government’s order to refrain from attacks on Israel and refused to disarm.

In a statement on May 25 to mark Resistance and Liberation Day, the Lebanese holiday marking the anniversary of Israel’s withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000, Qassem said disarmament would destroy Lebanon’s “defensive capability and the capability of the resistance and its people, as a prelude to extermination”. He added: “Disarmament is extermination, and this is something we cannot accept.”

Ordinary lives under threat

Having clearly learned a lesson from Ukraine’s defence against Russia, Hezbollah has taken to using fibre-optic drones as their main weapon. Apart from the military and civilian casualties inflicted by these attacks, they severely threaten everyday life across the north of Israel, forcing workplaces and businesses to close and disrupting schools.

Overwhelmed and insecure, residents in northern Israel have described themselves as becoming “invisible” in the eyes of the Israeli government. A spokesperson for Lobby 1701, a northern Israel residents’ group named after UN Security Council resolution 1701, which ended the last Israeli occupation of southern Lebanon and was supposed to ensure the demilitarisation of the region, told Israeli news outlet Ynet Global that people in northern Israel felt abandoned by their government: “Why does no one care even a little when a drone hits a children’s bus stop in Shomera, compared with if that same drone had, God forbid, hit a children’s bus stop in Tel Aviv?”

Hezbollah’s pledge to “defend” its communities through its military operations have clearly utterly failed and a majority of Lebanese people favour the group disarming. One Lebanese politician from a party which opposes Hezbollah, told journalists: “I have never seen a so-called resistance movement that is supposed to liberate the country from the occupier, do everything it can to give the occupier a pretext to send even more troops and create a buffer zone. If they want to commit suicide, let them go to their master in Tehran, far from Lebanon.”

Captives of conflict

Thus, ordinary Israelis and Lebanese remain captive to the false promises of their leaders. The continued reliance on military force has brought neither side greater security. Instead, it has deepened their vulnerability.

The only sustainable path out of this deadly cycle is a diplomatic and political settlement along the lines laid down in resolution 1701 – but with stronger security guarantees – which people on both sides of the border need and deserve.

Yet the government of Israel and Hezbollah’s leadership remain committed to rigid ideologies and political calculations – domestic and international – that prevent such an agreement. Meanwhile, their communities continue to bear the cost.

Around 10 caravans have set up on the overspill car park behind Howe Bridge Leisure Centre car park in South Atherton.

Caravans and trucks are visible on the field, as well as several cars.

The group have not parked their caravans on the main car park itself, confining themselves to the field overspill behind it, which is usually closed off by a gate.

(Image: Dan Dougherty)

Travellers have rights, as do the owners of land where unauthorised encampments take place.

They are protected from discrimination under the Race Relations Act 1976 and the Human Rights Act 1998, alongside all ethnic groups with distinct cultures, languages or values.

Now that they are there, he procedure is the council will come to conduct a welfare check on the group.

They will also ask them to move on from the premises.

The council have legal powers to deal with encampments if the group do not move when requested to do so, but the process can take up to a week.

Writing about the world’s biggest pop icons is often a double-edged sword. On the plus side, authors know the public is always hungry for more (just see the volume of unofficial Taylor Swift biographies released in recent years). But minus side, they need to find a new angle to avoid treading over old ground.

In Tonight the Music Seems So Loud: The meaning of George Michael – its title a lyric from Michael’s 1984 smash hit Careless Whisper – Sathnam Sanghera nails his colours to the mast in the first few pages. “George Michael does not get the acknowledgement he deserves,” he asserts. He notes that while there are “countless books out there which seriously analyse the music and lyrics of The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Prince and Taylor Swift, when it comes to Michael, very few go “beyond the soap opera” of his life. And, that the “obsession with his biography continues to blind people to his talent today”.

It’s a persuasive argument, and upon finishing the introduction I felt compelled to take a deeper dive into Michael’s back catalogue. Prior to this, I’d only been a casual listener, appreciating his vocal chops and enjoying the singles when they came on the radio or TV. But, as with all the most talented artists, I find that the gold lies in the albums.

As Sanghera points out, many of his songs were “written, produced, arranged and performed” by Michael, who demonstrates an extraordinary range and depth of artistry and innovation across his studio output. To me, at least, this is revelatory information.

I don’t imagine I’m alone. I surmise this is largely due to how Michael has been presented to us through the mass media over the years, with British tabloids often ignoring his status as bona fide auteur and instead labelling him simply as “The Wham! singer”, “Last Christmas singer” or “popstar”. Perhaps such labels have occurred simply because it’s easier than writing singer/ songwriter/ producer/ arranger/ multi-instrumentalist. Or perhaps, as Sanghera says, it’s because of the “endless salacious headlines”. But, whatever the reason, Michael’s talents have certainly been undersold.

The music v the man

Now suitably appreciative of the need to take George Michael and his music seriously, I return to the book, eager to educate myself beyond the simple “soap opera” information Sanghera rightly rails against.

I read about Michael’s Greek Cypriot heritage. I read about the cultural impact that Wham! gigs had on China in the early 80s. I read about his sexuality, charity work, political activism, relationship with fame and his drug addictions. Occasionally, most notably in the chapter “Genius Naïf” (referencing Michael’s musical naivety), I read about his songs and the creative processes behind them.

Upon finishing the book, I couldn’t help but feel that Sanghera’s intention to focus on the music rather than the man was somewhat at odds with what was actually delivered. Of its 263 pages, only 40 are spent analysing music, lyrics and creative processes. This means 85% of the book is dedicated to precisely what it was supposed to be avoiding: “the biography that continues to blind people to his talent.”

À lire aussi :
Five books about the lives of musicians that are stonking good reads

The personal touch

If we approach the book as a straight-forward biography rather than the musical analysis it’s presented as, then it’s a fine, detailed, intelligent work. It also strikes a fine balance between the integrity of biographical writing and the readability of narrative non-fiction.

Adding a welcome personal touch, Sanghera begins and ends the book by reflecting on his own relationship with George Michael’s and Wham!’s music, while also threading short anecdotal sections throughout. Although it could be thought that such subjectivity would isolate most readers from the narrative, it has the opposite effect. I felt I inhabited Sanghera’s emotional connection to the music as if it were my own experience, allowing for a more immersive and meaningful read. It’s also effective in showing how the terrain of a lifelong fanship like Sanghera’s isn’t always easily navigated, and how our attitudes toward even our most beloved artists can change significantly over time.

It’s tough for a writer to be critical about an artist who played such an important role in their musical and personal development. Doing so can even feel like an attack on the self. But Sanghera never shies away from censuring Michael when he deems it necessary. Among the praise, he approaches without bias what he sees as Michael’s perfectionism, laziness and “control freakery” – with this last enough to warrant an entire chapter on the subject.

Tonight the Music Seems So Loud is well worth the time for both existing George Michael fans and those yet to be converted. Just don’t expect detailed analysis of the music.

This article features references to books that have been included for editorial reasons, and may contain links to bookshop.org. If you click on one of the links and go on to buy something, The Conversation UK may earn a commission.

Changes in circumstances which must be reported to the DWP or it could impact your Universal Credit entitlement or payments and in some cases, even lead to Universal Credit penalties or a court appearance

The most recent data from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) reveals that by the end of February, approximately 8.3 million people both in and out of employment across Scotland, England and Wales were receiving financial assistance through Universal Credit.

The means-tested benefit is typically paid on a monthly basis, though fortnightly payments are available to some claimants living in Scotland. Despite this, a significant number of Universal Credit recipients may be unaware of certain changes in their circumstances that must be declared to the DWP, as failure to do so could affect their entitlement or payments and, in some instances, result in a penalty fine or even a court appearance.

There are nearly 20 changes that need to be reported, including getting a new mobile number or email address, switching to a different bank account, moving address and your rent going up or down.

DWP guidance on GOV.UK warns: “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.”

Change of circumstances you need to report to DWP

DWP guidance on GOV.UK states you need to report changes in your circumstances so that you keep getting the right amount each month, reports the Daily Record. It adds you need to report changes “as soon as they happen” because any delay “may mean you receive too much money and will have to make a repayment”.

DWP warns: “Changes in your circumstances can affect how much you’re paid for your whole assessment period – not just from the date you report them.”

Changes can include:

• Finding a job
• Finishing a job
• Having a child
• Moving in with your partner
• Starting to care for a child
• Starting to care for a disabled person
• Your child stopping or restarting education or training, if they’re aged 16 to 19
• Changing your mobile number
• Changing your email address
• Moving to a new address
• Going outside Great Britain for any length of time, if you live there
• Going outside Northern Ireland for any length of time, if you live there
• Changing your bank details
• Your rent going up or down
• Changes to your health condition
• Becoming too ill to work or meet your work coach
• Changes to your earnings (only if you’re self-employed)
• Changes to your savings, investments and how much money you have
• Changes to your immigration status, if you’re not a British citizen

How to report a change

The DWP advises claimants to report any change in circumstances by logging into their Universal Credit online account.

If you get a job or increase the hours you work

Use a benefits calculator or speak with your work coach to find out how securing employment or a rise in your earnings could affect your Universal Credit claim.

In most cases, your employer will report your earnings on your behalf. You will generally only need to report monthly earnings if you are self-employed.

If you have been paid too much by DWP

You may be required to repay the money if you:

• Did not report a change straight away
• Gave wrong information
• Were overpaid by mistake

Comprehensive details regarding benefit overpayments are available on GOV.UK here.

Channel 5 drama The Fortune follows a woman who’s left a huge sum by someone she doesn’t know

The Fortune viewers were left baffled as the psychological drama continued on Channel 5, with several questioning the plot.

The series centres on waitress Amanda Blakefield (played by Poldark’s Eleanor Tomlinson) whose world is turned upside down when she learns she stands to inherit a vast estate from a complete stranger.

Amanda clashes with the rich man’s family, including son Anthony, who is played by All Creatures Great and Small star Callum Woodhouse, and also has trouble with her own husband Jimmy (Harry Potter star Matthew Lewis), who is receiving suspicious phone calls.

In the first episode of the series, Amanda ends up trapped in a car with a man named Boots who gives her a sinister warning. She gets away and races home, but in the second episode decides to return to the area and sneak into his creepy cottage in the middle of the night – alone – to investigate.

Viewers were left scratching their heads over the decision, with one calling it “daft” and another noting that she was “messing with fire”.

“Who goes wandering at night and enters the house of someone who had threatened her?” one person asked on X, as someone else said: “He has already threatened her, so she goes to see him on her own at night.”

“She was (scared) last night in the taxi and here she is alone wandering around his house in the dark,” someone else posted on the platform, which was formerly Twitter.

“Now she’s being daft again,” said someone else.

“Typical TV drama derangement syndrome. Do they: (a) consult a solicitor? (b) report threats & kidnapping to the police? No! It’s always (c) do it yourself and barge in uninvited to dangerous situations without telling anyone else.”

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“Don’t think I’d want to be wandering around there at the dead of night,” admitted one viewer, as another posted: “Amanda’s messing with fire.”

However, others were gripped by the tense mystery, with one saying the episode “went with a bang” and another calling it “interesting”. “I enjoyed it,” said one, adding: “Good cast.”

Another person gave it a thumbs up, and someone else said: “Episode 2 so far is much better than the ludicrous episode 1.”

The Fortune is airing on Channel 5.