The South Belfast park is popular for water sports

A new piece of infrastructure has been approved for the popular Shaw’s Bridge area in South Belfast, to replace an important water sports access point in the park.

Belfast City Council has approved an application by the Stormont Department for Infrastructure for the installation of a new floating pontoon to replace the existing wooden jetty.

It will be at the river bank approximately 150 metres north east of the Shaws Bridge Car Park, BT9. The pontoon will be at an important access point for water sports at Clement Wilson Park.

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The fundamental difference between a jetty and a pontoon is that a pontoon floats and rises and falls with the tide or water level, while a jetty is a rigid structure built on fixed pilings that remains at a constant height regardless of the water level.

The existing wooden jetty at Shaw’s Bridge was closed due to its poor condition. The new infrastructure will take the form of a modular floating pontoon system, secured by two steel locating piles, and connected to the shore via a hinged access gangway and walkway with handrails. Concrete plinths will be installed at the existing ground level on the bank.

Clement Wilson Park is a designated site of local conservation importance. It is an area of parkland and walking trails within the wider designated Lagan Valley Regional Park and Lagan Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, owned by Belfast City Council.

The river Lagan runs through the parkland with a number of community greenways accessible nearby. The site is accessed from the Malone Road.

There were no objections from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency or Department for Infrastructure Rivers. No third representations were received by the council.

The council officer states in the Planning report on the application: “The proposal retains the use as facilities ancillary to water sports as an access point to the waterway. It supports policy positions promoting healthy and active lifestyles and the provision of community infrastructure in the form of leisure facilities.

“The floating pontoon will allow for year-round access to the river due to its nature as not fixed but floating, promoting increased accessibility for users.”

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Newcastle United have reportedly agreed a £69.3m plus add-ons deal with Barcelona for Anthony Gordon, with the transfer said to leave Marcus Rashford’s future at Manchester United uncertain

Anthony Gordon is poised to complete a move to Barcelona after Newcastle United accepted a £69.3million plus add-ons offer, casting doubt over Marcus Rashford’s prospects at the club. Following a day of negotiations between the sides, Gordon is now due to undergo a medical as the deal edges closer to completion.

The England winger is anticipated to double his earnings to approximately £300,000 per week, as Barcelona invest heavily ahead of the World Cup. The La Liga champions have adopted a markedly different strategy in their dealings with the Magpies compared to their negotiations with Manchester United.

They have the option to secure Rashford for £26m through a clause in his loan agreement, during which the 28-year-old performed well after arriving from United. However, Barcelona have been working to reduce that fee as they navigate their financial regulations in Spain.

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Gordon’s preferred position is on the left wing, where he’s set to compete with Rashford for a spot in Thomas Tuchel’s England lineup. Nevertheless, it’s been suggested that Hansi Flick is willing to bring in both players this summer.

Rashford has reportedly already consented to sacrificing nearly half his weekly wage to stay at Barcelona, while another loan arrangement has been mooted and would now appear a more probable outcome. United’s preference would be to sell at the figure they agreed last summer.

Whether United’s hierarchy are open to alternative arrangements following Barcelona’s pursuit of Gordon is yet to be determined. The Catalan side are flexing their financial muscle but could also use the Gordon transfer as justification for limiting further expenditure.

Gordon’s signing will also enable Barcelona to demonstrate they aren’t desperately in need of reinforcement in that area. Rashford drifted in and out of Barca’s first XI, despite contributing 14 goals and 14 assists.

This places United in an awkward situation regarding Rashford’s future. The homegrown talent is tied down until 2028, though he’d only intended to remain at Camp Nou this summer.

After securing the league title with Barca, Rashford expressed hope of prolonging his spell but seemed to suggest it wasn’t guaranteed. “This is the perfect way I want it to end,” he said.

“I’m very happy, I just want to enjoy today. I live in the moment. At the end of the season we will see.

“I came here to win and we do this so I’m very happy. It’s an incredible feeling.

“Over the season we deserved it, we were the best team. We had some bad moments but we always come back and fight to improve.”

LONGVIEW, Wash. (AP) — A second person who was injured when a large chemical tank ruptured at a Washington state paper mill has died, authorities said Wednesday, bringing the presumed death toll to 11, including nine workers still missing in one of the deadliest U.S. workplace accidents in years.

Authorities said there was no hope of finding more survivors, but crews were ready to resume searching Wednesday for those who went missing following Tuesday’s tank failure at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. in Longview, which also injured eight people, including a firefighter who was treated and released by a hospital.

If the 11 deaths are confirmed, it would be one of the deadliest industrial accidents in the U.S. in recent decades — alongside a series of blasts that killed 16 people at an explosives plant in Tennessee last fall; a fire and detonation that killed 14 people at a fertilizer plant in Texas in 2013; and the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion that killed 11 people in 2010.

Officials said Wednesday that the paper mill tank spilled more than 500,000 gallons (1.9 million liters) of “white liquor,” a highly destructive chemical mixture used in paper manufacturing.

After delaying the search over concerns that the tank might collapse further and spill more liquid, crews determined that it contained less than initially thought and that the tank was stable enough to resume efforts to find the missing.

“We do not know where all nine are,” said Scott Goldstein, a Cowlitz County fire chief.

The rupture caused the huge circular tank to buckle on one side, and officials said late Tuesday that they would only work during daylight because of the dangers.

Authorities said the rupture hasn’t affected the safety of the air and drinking water in Longview, a Columbia River city of about 40,000 people with long ties to the Washington and Oregon paper and lumber industries. But they did say some of the contamination reached the river and that testing was ongoing. They also warned residents to keep away from ditches and dikes.

It was the second notable issue with a chemical tank in days on the West Coast, following the evacuation of thousands of Southern California residents due to an overheated tank an aerospace plant before those orders were lifted Tuesday night.

The paper mill tank could hold about 900,000 gallons (3.4 million liters) and was more than half full when it ruptured, Goldstein said. White liquor, which is made mostly of sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide, is used with heat to break down wood to make kraft paper, a durable material used in packaging, shopping bags and other products.

The sprawling plant, which employs about 1,000 people, makes material for tissues, printing paper, cups, plates, and cartons. It sits along the river next to other timber, paper and chemical businesses.

Paper mill worker was always there to help, friend says

Authorities haven’t released the names of the dead or missing, but some names have begun to trickle out.

Todd Cornwell said his friend, Gilbert Bernal, was an electrician at the plant and was the first confirmed death. They knew each other through church and were in the same Bible study group, he said.

“We actually had our group last night and instead of doing Bible study, we talked about him,” Cornwell said. “He was always there willing to help in whatever needed to be done. When the local church school started flooding, he was one of the people there.”

Brian Williquette, a chemical supplier for the region’s mills, was at the plant Tuesday morning when he heard an alarm over the intercom and first wondered if it was drill. He was able to get out safely and didn’t see any of the damage.

“It’s just unfathomable,” he said at a community vigil Tuesday. “There’s not anybody that lives here that doesn’t know somebody at a paper mill.”

Crystal Moldenhauer, a Longview resident, said she has friends at the plant who remained unaccounted for. She said people called and texted each other all day trying to figure out what happened.

“We’re all still waiting for answers,” she said. “There’s families that have been torn apart, and we don’t know why.”

The cause of the rupture remained unclear.

Authorities press for answers about the rupture

Nippon Paper Group in a statement said Wednesday that it was offering its “deepest condolences and heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved families.”

Some of those who were injured suffered burns or inhalation injuries, authorities said.

Following the tank’s rupture, the liquid spilled into a drainage ditch, said Brittny Goodsell, a state Ecology Department spokesperson.

“I know there’s a lot of questions about how all of this happened and I want to assure you that we will all continue to pressure to get answers to those questions,” Murray said.

The mill faced complaints and fines

Safety complaints were filed against Nippon Dynawave in March and May. The state’s labor and industries department said on X that both were unrelated to the current situation. One was an anonymous complaint about a valve on a tank, according to the department, which noted that it was not the tank that imploded.

Nippon Dynawave, a subsidiary of Japan-based Nippon Paper Group, has been fined $3,400 for three separate health and safety violations found by Washington Department of Labor and Industries inspectors since the start of 2021, according to the department’s online database.

Just over 40 people died between January 2021 and mid-October 2023 as a result of hazardous chemical incidents in the U.S., according to a paper released by a network of environmental justice organizations in late 2023.

___

Associated Press reporters Gene Johnson and Hallie Golden in Seattle, Kathy McCormack in Concord New Hampshire, Rebecca Boone in Boise, Idaho, and Christopher L. Keller in Albuquerque, New Mexico, contributed.

The organisation Veritau, which provides a counter-fraud service to the local authority, also said 32 formal investigations took place in 2025/26.

A report for the council’s governance committee said: “These reports come from a range of sources, including council officers, members of the public, and data matching exercises. 

“Each referral is reviewed to determine if an investigation is necessary. 

“Where issues are raised relating to other organisations, such as the DWP, then our service passes the referral onto the relevant agency. 

“Cases are allocated in order of urgency, including consideration of the potential financial impact on the local authority, should the allegation be proven.”

It added: “We use qualified criminal investigators to support departments with fraud prevention, proactively identify issues through data matching exercises, and investigate suspected fraud. 

“To deter fraud, offenders face a range of outcomes, including prosecution in the most serious cases.”

The report did not detail the outcome of every investigation, but gave some examples of some outcomes.

It said: “Three [criminal] cautions were given to drivers, in lieu of prosecution, who admitted misusing blue badges in the Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council area. 

“In an adult social care investigation, the counter fraud team was able to suspend a family member’s inappropriate access to a [resident’s] bank account. 

“As a result, £55,000 in unpaid care fees is in the process of being recovered.

“Investigative work identified overpayments [to the public] of £80,000 in 2025/26 and 90 pedr cent of this related to issues identified in adult social care.”

Social care was the biggest council area in which suspected fraud was investigated with council tax payments the next biggest category.

Meanwhile, further work identified six members of council staff who were said to have a second, paid role at another public sector organisation, but who had failed to make HR aware.

The report said in all of the cases there were no indications of fraud risks or “concerns of polygamous working”, but the employees concerned were required to fill out relevant paperwork to fully explain their circumstances.

The home of Darlington RFC and Darlington Football Club, Blackwell Meadows, played host to the TeamLuke Family Fun Day.

TeamLuke Foundation chairman Mark Bell said: “Luke would have thrived in this environment.”

More than 1,600 people attended the TeamLuke Family Fun Day at Blackwell Meadows in Darlington to support a charity fundraiser in memory of Luke Bell (Image: Supplied)

“He would have enjoyed all the different activities we had on the day.

“Luke loved being around people and having fun. The family fun day captured that.”

The event was held in memory of Luke Bell, who sadly lost his life to neuroblastoma, a rare form of children’s cancer.

More than 1,600 people attended the TeamLuke Family Fun Day at Blackwell Meadows in Darlington to support a charity fundraiser in memory of Luke Bell (Image: Supplied)

Families got to experience a range of giant inflatables including an assault course, bouncy castles, giant darts, axe throwing, a ‘death’ slide and drop, gladiator dual and destructor.

Alongside this, they could turn their hand to mini golf and sample the range of food vendors on site, whilst enjoying live entertainment from the Party Boppers, The Decades, Michael Hirst Music and the Polaroids.

Mr Bell said: “He would have really enjoyed watching the rugby matches.

Climbing activities (Image: Supplied)

“The players ran out onto the pitch to some of his favourite songs.

“Both his sister and I represented his team and he would have taken great pleasure in that.

“It was a very emotional day seeing everyone get behind the charity.

“Collaborating with the Wooden Spoon Society on the day was incredible, they are a brilliant charity and they immerse themselves in what these events are all about.

Family fun (Image: Supplied)

“Many players have commented about the day capturing the spirit of rugby.”

The Wooden Spoon Society took to the field in its eye-catching red, green, blue and white colours for the first time as part of the event.

Matt Mitchell, rugby and communities manager with Wooden Spoon, said.”This event was a fantastic collaboration between two charities to support children and young people,”

“The rugby matches were played in great spirit and the whole day created a terrific family atmosphere for everyone involved.

Facepainting for the young (Image: Supplied)

“Events like this showcase the power of rugby to bring people together while raising vital funds and awareness for important causes.”

The charity rugby matches offered a new experience bringing together teams from TeamLuke, Wooden Spoon Society and Darlington RFC, for men’s, women’s and veterans’ rugby all while being accompanied by a pitch-side DJ.

Darlington Building Society marked the occasion by donating a cheque for £930.

Family fun (Image: Supplied)

In the run-up to the event, it held a treadmill fundraiser covering 114 miles with volunteers teaming up to take on the distance in their Darlington branch.

Mr Bell said: “The volunteers on the day went above and beyond.

“They made people feel welcome and worked really hard, which is a massive support to the foundation.

Money raised for TeamLuke (Image: Supplied)

“Our sponsors have been a huge support.

“This year the event was bigger and better with the addition of live music.

“Thank you to our sponsors Hubspoke Media, G & A Security, Darlington Building Society, Darlington Roofing Contractors, Resilient Business Systems Limited and TG Med.”

More information can be found at www.teamluke.org.uk.

Musical entertainment (Image: Supplied)

Mohamed Nassar, 58, was on a break when he began choking and suffered a cardiac arrest at the Salford Tesco Express store, his family say

The relatives of a Tesco security officer who remains in a critical condition after choking during his shift have expressed their heartbreak. Mohamed Nassar, 58, was on duty at the Tesco Express branch on New Bailey Street in Salford, near Manchester city centre, on Friday, May 8, when the devastating incident unfolded.

During his break, he started choking on a doughnut and went into cardiac arrest, according to his family. Emergency services arrived at the scene and ultimately succeeded in reviving him.

Nevertheless, his heart had stopped beating for a total of 23 minutes, and his distraught relatives say they’ve been informed he has sustained severe brain damage as a consequence, reports the Manchester Evening News.

Father-of-three Mohamed and his family relocated to Manchester from London in 2020 and reside in Ardwick. A former musician, he works for a third-party security firm where he’s been employed for around five years.

His 23-year-old son, Seif Abdelwaneis, said his mother, Nancy Elkarnshawy, along with his sisters Nariman, 28, and Malak, 14, were left utterly stunned when they got a call informing them he’d collapsed at work.

Seif said: “It was very emotional finding this out. Especially for my mum, she was crying a lot. We went straight to the hospital.”

Mohamed remains on life support in intensive care, where medical professionals are conducting assessments to establish the severity of his brain injuries. Doctors have told his family that it will be “very difficult” for him to survive, Seif said. The family maintains a constant presence at his hospital bed at Manchester Royal Infirmary (MRI).

Seif characterised his father as the “kindest person”. “He would do anything to help people” he said. “He’s very outgoing, very social.

“All the customers know him and have a good relationship with him. He’s known for helping them and carrying their bags and things like that.

“But more than anything he’s a very loving dad. He cares so deeply about his family. All his friends and colleagues have said that, that all he ever talked about was us. He spent so much time with my little sister. He had also become a grandad as well and loved that.”

Mohamed served as the family’s primary breadwinner, and a GoFundMe appeal has been launched to provide financial assistance as they face ‘the most devastating time of their lives.’

“The impact on us is really huge” Seif added.

Osarugue Onaghise, store manager at the Manchester Bailey Tesco Express branch, commented: “On behalf of all our colleagues at our Manchester Bailey Express store, we remain deeply saddened by this tragic incident and our thoughts are with Mohamed and his family at this difficult time.”

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Erling Haaland has paid a heartfelt tribute to outgoing Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, saying it was the “honour of a lifetime” to work with him

Erling Haaland has shared a tribute to departing Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and suggested he “made greatness feel normal”.

The Norwegian has spent the past four years under the guidance of the Catalan tactician, who has recently announced the end of his decade-long tenure at the Etihad. This makes Guardiola the manager Haaland has worked with for the longest period during his career – and the one who delivered him the greatest success.

Haaland arrived at City in 2022 following several prolific campaigns with Borussia Dortmund and joined a side who had secured silverware without deploying a traditional No.9 – prompting a subtle adjustment in their approach.

The forward netted twice on his debut and concluded his time under Guardiola with 162 goals. He contributed to City’s treble triumph in his maiden year, shattering the Premier League record for goals in a single season and has praised the impact the former Barcelona manager had on his career and the club.

He said on social media: “A coach who never stopped teaching. It sounds crazy to say this, but you made greatness feel normal.

“Even after hat-tricks, wins and trophies, there was always another lesson, another challenge and another level to reach. That mentality changed this club forever and changed me too. The honour of a lifetime to work with the best. Thank you for everything, boss.”

During a minor dip in form earlier this season, Guardiola declared: “Erling is the best striker in the world.” Throughout his managerial career, he has previously worked with the likes of David Villa, Samuel Eto’o, Robert Lewandowski and Sergio Aguero.

Haaland’s time under Guardiola concluded with the pair claiming the domestic cup double. The Norwegian has lifted the Premier League title twice and this season claimed his third Golden Boot in just four years.

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A number of City’s squad have spoken warmly of Guardiola as he readies himself to leave English football behind. He has broken countless records and bid an emotional farewell to the club’s supporters on the final day of the campaign.

Bernardo Silva, who departs Manchester after nine years, said: “He’s my father of football. I am really grateful for everything he did for me, the way he trusted me, the way he supported me during the bad moments, the way he helped me see football in a different way and then obviously winning helps.”

A much cooler spell is expected next week after the UK experienced its hottest May on record

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Scotland is forecast to face a major temperature drop next month after this UK experienced a heatwave in the last few days. Weather charts indicate 11 UK counties could experience temperatures of 5C or lower, with the Met Office cautioning of a “changeable period” on the horizon.

A significantly cooler spell is anticipated next week following temperatures that provisionally reached 35C at Heathrow and Kew Gardens in London on Tuesday, according to the Met Office. This came after a blistering weekend during which the UK shattered its previous record for the warmest May temperature.

On Monday, Kew Gardens hit 34.8C, surpassing the earlier record of 32.8C established in 1922 and 1944. Nevertheless, minimum temperature charts from WXCharts, which utilises MetDesk data, indicate that during the early hours of next Tuesday (2 June), temperatures could linger between 4C and 7C throughout Scotland and northern England.

Across Scotland, the Highlands, Moray and Aberdeenshire in the north, alongside Jamestown in Dumfries and Galloway in the south, could witness temperatures dropping to a brisk 4C, reports the Mirror.

Meanwhile, Northern Ireland, the Midlands, southern England and Wales are forecast to experience minimum temperatures in the high single figures

Counties set to see 5C or below on Tuesday

Scotland

• Aberdeenshire
• Angus
• Highland
• Moray
• Perth and Kinross
• Scottish Borders
• South Lanarkshire
• Dumfries and Galloway

England

• North Yorkshire
• Cumbria
• Northumberland

In its forecast for Monday, June 1, to Wednesday, June 10, the Met Office states: “A changeable period, as a sequence of Atlantic weather systems move in from the west to bring a mixture of drier spells and some showers or longer spells of rain at times.

“The best of the drier conditions are more likely towards the south and east, with the rain generally more frequent in parts of the west and northwest, although there will be drier interludes here also.

“Temperatures will be near-normal overall, with the warmest spots most likely across eastern areas. It will also be breezy at times, most especially across northwestern areas.”

The Met Office’s forecast for June 11 to 25 suggests weather patterns will probably be “changeable or unsettled” initially, before high pressure takes greater control from the middle of the month, delivering drier and calmer spells.

“Temperatures are expected to be near normal at first, but probably rising above average later,” the national forecaster states.

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A Trump-Kennedy Center official warned a federal judge that stripping the president’s name from the renowned arts institution would cause unbearable financial damage, marking the latest twist in a months-long legal battle.

Charles Matthew Floca, the center’s 39-year-old executive director, filed a declaration Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, arguing the institution’s funding is inextricably linked to President Donald Trump.

“President Trump’s fundraising on behalf of the Center is exemplified by the tens of millions of dollars already raised,” Floca wrote. “Further, the President has committed to raise $150 billion on its behalf from private donors over the next two years.”

“Should President Trump’s name be removed from the Center, that vital fundraising connection will be severed, causing irreparable harm and fundamentally destabilizing the Center’s development efforts, severely impairing its trust-fund artistic programming, and rendering the continuation of ongoing trust-funded operations financially nonviable,” he continued.

Floca’s declaration is part of a lawsuit filed in December 2025 by Rep. Joyce Beatty, an Ohio Democrat, challenging the board’s decision to permanently add Trump’s name to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, following his installation as board chair. Since he took charge, Trump reportedly wants to move away from “woke culture” and push for performances that cater to a broader audience.

The Independent has reached out to Beatty and the White House for comment.

Beatty, an ex officio trustee of the center, described the rebranding as an unlawful “personal vanity project.” She also said she was silenced during a board meeting when she attempted to oppose the name change.

“Only Congress has the authority to rename the Kennedy Center. President Trump and his cronies must not be allowed to trample federal law and bypass Congress to feed his ego,” Beatty said in a December 22 news release. “This entire process has been a complete disgrace to this cherished institution and the people it serves. These unlawful actions must be blocked before any further damage is done.”

Her lawsuit also challenges the 79-year-old president’s plan to close the center for two years to carry out restoration and renovation work.

The center remains open for now but is scheduled to shut down after the Fourth of July. Its website and signage have already been updated to reflect the board’s name change, and large lettering bearing Trump’s name was installed on the building’s marble facade in December.

In March, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper partially sided with Beatty, ruling that she must be given a “meaningful opportunity to provide input.” He did not address the name change, however, saying that issue would be taken up later, according to ABC News.

At an April hearing, Cooper pressed Trump administration attorneys on why a complete two-year closure of the center was necessary.

Trump-Kennedy Center officials have argued that renovations are necessary to repair water damage and upgrade seating.

More Americans than not side with Beatty, according to a December 2025 YouGov poll. In the survey, 66 percent of respondents said they disapproved of renaming the center after Trump, while just 18 percent approved.

New guidance from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) sets out stricter penalties for benefit fraud, with claimants potentially losing payments for up to three years – and facing court or a prison sentence in the most serious cases

Individuals receiving benefits could see their payments suspended for months or even years if found guilty of fraud, under new guidance issued by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

The updated regulations reveal that even a first-time offence can result in benefit payments being halted for 13 weeks, with more severe sanctions for subsequent violations or particularly grave cases. A ‘loss of benefit’ penalty may be imposed when someone is convicted of benefit fraud, accepts a caution, or agrees to settle an administrative penalty rather than facing court proceedings.

For an initial offence, claimants may have their benefits suspended for 13 weeks – an increase from four weeks. A second violation committed within a five-year period can trigger a 26-week suspension.

Should a third benefit fraud offence occur within five years of the second (and within 10 years of the first), and the third offence leads to a conviction, the loss of benefit penalty will extend to three years.

In particularly severe instances, such as organised fraud or using someone else’s identity, the maximum three-year penalty can be imposed straightaway, reports the Daily Record.

Nevertheless, the regulations also clarify that not all benefits will necessarily cease entirely. Where a person receives multiple benefits, the DWP may alternatively reduce other payments to enforce the penalty.

Independently of the loss of benefit penalty, anyone found to have committed fraud will typically be required to repay any overpaid sums in full. Offenders may also be hit with further financial penalties. In certain instances, the DWP can propose an administrative penalty instead of prosecution, typically amounting to up to 50 per cent of the overpayment, with a maximum limit of £5,000.

Even agreeing to this form of penalty can still result in a separate loss of benefit sanction for a four-week period.

For more severe violations, proceedings can be brought before the courts, where individuals could face heftier fines or, in the most extreme circumstances, imprisonment.

The DWP states that benefit fraud encompasses deliberately supplying false information, neglecting to report a change in circumstances, or claiming support to which someone is not entitled.

Which benefits can be reduced or stopped?

The following benefits can be reduced or stopped as a penalty for benefit fraud:

• Carer’s Allowance
• Employment and Support Allowance
• Incapacity Benefit
• Income Support
• Industrial Death Benefit
• Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
• Industrial Injuries Reduced Earnings Allowance
• Industrial Injuries Retirement Allowance
• Industrial Injuries Unemployability Supplement
• Jobseeker’s Allowance
• Severe Disablement Allowance
• Housing Benefit
• Pension Credit
• Universal Credit
• War Disablement Pension
• War Widow’s Pension
• War Pension Unemployability Supplement
• War Pension Allowance for Lower Standard of Occupation
• Widowed Mother’s or Widowed Parent’s Allowance
• Widow’s Pension or Bereavement Allowance
• Working Tax Credit

The DWP clarified that the following benefits cannot be reduced or stopped as a penalty in their own right, but if they are implicated in benefit fraud, any benefit listed above may be reduced or stopped as a penalty instead.

• Attendance Allowance
• Bereavement Payment
• Child Benefit
• Child Tax Credit
• Christmas Bonus
• Constant Attendance Allowance
• Council Tax Benefit
• Disability Living Allowance
• Graduated Retirement Benefit
• Guardian’s Allowance
• Industrial Injuries Constant Attendance Allowance (if a Disablement Pension is payable)
• Industrial Injuries Exceptionally Severe Disablement Allowance (if a Disablement Pension is payable)
• Personal Independence Payment
• State Pension
• Social Fund payments
• War Pension Constant Attendance Allowance
• War Pension Exceptionally Severe Disablement Allowance
• War Pension Mobility Supplement

Claimants are advised to maintain accurate records and report any change of circumstances without delay.

Anyone uncertain about their situation or concerned they may have made an error is encouraged to contact the appropriate department or seek independent advice.