The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed its Support Conversations programme is being expanded to a further 27 Jobcentres across Britain, offering up to 40,000 disabled and sick claimants tailored one-to-one employment support

Tens of thousands more individuals receiving sickness and disability benefits are set to access bespoke one-to-one assistance, as the Government substantially widens a scheme aimed at helping more people progress towards employment.

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced that its “Support Conversations” programme is being rolled out to an additional 27 Jobcentres across Britain, increasing the total number of participating locations to 33. The expansion means up to 40,000 people claiming health-related benefits could be offered a voluntary hour-long consultation, specifically tailored to identify the barriers preventing them from working or participating in activities such as volunteering.

The initiative represents a crucial element of Labour’s wider welfare-to-work strategy, alongside a £3.5 billion package of employment support measures designed to assist more disabled people and those with long-term health conditions into work.

In contrast to standard Jobcentre appointments, these sessions are intended to adopt a more comprehensive approach to claimants’ circumstances, tackling issues including debt, housing problems, skills gaps, health matters and addiction support. The DWP has confirmed the discussions are available in person, over the telephone or through video call, and are facilitated by healthcare professionals, disability employment advisers and specialist Pathways to Work advisers.

The scheme is aimed at those awaiting a Work Capability Assessment, alongside individuals already classified as having Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity (LCWRA) – a cohort regarded as being most distant from the labour market, reports the Mirror.

Employment Minister Dame Diana Johnson said: “Too many disabled people and people with health conditions face barriers that stop them from accessing the support and opportunities they deserve. That is why we are expanding the number of sites delivering Support Conversations from six to 33 Jobcentres across Great Britain, giving up to 40,000 people personalised help tailored to their circumstances. Getting more people into good work is central to our Plan for Change and Support Conversations will help us do exactly this.”

The expansion follows pilot schemes at six trial locations, where the DWP reports that participants felt more ‘listened to’ and ‘supported’. This recent development follows the introduction of 1,000 Pathways to Work advisers, who ministers claim have already helped more than 65,000 disabled and unwell individuals in progressing towards employment.

The Government is under increasing pressure to tackle Britain’s escalating sickness benefit expenditure, with millions of working-age adults now economically inactive owing to ill health. The Support Conversations scheme represents just one element of a wider set of reforms announced through the Government’s Pathways to Work strategy.

Further support being rolled out by the DWP includes:

• Connect to Work – a tailored employment programme aimed at helping 300,000 people into jobs by the end of this Parliament.
• WorkWell – a £259 million initiative created to assist up to 250,000 people with health conditions to stay in or get back to work.
• Right to Try – enabling sick and disabled people to try work without the immediate threat of benefit reassessment.
• 1,000 Pathways to Work advisers – specialist advisers already stationed across Jobcentres.

Which Jobcentres are taking part?

The DWP has confirmed the following 27 locations as part of the latest expansion:

• Aberdare
• Berwick-upon-Tweed
• Blaydon
• Bournemouth
• Didsbury
• Glenrothes
• Grimsby
• Hoxton
• Lancaster
• Leeds Park Place
• Leicester Charles Street
• Leicester Wellington Street
• North Shields
• Northwich
• Preston
• Rusholme
• Saltcoats
• Shettleston
• South Shields
• Southend
• Sparkhill
• Springburn
• Sunderland
• Thornaby
• Wester Hailes
• Whitehaven
• Workington

The DWP has stated that a further six Jobcentre locations will be announced in due course.

Support Conversations are entirely voluntary and currently available only to claimants with health conditions or disabilities who are either awaiting a Work Capability Assessment or have already been assessed as having Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity.

The US military has conducted strikes on Iranian targets after President Donald Trump accused Iran of a “foolish violation” of its truce following an attack on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz.

No casualties were reported when the ship was struck by a one-way attack drone on Thursday, an incident which prompted a planned evacuation of more than 11,000 sailors stuck in the region.

In response, US Central Command said on Friday it had struck missile and drone storage facilities and coastal radar positions. There has been no comment yet from Iran.

Just moments before the strikes were announced, President Trump said “you’ll see” when asked if the US would respond to the Iranian attack.

US Central Command – or Centcom – described the strikes as “a powerful response” to the drone attack in a statement.

“The unwarranted aggression against commercial shipping by Iranian forces clearly violated the ceasefire,” it also said.

“Furthermore, Iran’s dangerous behavior undermined freedom of navigation as commerce increasingly flows through the vital international trade corridor.”

Centcom said the US military would “continue to provide safe passage coordination and support to commercial vessels transiting the strait”.

After US and Israeli attacks against Iran began at the end of February, Tehran effectively closed the strait – a critical waterway for oil and gas shipments – causing a spike in global oil prices and choking off shipments of other crucial commodities such as fertiliser.

The US and Iran agreed on 17 June to end hostilities under a 14-point memorandum of understanding, which had also called for Iran to use its “best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels with no charge for 60 days”.

Speaking to reporters at the White House on Friday afternoon, Trump refused to be drawn into questions on how the US might respond, or whether he viewed the ceasefire as still intact.

“You’ll find out,” he said. “I don’t like the fact that they took a shot yesterday. They shouldn’t be doing that.”

Asked why he believed Iran would conduct such an operation, Trump said only that “they’re a little bit different”.

Paul Whyatt, the oldest member of the RBL in Richmond, joined artist Ms Pittaway to unveil ‘We Will Remember Them’ on Friday (June 26).

It marked a unique collaboration between the acclaimed Yorkshire artist and the Royal British Legion, with a significant donation pledged to the charity’s Poppy Appeal for every print sold, as well as from the sale of the original painting.

The new painting at the Lucy Pittaway gallery in Richmond. (Image: Stuart Boulton)

Poignant tribute unveiled in Richmond

The courage, sacrifice and service of the nation’s armed forces inspired the artwork from one of the UK’s most celebrated commercial artists.

Unveiled during Armed Forces Week at Lucy Pittaway’s gallery in Richmond, the piece stands as a poignant tribute to serving personnel and to those who have lost their lives in conflict while in service to their country.

Members of the Royal British Legion and invited guests gathered at the special event to view the painting and celebrate its launch.

Lucy Pittaway talking with British Legion members at her gallery in Richmond about her new painting. (Image: Stuart Boulton)

The fundraising element is central to the project, with £10 from every print sold and 10 per cent from the sale of the original work being donated to the Poppy Appeal.

The money will help the Royal British Legion provide vital care and assistance to members of the armed forces community and their families, including older veterans, those facing social isolation and people struggling with financial or other challenges.

‘We Will Remember Them’

Set within a serene countryside landscape, ‘We Will Remember Them’ portrays a flock of sheep gently marching along a sunlit path, surrounded by a sweeping field of vivid red poppies – the enduring symbol of remembrance.

Above, two iconic wartime aircraft, a Supermarine Spitfire and a Hawker Hurricane, soar across dramatic skies, evoking the bravery and resilience of those who served in the air.

Lucy Pittaway with the new painting at her gallery in Richmond. (Image: Stuart Boulton)

In the foreground, a weathered fence post bears a soldier’s Brodie helmet and a pair of worn hobnail boots, quietly symbolising the sacrifice of those who fought on the ground.

Together, the elements form a highly evocative composition that honours all branches of the armed forces – the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force – uniting land, sea and air within a single, striking scene.

‘The greatest honour and privilege’

Lucy Pittaway said: “Creating this artwork has been the greatest honour and privilege.

Lucy Pittaway with the new painting at her gallery in Richmond. (Image: Stuart Boulton)

“The bravery and sacrifice of our armed forces are something we must always remember, and I wanted to capture a sense of peace, reflection and gratitude in this piece.

“I hope it encourages people to pause, remember and support those who have given, and those who continue to give, so much for our country.”

Amanda Clements‑Hunt, the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeals Manager for North Yorkshire, added: “We’re incredibly proud to collaborate with Lucy on such a meaningful piece.

“‘We Will Remember Them’ beautifully encapsulates the spirit of remembrance and the importance of supporting the armed forces community.

“Every purchase will help us continue our vital work, providing care, advice and support to veterans and their families when they need it most.”

Pollard said: “This Labour government is now rebuilding our military, including through increasing the size of our strategic reserves and giving them more opportunities to work with their regular counterparts.”

The Conservatives said their pledge would be to recruit approximately 18,000 new reservists to bring the total to 50,000.

The trained and untrained strength of the Army, RAF and maritime reserves was more than 32,000 on 1 January 2026, according to government statistics, external.

The Tories also want to ensure more reservists complete their minimum training days, which typically number 19 or 27 days.

A reservist who meets their minimum training commitment and also passes their military training tests currently receives a tax-free bonus payment on top of their pay.

The annual tax-free bounty was paid to 46% of reservists in 2024/25, according to the government, external.

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said Labour was “dithering”, highlighting John Healey’s decision to quit as defence secretary due to concerns that funding for the defence investment plan fell “well short” of what is needed to keep the country safe.

Badenoch said: “To fund our defence, Britain has to cut its welfare bill. That is why the Conservatives will restore the two-child benefit cap and use the money saved on defence.

“We will give our reservists a tax cut, backing our military to keep our country safe and ensuring we can boost our reserve forces to 50,000.”

Cartlidge said the UK’s Nato allies are boosting their reserves to “stand up to the more dangerous world we all face”.

He said: “Britain must do the same, but whilst other countries have used conscription, we remain committed to a professional, volunteer armed forces – and that means we need to make reserve service financially worthwhile.”

The Conservatives said implementing their policy would cost around £44m in the first year and this would increase across the five-year parliament.

Once the number of reservists reaches 50,000, the policy would cost an estimated £152m per year.

The largest cost would be associated with paying more reservists and the current ones serving on more days, with the tax-free incentive costing around £20m per year, according to the party.

Last year’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR) outlined a shift towards “warfighting readiness” to deter threats and pledged billions in extra spending for extra ammunition, next-generation fast jets, drones, and new attack submarines.

It also anticipated it will “become necessary” to increase the UK’s active reserve forces by “at least 20% when funding allows, most likely in the 2030s”.

The SDR added defence “must make much better use of the resources available”, including improving recruitment and retention, and welcomed some of the work being undertaken by the Ministry of Defence.

Shaun Malone, known for reacting to TV programmes and films on the popular Channel 4 show, shared a snap of his head with staples in it, telling fans he was in hospital after surgery.

Sharing the photo of the aftermath, he said being in hospital during a heatwave was “terrible” and shared that he planned to be going home today (June 26).

“Heatwave Is a terrible time to be stuck in hospital until Friday, brain surgery is deffo not the highlight of my year”, the caption read, according to The Sun.

Malone appears on the TV show with other members of the Malone family – his mum Julie and dad Tom, plus their dogs.

Despite the heatwave not being ideal for Shaun, he has been keeping up with the World Cup in his hospital ward.

Fans share well-wishes for Gogglebox star Shaun Malone after brain surgery

On Reddit, one Gogglebox fan shared Shaun’s news, and it was followed up with well-wishes from those who watch the programme.

One person said: “Here’s to a speedy recovery Shaun Malone👍🏽”.

Another commented: “I think I remember mum and dad talking about brain operations as a kid?

“What a horrible cloud over them all.

“They seem so lovely. I hope he’s better soon.”

This person shared: “Speedy recovery Shaun”.

Another fan said: “Get well soon, Shaun!”

Was Shaun Malone unwell as a child?

Shaun Malone suffered brain damage and was told he “had a less than 10% chance of living” after being diagnosed with sinusitis in 2010, The Sun reports.

When appearing on the Coaching From The Sofa podcast, he talked about his health.

Shaun explained: “In 2010, I got sinusitis and, in some way, the infection found its way back to my brain.

“My brain started swelling and my skull started crushing it, so my mum took me to A&E saying, ‘look he’s poorly!’ and they said it was sinusitis.

“And then I collapsed one day at home and I ended up going into a coma and they said to my mum and dad that I had a less than 10% chance of living.

“I was in a coma for a few weeks – and they said to my mum and dad, ‘Shaun’s got brain damage, we don’t know what the brain damage is or how it’ll affect him or if it’s going to be really bad’.

“And when I woke up my brain damage affected me in some ways, like my memory but mostly the way it affected me was with my left side.

“I essentially had a stroke, I couldn’t move my left arm, my left leg, even the left side of my face.”

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He spent six months in hospital following the ordeal, and his progress appeared on ITV’s Children’s Hospital.

After the six-hour surgery, which removed a piece of bone from his skull due to the swelling, he needed to learn how to walk again.

Back in 2010, when he fell ill, he was playing in the West End, starring as Billy Elliot’s best friend Michael.

Who is your favourite Gogglebox star? Tell us in the comments below.

Say it how it is written and you would say New-sham, which seems perfectly reasonable.

But Northumberland does not work like that, and this suburb of Blyth has been tripping people up for long enough that Northern Trains was forced to formally teach its conductors the correct pronunciation before making station announcements.

The correct pronunciation is New-sum.

The SH in the middle of the word does not behave as a SH. It softens to a simple S, and the final syllable compresses so that the -ham becomes -um.

Say it quickly and it almost rhymes with “blossom”.

Conductors were told the right way to pronounce the name of the station. (Image: Northern Trains)

Why Northumberland place names are so different

Northumberland was settled, invaded and resettled by so many different peoples over so many centuries that its place names are a layered archaeological record of everyone who ever lived here.

Vikings left their mark in endings like -by and -thorpe.

Anglo-Saxons gave us -ham and -ton and -wick. The Celts were here before both of them, and the Normans arrived afterwards and wrote the names down in ways that had nothing to do with how the locals said them.

The result is a county where the written name and the spoken name are frequently strangers to each other, and where the ability to pronounce a place correctly is still, quietly, a marker of belonging.

The places that catch everyone out

Newsham is in good company, the same story plays out at dozens of places across Northumberland every day.

Alnwick is pronounced AN-ick. Both the L and the W are silent. Alnmouth, just down the coast, follows different rules entirely: the L is voiced, giving you ALN-muth. Visitors who have just mastered Alnwick and applied the same logic to Alnmouth immediately get it wrong.

Ulgham, a village six miles north of Morpeth, is UFF-am. The LGH combination makes an FF sound, which nobody who has not been told would ever guess. Locals reportedly enjoy watching the moment visitors attempt it for the first time.

Cambois, a coastal village near Blyth and therefore practically a neighbour of Newsham, is pronounced CAM-iss. The BOI disappears. Its name derives from the Gaelic word for bay, and it has been confounding people since the Normans wrote it down.

Bellingham, the market town in the North Tyne valley, is BELLIN-jum, not BELL-ing-ham as every newcomer says. The same soft G rule applies to Whittingham, which is WHITTIN-jum.

Ponteland, the commuter village west of Newcastle, is Pont-EEL-nd, with the stress firmly on the middle syllable. It stands on the River Pont, and the -land ending is compressed almost to a single sound. People who say PONTY-land, rhyming it with Pontefract, will be gently corrected.

Why it matters for visitors

Getting a Northumberland place name right is not just about avoiding embarrassment, though that is a reasonable motivation.

It is about communication. Ask for directions to New-sham in Blyth and you may get a blank look.

Say ‘Newsum’ and someone will point you the right way.

For anyone planning a visit and wanting to arrive sounding like they belong, the rule of thumb is this: whatever you think a Northumberland place name sounds like, try saying it slightly differently.

You will probably be closer to right.

Mitford is a settlement that was once a market town of greater importance than Morpeth itself, as the old folk rhyme records: “Mitforde was Mitforde when Morpeth was none, and Mitforde shall be Mitforde when Morpeth is gone.”

Morpeth won in the end, but Mitford kept the castle, the Norman church, and the river.

The castle

Mitford Castle stands on a small promontory above the River Wansbeck and has been ruinous for more than 700 years.

Roger Bertram, lord of the castle in 1215, was one of the barons who forced King John to sign Magna Carta, and John took his revenge the following year, besieging and sacking both the castle and the church, burning the village and reportedly locking Roger Bertram in one of his own towers.

The Scots finished what John started, attacking in 1318 and leaving the castle “ruinous and wholly burnt.”

It was never properly rebuilt.

The ruins are a Scheduled Ancient Monument and currently on the Buildings at Risk Register; the best view is from the road in front of the church directly opposite.

The church

St Mary Magdalene Church was built in 1135 and its history is as violent as the castle’s.

When King John sacked the village in 1216 he burned the church with many villagers still inside.

Hanging just inside the door is a bell cast no later than 1150, making it one of the oldest bells in England and almost certainly the oldest in the Diocese of Newcastle.

The church also has a leper squint, a small window built into the outside wall so that lepers could watch services without entering the building.

Very few churches in England still have one.

Walking

The riverside walk from Morpeth to Mitford along the Wansbeck passes through ancient woodland, wildflower meadows and riverside fisheries before arriving at the castle and church.

The route is around four kilometres each way and navigable in wellies after rain. Longer circular routes cross both rivers and return through farmland above the valley.

Where to eat and drink

The Plough Inn, Mitford The village pub is a dog-friendly, real-ale country pub serving Mexican-inspired home-cooked food Thursday to Saturday, with a traditional Sunday lunch.

Open Tuesday to Sunday, food from Thursday evening, booking recommended.

Getting there

Mitford is two miles west of Morpeth off the A197, in the Wansbeck valley.

The postcode for the church and castle is NE61 3PY. Roadside parking is available near the church on the lane through the village.

Mitford is also reachable on foot from Morpeth along a four-kilometre riverside path following the north bank of the Wansbeck, one of the finest short walks in Northumberland.

Sharing a statement on social media, the council wrote: “Due to an incident near Rawtenstall Market, the market has been closed while emergency services respond.

“Lancashire Police are dealing with the incident and we kindly ask people to avoid the area until further notice.

“The market should reopen tomorrow at the usual time. Thank you for understanding.”

Photos from the sombre scene show flowers laid by the level crossing in Station Road, Hoghton.

The rail line is now back open, with trains seen passing through the level crossing.

The incident occurred shortly before 9am on June 25.

A car was hit by a train, and one person was pronounced dead at the scene, and a child was taken to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.

The child remains in critical but stable condition.

An investigation into the incident is ongoing.

North West Ambulance Service confirmed multiple teams attended the scene, including two air ambulances and their hazardous area response team.

Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service also sent four fire engines and specialist appliances.

No injuries were reported among passengers on the train.

The investigation remains ongoing, and police are appealing for witnesses.

BTP has asked anyone who witnessed the incident and has not yet spoken to police to text 61016, quoting reference 152 of June 25.