October 2019: Touchbase edition 138
Updated 9 March 2020
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1. Advice for UK nationals returning to live in the UK from the EU
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) have provided advice for UK nationals previously living in the EU, who are returning to live in the UK.
The advice includes information on benefits, healthcare, tax, bringing family members to the UK, housing, driving licenses, social care services, access to schooling and more.
Returning UK nationals can check eligibility requirements for any new benefit claims.
2. DWP Benefits Information: Facebook pilot
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is piloting a new Facebook page called ‘DWP Benefits Information’, to help people easily find benefits and services information.
DWP are using the page to share information and to signpost people to GOV.UK and other relevant websites.
DWP will collect feedback to evaluate the pilot, which runs until February 2020.
Organisations may wish to like and share this page on their own social channels.
To find out more and discuss opportunities to include your information, please email alison.simpson2@dwp.gov.uk
3. Find a job: Christmas jobs campaign launch
DWP’s Find a job service enables employers to advertise jobs and jobseekers to view and apply for those jobs, with 1.2 million registered jobseekers making 40 million page visits each month.
DWP are launching a campaign to highlight the thousands of Christmas jobs and seasonal vacancies on the service.
To advertise Christmas vacancies on Find a job, use the words ‘Christmas job’ in the job description. That way, your job will appear as part of the Christmas jobs campaign.
To find out more and to register as an employer please visit Find a job.
4. Disability Confident third anniversary
The third anniversary of Disability Confident is on 2 November 2019. There will be events, press, PR and social media activity throughout November to promote Disability Confident and the benefits of employing disabled people.
DWP would like as many Disability Confident organisations as possible to support the anniversary. A range of materials are available to help promote your Disability Confident status, both inside and outside your organisation. New materials will be added over the coming weeks for use from 2 November.
Get involved and help us increase the opportunities for disabled people to thrive at work.
Find out more about Disability Confident.
5. Help shape the Pension Protection Fund levy rules
Do you pay the Pension Protection Fund (PPF) levy? If so, PPF is seeking your views on the levy rules for the year 2020 to 2021. PPF plan to take the same approach to calculating the 2020 to 2021 levy that they have used in 2018 to 2019.
PPF are keen to hear stakeholders’ views on how rules might be developed in the future, particularly for schemes without a substantive sponsor and commercial consolidators.
The consultation is open until 5pm on 5 November.
Find out more about the PPF levy.
6. Purple Tuesday: UK’s most accessible shopping day
Following the great success of the recent Autism Hour, high streets are holding the ‘UK’s most accessible shopping day’ on Tuesday 12 November.
Purple Tuesday is designed to promote the improvement of the customer experience across retail and dining for people with disabilities. Organisations of all sizes and from all sectors will take decisive, practical actions to meet the needs of disabled customers. Participating organisations will be adorned with the colour purple, which has become widely associated with the disability rights movement.
Find out how to get involved.
7. News round up
Health and wellbeing amongst staff
Chairs appointed to network to give disabled people stronger voice
£4 million scheme to boost worker earnings and youth employment
First meeting of the National Taskforce for Thomas Cook
RNIB training rolled out to jobcentre staff