Guidance

Decision makers’ guide: Vol 1: Decision making and appeals: staff guide

Guidance for DWP decision makers on decision making and appeals.

Published 1 June 2013
Last updated 20 January 2020 — see all updates
From:
Department for Work and Pensions

Documents

DMG Vol 1 Ch 1: Principles of decision making and evidence

Ref: DMG Vol 1 Ch 1 PDF, 226KB, 70 pages

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DMG Vol 1 Ch 2: Claims and applications

Ref: DMG Vol 1 Ch 2 PDF, 480KB, 114 pages

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DMG Vol 1 Ch 3: Revision

Ref: DMG Vol 1 Ch 3 PDF, 433KB, 54 pages

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DMG Vol 1 Ch 4: Supersession, suspension and termination

Ref: DMG Vol 1 Ch 4 PDF, 10.6MB, 138 pages

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DMG Vol 1 Ch 5: Work-focused interviews

Ref: DMG Vol 1 Ch 5 PDF, 340KB, 188 pages

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DMG Vol 1 Ch 6: Making appeals and staying

Ref: DMG Vol 1 Ch 6 PDF, 9.49MB, 124 pages

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DMG Vol 1 Annexes A to M

Ref: DMG Vol 1 Annexes A to M PDF, 146KB, 44 pages

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DMG Vol 1: Amendment 59, June 2019

PDF, 62.6KB, 10 pages

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DMG Vol 1: Amendment 58, February 2019

Ref: DMG Vol 1 amendment 58 PDF, 868KB, 16 pages

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DMG Vol 1: Amendment 57, October 2018

Ref: DMG Vol 1 amendment 57 PDF, 147KB, 5 pages

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DMG Vol 1: Amendment 56, June 2018

PDF, 114KB, 8 pages

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DMG Vol 1: Amendment 55, October 2017

PDF, 320KB, 14 pages

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DMG Vol 1: Amendment 54, June 2017

Ref: DMG Vol 1 amendment 54 PDF, 972KB, 114 pages

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DMG Vol 1: Amendment 53, February 2017

Ref: DMG Vol 1 amendment 53 PDF, 149KB, 8 pages

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DMG Vol 1: Amendment 52, October 2016

Ref: DMG Vol 1 amendment 52 PDF, 437KB, 24 pages

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DMG Vol 1: Amendment 51, June 2016

Ref: DMG Vol 1 amendment 51 PDF, 328KB, 92 pages

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DMG Vol 1: Amendment 50, February 2016

Ref: DMG Vol 1 amendment 50 PDF, 170KB, 30 pages

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Details

This guidance is for DWP staff who make decisions about benefits and pensions. It helps them make decisions that are accurate and consistent.

The introduction of Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment affects the guidance DWP staff use.

DWP decision makers now use Advice for decision making (instead of the DMG) for decisions that involve:

Why we publish this guide

We publish this guide to help people understand how we make decisions.

Information for claimants

Information for claimants about eligibility and how to claim:

Published 1 June 2013
Last updated 20 January 2020 + show all updates

  1. Added revised DMG Vol 1: Amendment 54, June 2017 to include annotations to DMG Memo 01/20: Civil Partnerships for opposite sex couples.

  2. Updated Chapter 3 'Revision'. The amendment updates paragraph 03025 point 3 to make clear that where the Decision Maker considers they have before them a hopeless application for supersession, no decision should be made.

  3. Added updated version of Annexes A to M, which includes an updated Annex E within the document.

  4. Added revised 'DMG Vol 1 Chapter 1: Principles of decision making and evidence' and associated amendment note 'DMG Vol 1: Amendment 59, June 2019'.

  5. Replaced DMG Vol 1 Annexes A to M following various corrections to the document.

  6. Updated chapter 2 - Claims.

  7. Revised version of DMG Volume 1 chapter 3.

  8. Revised versions of DMG Volume 1 chapters 1, 2 and 4 with amendments listed in amendment 58.

  9. Revised DMG chapter 2 annotated to DMG memo 1/19.

  10. Added revised DMG volume 1 chapters 1 and 2 with amendments listed in amendment 57.

  11. Revised DMG chapter 1 - update to guidance in paragraph 01031.

  12. Published revised DMG volume 1 chapter 2: Claims. Annotated to DMG memo 13/18.

  13. Published revised DMG volume 1, chapter 6 and amendment 56, which lists the amendments.

  14. Published revised DMG volume 1, chapter 6 and amendment 55, which lists the amendments.

  15. Published revised DMG volume 1 chapter 3 annotated to new DMG memo 17/17.

  16. Published revised DMG volume 1, chapters 2, 3, 4 and 6 and amendment 54, which lists the amendments. Also deleted out of date amendments 48 and 49.

  17. Published revised chapters 2 to 4 annotated to memos.

  18. Published revised chapters 1, 4, 6 and amendment 53, which lists the amendments.

  19. Published revised chapter 3 annotated to new DMG memo 25/16.

  20. Published revised chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, annex D and amendment 52, which lists the amendments.

  21. Published revised chapter 4 annotated to new DMG memo 20/16.

  22. Published revised chapters 2, 3, 4, 6 and amendment 51, which lists the amendments.

  23. Published revised chapters 2 and 4 annotated with new memo 13/16.

  24. Published revised amendment 50 - page 2 - amended abbreviations and statute abbreviations.

  25. Published revised chapters 2, 3, 4, 6 and annex D annotated with new memo 11/16.

  26. Published revised chapters 2, 3, 4, 6 and amendment 50, which lists the amendments.

  27. Published revised chapter 2 annotated with new relevant memos 28 and 29/15.

  28. Added revised chapters 2 to 5. The amendments to these PDFs are listed in amendment 49.

  29. Added revised chapters 2, 3 and 4. The amendments to these PDFs are listed in amendment 48.

  30. Published revised chapters 3 and 4 annotated with new relevant memos 6 to 12/15.

  31. Added revised chapters 2, 3, 4, 6, annexes A to M and amendment 47. The amendments to these PDFs are listed in amendment 47.

  32. Added amended chapter 3 and annex E and new amendment 46.

  33. Replaced chapter 3 - missing text added to paragraph 03346.

  34. Replaced chapter 6 with revised version - appendix 2 added.

  35. Added revised chapters 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and amendment 45. The amendments to these PDFs are listed in amendment 45.

  36. Replaced chapter 5 with revised version annotated with reference to memo 11/14 - Work-related activity and work-focused interviews for lone parents.

  37. Replaced chapter 2 with revised version. See DMG memo 9/14 for details of amendment.

  38. Replaced chapter 6 with revised version with new appendix 2 added.

  39. Added revised chapters 2, 3, 4, 6 and annex A to M. The amendments to these PDFs are listed in amendment 44 - also added.

  40. First published.

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