Guidance

Decision makers’ guide: Vol 12: Pensions: staff guide

Guidance for DWP decision makers on decision making and appeals.

• From: Department for Work and Pensions
• Published: 1 June 2013
• Last updated: 14 April 2026
  Show all updates

  1. 14 April 2026

     Updated DMG Vol 12: Summary of changes, DMG Vol 12 Ch 74: State Pension, and DMG Vol 12 Ch 75: Retirement Pension.

  2. 7 August 2025

     Updated DMG Vol 12 Ch 74: State Pension and DMG Vol 12: Summary of changes.

  3. 20 February 2025

     Updated DMG Vol 12 Ch 75: Retirement Pension with annotations to DMG memo 2/2025.

  4. 7 November 2024

     Updated DMG Vol 12 Ch 74: State Pension, DMG Vol 12 Ch 75: Retirement Pension and Summary of changes

  5. 8 December 2023

     Updated DMG Vol 12 Ch 74: State Pension and also DMG Vol 12 Ch 75: Retirement Pension.

  6. 2 August 2023

     Updated DMG Vol 12 Ch 74: State Pension and also DMG Vol 12: Summary of changes

  7. 4 February 2022

     Updated chapter 74 State Pension. Small amendment to Civil Partnerships, paragraph 74043. Inserted, ‘Further legislation provides that, from 2.12.19, opposite sex couples in England and Wales can form civil partnerships and in Scotland3 from 28.07.2020.’ and relevant legislation.

  8. 8 June 2020

     Revised chapter 74. Summary of changes in 'DMG Vol 12: Amendment 38, June 2020'.

  9. 14 March 2018

     Added revised DMG volume 12 chapters 75. Amendments listed in amendment 37.

  10. 9 November 2017

      Added revised DMG volume 12 chapters 75. Amendments listed in amendment 36.

  11. 11 July 2017

      Added revised DMG volume 12 chapters 74 to 76. Amendments listed in amendment 35. Also deleted out of date amendment 32.

  12. 18 April 2017

      Added revised DMG volume 12 chapter 75 annotated with memo 25/16.

  13. 7 April 2017

      Revised DMG volume 12 chapters 74 and 76 annotated to memos.

  14. 16 December 2016

      Published revised chapters 74 and 75 annotated to new memo 25/16.

  15. 6 July 2016

      Added revised chapter 74, 75 and 76 with list of amendments in amendment 34.

  16. 14 April 2016

      Published revised amendment 33 - page 2 - amended abbreviations and statute abbreviations.

  17. 8 April 2016

      Published revised chapters 74, 75 and 76 annotated to new memo 11/16.

  18. 7 April 2016

      Added DMG Volume 12 chapter 74: State Pension.

  19. 24 March 2016

      Added revised chapter 75 with list of amendments in amendment 33.

  20. 26 October 2015

      Added revised chapter 75 with list of amendments in amendment 32.

  21. 21 October 2015

      Replaced chapter 75: revised with annotation to memo 23/15.

  22. 12 March 2015

      Added revised chapter 75 with list of amendments in amendment 31.

  23. 17 December 2014

      Replaced chapter 75 revised annotated to memos 35 to 37/14.

  24. 11 November 2014

      Added revised chapter 75 and new amendment 30.

  25. 20 August 2014

      Replaced chapter 75 with revised version. See amendment 29 for list of changes.

  26. 29 July 2014

      Replaced chapter 75 with revised version. Amendment 29 lists the changes.

  27. 15 April 2014

      Replaced ch 75 with revised version. See DMG memo 9/14 for details of amendments.

  28. 26 March 2014

      Added revised chapter 75. The changes are listed in amendment 28 - also added.

  29. 1 June 2013

      First published.

Documents

DMG Vol 12 Ch 74: State Pension

Ref: DMG Vol 12 ch 74

PDF, 303 KB, 69 pages

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DMG Vol 12 Ch 75: Retirement Pension

Ref: DMG Vol 12 ch 75

PDF, 701 KB, 174 pages

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DMG Vol 12 Ch 76: Forfeiture Act 1982

Ref: DMG Vol 12 ch 76

PDF, 32.8 KB, 6 pages

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DMG Vol 12: Summary of changes

PDF, 764 KB, 2 pages

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DMG Vol 12: Amendment 38, June 2020

PDF, 21.4 KB, 1 page

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DMG Vol 12: Amendment 37, February 2018

PDF, 221 KB, 18 pages

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DMG Vol 12: Amendment 36, October 2017

PDF, 592 KB, 16 pages

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DMG Vol 12: Amendment 35, June 2017

Ref: DMG Vol 12 amendment 35

PDF, 156 KB, 34 pages

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DMG Vol 12: Amendment 34, June 2016

Ref: DMG Vol 12 amendment 34

PDF, 830 KB, 152 pages

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DMG Vol 12: Amendment 33, February 2016

Ref: DMG Vol 12 amendment 33

PDF, 818 KB, 94 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:

• Universal Credit
• Personal Independence Payment
• contribution-based Jobseeker’s Allowance and contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance for people who are eligible for Universal Credit

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:

• benefits
• pensions