Guidance

Decision makers’ guide: Vol 3: Subjects common to all benefits: staff guide

Guidance for DWP decision makers on decision making and appeals.

• From: Department for Work and Pensions
• Published: 1 June 2013
• Last updated: 2 March 2026
  Show all updates

  1. 2 March 2026

     DMG Volume 3, Chapter 15: Earnings for non-income-related benefits and DMG Vol 3: Summary of changes from January 2021 have been updated.

  2. 8 May 2025

     DMG Volume 3, Chapter 10: Evidence of age, marriage and death and the Volume 3: Summary of changes have been updated.

  3. 15 January 2025

     Updated chapter 9 and updated DMG Vol 3: Summary of changes from January 2021.

  4. 2 October 2024

     DMG chapter 8 payment of benefit and deductions from benefit and DMG Volume 3 rolling summary of changes have been updated.

  5. 27 September 2024

     DMG vol3 summary of changes and DMG chapter 8 - payment of benefit and deductions from benefit documents updated.

  6. 8 December 2023

     Updated DMG Vol 3 Ch 9: Overpayments, offsets and recoverability and also DMG Vol 3: Summary of changes from January 2021.

  7. 26 October 2023

     Updated DMG Volume 3 Chapter 8: Payment of benefit and deductions from benefit and added summary of changes from January 2021.

  8. 3 October 2023

     Updated DMG volume 3 chapter 12: Imprisonment and added summary of changes - September 2023.

  9. 14 July 2023

     Updated DMG Vol 3 Ch 12: Imprisonment and also DMG Vol 3: Summary of changes from January 2021.

  10. 21 December 2022

      Updated DMG Vol 3 Ch 10: Evidence of age, marriage and death and added summary of changes from January 2021.

  11. 20 July 2022

      Updated DMG chapter 17 (overlapping benefits) and Volume 3 summary of changes.

  12. 1 July 2022

      Updated DMG volume 3, chapter 8: Payment of benefit and Deductions from benefit, chapter 17: Overlapping benefits and added summary of changes.

  13. 20 April 2022

      Replaced 'DMG Vol 3 Chapter 15: Payment of benefit and deductions from benefit' and 'DMG Vol 3: Summary of changes from January 2021'.

  14. 25 March 2022

      Updated chapter 17.

  15. 24 February 2022

      Updated 'DMG Vol 3 Ch 10: Payment of benefit and deductions from benefit' and 'DMG Vol 3: Summary of changes from January 2021'.

  16. 7 February 2022

      Updated 'DMG Vol 3 Ch 8: Payment of benefit and deductions from benefit' and 'DMG Vol 3: Summary of changes from January 2021'.

  17. 3 December 2021

      Replaced 'DMG Vol 3 Ch 8: Payment of benefit and deductions from benefit' and 'DMG Vol 3: Summary of changes from January 2021'.

  18. 5 November 2021

      Updated chapter 8 Payment of benefit and deductions from benefit.

  19. 23 August 2021

      Updated chapters 8 and 17.

  20. 1 February 2021

      Updated chapter 9. Added DMG Vol 3: Summary of changes from January 2021.

  21. 4 August 2020

      Updated chapter 8 - clarifies definition of pensionable age at 08112 and provides new guidance on deductions for child support maintenance at 08501 – 08600.

  22. 9 July 2020

      Updated 'DMG Vol 3 Ch 8: Payment of benefit and deductions from benefit'.

  23. 19 June 2020

      Amended Vol 3 Ch 15 to include references to DMG memo 13/20.

  24. 5 June 2020

      Revised chapters 10 and 16. Added summary of changes in 'DMG Vol 3: Amendment 60, February 2020'.

  25. 13 February 2020

      Amended DMG volume 3 chapter 17. Changes listed in amendment 60, February 2020.

  26. 20 January 2020

      Added revised 'DMG Vol 3: Amendment 57, February 2019' to include annotations to DMG Memo 01/20: Civil Partnerships for opposite sex couples.

  27. 31 October 2019

      Added revised DMG vol 3 chapter 9: Overpayments, recoverability, adjustments, civil penalties and recoupments, chapter 15: Earnings for non-income-related benefits and amendment 59, which lists the changes to the revised chapters.

  28. 17 July 2019

      Updated chapter 8 'Payment of benefit and deductions from benefit' with changes for deductions for arrears of child maintenance.

  29. 25 June 2019

      Added revised 'DMG Vol 3: Ch 15: Earnings for non-income-related benefits' and 'DMG Vol 3 Ch 16: Dependency increases' and added associated amendment note 'DMG Vol 3: Amendment 58, June 2019'.

  30. 14 June 2019

      DMG Vol 3 Chapter 14 - this chapter is now spare as the employment schemes detailed in the former 'Welfare at Work' chapter no longer exist.

  31. 11 April 2019

      Revised DMG volume 3 chapters 8 and 10 with amendments listed in amendment 57.

  32. 20 February 2019

      Revised DMG volume 3 chapter 10: Evidence of age, marriage and death, annotated to DMG memo 2/19.

  33. 25 January 2019

      Added revised DMG volume 3 chapter 16 with amendments listed in amendment 56.

  34. 13 November 2018

      Revised DMG chapter 16 - update to chapter 16222.

  35. 3 July 2018

      Revised DMG volume 3, chapters 8, 9, 12, 15, 17 and amendment 55, which lists the amendments.

  36. 9 November 2017

      Added revised DMG volume 3, chapters 9, 11, 12, 13 and amendment 54, which lists the amendments.

  37. 24 October 2017

      Added revised DMG volume 3, chapter 15: Earnings for non-income-related benefits - annotated to new DMG memo 21/17.

  38. 11 July 2017

      Added revised DMG volume 3, chapter 15 and amendment 53, which lists the amendments. Also deleted out of date amendments 48 and 49.

  39. 7 April 2017

      Published revised chapters 8, 9, 12 and 17 annotated to memos.

  40. 5 April 2017

      Revised DMG volume 3, chapters 12 and 13, annotated to memos 6, 7 and 8/17.

  41. 9 March 2017

      Added revised chapters 9, 15 and amendment 52, which lists the amendments.

  42. 6 July 2016

      Added revised chapters 8, 12, 13 and 15. The amendments to these PDFs are listed in amendment 51.

  43. 14 April 2016

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

  44. 8 April 2016

      Published revised chapter 8, 9 and 17 annotated with new memo 11/16.

  45. 24 March 2016

      Published revised chapters 13, 15, 18 and amendment 50, which lists the amendments.

  46. 3 March 2016

      Replaced chapter 2: Imprisonment - annotated to DMG memo 6/16.

  47. 26 October 2015

      Added revised chapters 8, 10, 15, 16 and 18. The amendments to these PDFs are listed in amendment 49.

  48. 31 July 2015

      Replaced chapter 15 annotated with new memo 20/2015.

  49. 17 July 2015

      Added revised chapters 15, 16 and 17. The amendments to these PDFs are listed in amendment 48.

  50. 1 April 2015

      Published revised chapter 15 annotated with new relevant memos 6 to 12/15.

  51. 13 March 2015

      Replaced chapter 15 annotated with new memo 5/2015.

  52. 12 March 2015

      Added revised chapters 8, 10, 11, 15, 16 and amendment 47. The amendments to these PDFs are listed in amendment 47.

  53. 17 December 2014

      Added revised chapters 10 and 16 annotated to memos 35 to 37.

  54. 27 November 2014

      Published revised chapter 8 annotated with new memos 33 and 34/14.

  55. 25 November 2014

      Added revised chapters 11, 13 and amendment 46.

  56. 11 November 2014

      Added amended chapters 9 and 16 and new amendment 46.

  57. 29 July 2014

      Added revised chapters 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16 and amendment 45. Amendments to these PDFs are listed in amendment 45.

  58. 26 March 2014

      Added revised chapters 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 15, 16, 17. The amendments to these PDFs are listed in amendment 44 - also added.

  59. 21 November 2013

      Amended DMG Vol 3 Ch 9 and added amendment 43 - further clarification of the guidance relating to the imposition of Civil Penalties.

  60. 1 June 2013

      First published.

Documents

DMG Vol 3 Ch 8: Payment of benefit and deductions from benefit

Ref: DMG Vol 3 ch 8

PDF, 274 KB, 57 pages

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DMG Vol 3 Ch 9: Overpayments, offsets and recoverability

Ref: DMG Vol 3 ch 9

PDF, 595 KB, 111 pages

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DMG Vol 3 Ch 10: Evidence of age, marriage and death

Ref: DMG Vol 3 ch 10

PDF, 465 KB, 115 pages

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DMG Vol 3 Ch 11: Living together as husband and wife or as civil partners

Ref: DMG Vol 3 ch 11

PDF, 328 KB, 24 pages

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DMG Vol 3 Ch 12: Imprisonment

Ref: DMG Vol 3 ch 12

PDF, 135 KB, 22 pages

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DMG Vol 3 Ch 13: Incapacity for work

Ref: DMG Vol 3 ch 13

PDF, 672 KB, 87 pages

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DMG Vol 3 Ch 14: This chapter is spare

Ref: DMG Vol 3 ch 14

PDF, 67.9 KB, 1 page

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DMG Vol 3: Ch 15: Earnings for non-income-related benefits

Ref: DMG Vol 3 ch 15

PDF, 640 KB, 156 pages

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DMG Vol 3 Ch 16: Dependency increases

Ref: DMG Vol 3 ch 16

PDF, 1.06 MB, 126 pages

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DMG Vol 3 Ch 17: Overlapping benefits

Ref: DMG Vol 3 ch 17

PDF, 152 KB, 31 pages

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DMG Vol 3 Ch 18: Hospital in-patients

Ref: DMG Vol 3 ch 18

PDF, 78.9 KB, 26 pages

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DMG Vol 3 Ch 19: This chapter is spare

Ref: DMG Vol 3 ch 19

PDF, 13.4 KB, 1 page

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DMG Vol 3: Summary of changes from January 2021

PDF, 227 KB, 5 pages

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DMG Vol 3: Amendment 60, February 2020

PDF, 90.2 KB, 1 page

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DMG Vol 3: Amendment 59, October 2019

PDF, 145 KB, 8 pages

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DMG Vol 3: Amendment 58, June 2019

Ref: DMG Vol 3 Amendment 58

PDF, 42.5 KB, 12 pages

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DMG Vol 3: Amendment 57, February 2019

Ref: DMG Vol 3 amendment 57

PDF, 1.04 MB, 116 pages

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DMG Vol 3: Amendment 56, October 2018

Ref: DMG Vol 3 amendment 56

PDF, 49.7 KB, 3 pages

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DMG Vol 3: Amendment 55, June 2018

PDF, 446 KB, 56 pages

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DMG Vol 3: Amendment 54, October 2017

PDF, 1.16 MB, 55 pages

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DMG Vol 3: Amendment 53, June 2017

Ref: DMG Vol 3 amendment 53

PDF, 34 KB, 8 pages

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DMG Vol 3: Amendment 52, February 2017

Ref: DMG Vol 3 amendment 52

PDF, 184 KB, 28 pages

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DMG Vol 3: Amendment 51, June 2016

Ref: DMG Vol 3 amendment 51

PDF, 266 KB, 62 pages

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DMG Vol 3: Amendment 50, February 2016

Ref: DMG Vol 3 amendment 50

PDF, 163 KB, 22 pages

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DMG Vol 3: Amendment 61, June 2020

PDF, 24.4 KB, 1 page

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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