The regulations amend existing 2013 social security legislation to permit the extension of fixed-term Personal Independence Payment awards for administrative efficiency in England and Wales, effective from June 2nd, 2026.

This Statutory Instrument, which applies only to England and Wales, amends the 2013 regulations governing decisions and appeals for Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Jobseeker's Allowance, and Employment and Support Allowance by inserting a provision that empowers the Secretary of State to extend the duration of any fixed-term award of Personal Independence Payment if deemed necessary to ensure the efficient administration of that benefit.

Expanded pension eligibility to include elected members and mayors of the Sussex and Brighton Combined County Authority.

These Regulations amend the Sussex and Brighton Combined County Authority Regulations 2026 to grant elected members of that authority access to the Local Government Pension Scheme.

They mandate that any allowance paid to a member, excluding travel and subsistence, is treated as pensionable income.

The Sussex and Brighton Combined County Authority is directed to make the necessary employer contributions and payments to fund these pension benefits for its members.

The regulations amended provisions within the Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment, and Employment and Support Allowance frameworks to exclude work and voluntary activities from being considered reasons for fresh benefit determinations or reassessments.

These Statutory Instruments amend regulations governing Universal Credit (UC), Personal Independence Payment (PIP), and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) to specify that undertaking work, whether paid or voluntary, does not count as a 'relevant change of circumstances' justifying an immediate reassessment of a claimant's limited capability for work or their ability to carry out daily living/mobility activities.

Established joint liability for National Insurance payments between umbrella companies, recruitment agencies, and clients to prevent tax avoidance in labour supply chains.

These regulations establish joint and several liability for National Insurance contributions (NICs) within labour supply chains involving umbrella companies.

They direct that recruitment agencies or end-clients must pay unpaid Class 1 NICs if the umbrella company employing a worker fails to do so.

The rules apply to 'relevant parties'—typically the agency closest to the client in the contractual chain—and include provisions to prevent avoidance through 'purported' umbrella companies or fraudulent documentation.

The regulations affect recruitment businesses, umbrella companies, and various clients across the United Kingdom who engage workers via intermediaries.

Corrected three instances of 'The Secretary' to read 'The Secretary of State' within Regulation 63A of the inserted provisions of The Universal Credit (Transitional Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations 2026.

This Statutory Instrument correction notice rectifies typographical errors within The Universal Credit (Transitional Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026 No. 6), specifically replacing instances of the abbreviated term 'The Secretary' with the full statutory title 'The Secretary of State' in subsections (2), (4), and (6) of the newly inserted regulation 63A concerning transitional provisions.

Increased the statutory compensation payments for workers with dust-related diseases and their dependants by 3.8% starting April 2026.

These Regulations increase the lump sum compensation amounts payable to individuals suffering from certain dust-related diseases, such as pneumoconiosis and diffuse mesothelioma, or to their dependants.

They apply to cases in England, Wales, and Scotland where a person first meets the entitlement conditions on or after 1 April 2026.

The instrument raises specific statutory payment limits and replaces the payment tables in the 1988 Regulations to reflect a 3.8% increase across all categories of age and disability percentage.

Statutory Instrument No. 377 of 2026 revised the lump sum payment amounts payable under the 2008 Regulations by 3.8% for mesothelioma victims and their dependants.

These Regulations, made under the authority of the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008, amend the Mesothelioma Lump Sum Payments (Conditions and Amounts) Regulations 2008 by substituting new tables that increase all lump sum payments for individuals diagnosed with diffuse mesothelioma and for their dependants by 3.8 percent, effective from 1st April 2026, applying to cases first diagnosed or claims made on or after this date.

The Regulations enacted the second set of commencement provisions for the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act 2025 on April 1st, 2026, activating sections related to public sector fraud investigation, non-benefit payment enforcement, and associated amendments to social security law.

These Regulations bring into force the second tranche of provisions from the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act 2025 starting on 1st April 2026, specifically activating sections establishing new powers for investigating and recovering losses from fraud against public authorities outside of tax and social security, introducing criminal offences and administrative penalties for non-benefit payment fraud, and extending relevant Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 powers to authorized investigators.