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New guidance coming into effect this summer means people who are awarded the highest level of support under PIP – and where their needs are expected to stay the same or increase – will receive an ongoing award of PIP with a light touch review every 10 years.

The change will ensure that those with severe or progressive conditions receive an award which reflects the fact that their condition will not improve.

The Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, Sarah Newton, said:

We’re absolutely determined to ensure people get the right support that they need to live better, more comfortable lives.

PIP is a needs-based benefit that takes into consideration people’s individual, and sometimes quite complicated circumstances.

We’ve listened to feedback from organisations and the public, and this common-sense change will ensure that the right protections are in place while minimising any unnecessary stress or bureaucracy.

The government will be working with stakeholders to design the light touch review process so that it adds value for both our claimants and the department – for example, by providing information on services available and ensuring that contact or bank details have not changed.

We are still finalising details of the guidance and will publish it later this summer.

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• UK exports increased by 8.2 % in the year to May 2018
• tech gadgets are top of the list in most Father’s Day wish lists
• there is global demand for quality British goods, with companies such as Mo Bros and Extreme Fliers seeing a rise in their international business since joining the Department for International Trade’s (DIT) exporting programmes

The value of UK goods exports increased by 8.2 % in the year to May 2018, recent HMRC data shows.

Making the most of international demand, Leicester-based Mo Bros are now exporting their beard care goods to 78 countries, providing the latest facial fashion to fathers everywhere.

After embarking on the challenge to ‘grow a mo’ for charity in 2014, brothers Keval, Kunal and Savan Dattani identified a gap in the market for grooming products which catered for all beard types – and so Mo Bros was born. Sourcing the finest British ingredients, the brothers produce a beard care range, exporting over 250,000 products to men around the world in the last 3 years.

Kunal Dattani, co-founder of Mo Bro’s, said:

Since working with DIT, we’ve found that there is huge international appetite for our products. The quality of British-stamped products is appreciated around the world meaning the possibilities for exporting is huge – if we can do it, so can other businesses.

Tech gadgets are at the top of most Father’s Day wish lists this year, and Extreme Fliers – the designers and manufacturers of personal Micro Drone technology – have seen significant export growth in the US.

Vernon Kerswell founded the company 4 years ago and now has a team of 12 inventors, designers and engineers. Since joining DIT’s E-Exporting programme in 2017, the company has rapidly increased online sales through US tech e-marketplace Newegg.

Vernon Kerswell, CEO, Extreme Fliers said:

Out of our small design studio in South London, we have built one of the UK’s leading drone technology companies. By combining the best high-tech engineering with global supply chains, we are able to develop products and scale very fast. With the DIT’s E-Exporting programme our products can quickly reach exciting new markets and customers around the world.

International Trade Minister Graham Stuart MP said:

It’s great to see companies such as Mo Bros and Extreme Fliers making the most of an ever-growing global demand for British goods and services.

The Department for International Trade offers a wide range of export support services to assist British businesses to take advantage of these global opportunities. This support includes our international trade advisers, a comprehensive list of export opportunities on great.gov.uk and our award-winning export credit agency, UK Export Finance.

Recent figures released by HMRC show the number of businesses exporting goods in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is at 109,000 – a rise of 4.1 % from the previous year.

In the first months of 2018, the average value of goods exported per business was £750,000.

For further information

Contact the DIT Media Team on 020 7215 2000 or email newsdesk@trade.gov.uk

Follow us: @tradegovuk, gov.uk/dit