The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has altered the colour of envelopes used for all customer communications, moving from traditional manila brown to white. The change, implemented on 5 April, applies to system-generated notifications for all recipients, not just those receiving benefits.
The DWP explained the switch via its Touchbase service, citing a new Royal Mail requirement for legible barcodes on bulk post. Testing revealed that printing barcodes on manila envelopes frequently failed, prompting the move to white envelopes.
The new white envelopes will be marked 'important post – please open' and will maintain the same size and window style as the previous manila versions. The DWP assured that the change is purely operational and does not affect the content or delivery of notifications.
In a separate development, the DWP confirmed that face-to-face assessments for Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), and Universal Credit will resume in May, following public health guidance. Invitations will be issued by letter, with paper-based and telephone assessments continuing where appropriate.
