The DWP can lean on Citizens Advice to pressurise them to reduce support to applicants. Some Citizens Advice financial support comes from Central Governement so they can't afford to completely ignore the wishes of Central Government departments.
CA have been very useful to some disability applicants, but that support is not what it was. Its all very sad.
Welfare applicants below retirement age are in general easy targets to attack by the DWP, because many are unable to express themselves well, lack the understanding and knowledge to access financial help, lack confidence, don't have many people to protect them or stand up for them, they don't in general vote neither. Many sections of the media love to label them work shy - scrougers, even though the majority are working and/or care for others.