Welfare rights news and case law

18 May, 2010

Lord Freud appointed as DWP Parliamentary Under Secretary of State

Author of the Freud report becomes Minister for Welfare Reform

18 May, 2010

DWP ‘keen to bring certainty’ to welfare to work providers

Letter to all providers following coalition government's announcement that it will end existing work programmes

17 May, 2010

Unemployment figure continues to rise whilst number claiming jobseeker’s allowance falls

However, Citizens Advice enquiries about jobseeker's allowance up by 40%

14 May, 2010

Right to reside as the parent and primary carer of a child in education

New HB guidance following recent European Court of Justice judgments

14 May, 2010

Referring registered housing association rents to a Rent Officer

New HB guidance

14 May, 2010

Claiming housing benefit and council tax benefit at the same time as a claim for ESA

New HB guidance on 'Customer Account Management' and the 'Local Authority Claim Information' document

13 May, 2010

Sanctions for benefit fraud

Latest version of DWP policy now available online

13 May, 2010

New government to end all existing welfare to work programmes and replace with a single programme

Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition agreement sets out welfare reforms

12 May, 2010

Work capability assessment continues to find seven out of ten claimants fit for work

Plus DWP decisions confirmed in more than 60% of appeals, according to new DWP statistics

12 May, 2010

UK unemployment at highest level since December 1994

Issue remains a pressing social and economic problem, says TUC

12 May, 2010

Right to reside as the parent and primary carer of a child in education

New DWP guidance following recent European Court of Justice judgments

12 May, 2010

Iain Duncan Smith appointed new Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

Government announcement

11 May, 2010

Whether periods of residence before April 2006 count towards the five years needed for permanent right to reside

Advocate General's Opinion in the ECJ case of Lassal

10 May, 2010

DWP has a ‘critical role’ to play in how an incoming government manages welfare reform

Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion responds to the uncertainties surrounding the election result

7 May, 2010

Legal representation in the First-tier Tribunal and the Upper Tribunal in Scotland

New statutory instrument

7 May, 2010

Pension reform and carer’s credit changes added to DWP Benefits Adviser Service

New HB guidance

5 May, 2010

Couple penalties in the tax and benefit system are ‘widespread, but almost impossible to eliminate’

New Report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies

4 May, 2010

Gingerbread expresses disappointment at latest child maintenance collection rates

Agency 'lacks ambition and urgency' in ensuring that families get the thousands of pounds they are owed

30 April, 2010

Provision of tax credit information to local authority HB Departments

DWP Customer Information System now alerting HB staff to changes