Welfare rights news and case law

14 October, 2022

More than 30 charities and unions write to Work and Pensions Secretary calling for urgent action to improve the statutory sick pay system

Recommendations include abolishing the earnings threshold and increasing the payment rate so it aligns with a worker's wages up to the real living wage

13 October, 2022

MPs representing four opposition parties write to Work and Pensions Secretary calling for public inquiry into suicides and serious harm caused by benefits system

Liberal Democrat, Scottish National Party, Plaid Cymru and Green Party MPs also call for interim changes to make investigations into serious incidents more 'effective, transparent and accountable'

13 October, 2022

Almost half of tax credit claims were either overpaid or underpaid during 2020/2021

New HMRC statistics also show that the total number of tax credit claims continues to decrease due to the rollout of universal credit

12 October, 2022

‘Independent, transparent and open’ scrutiny of the universal managed migration process is absolutely essential, says SSAC

Failure to be transparent is increasing anxiety among claimants and risks reducing the effectiveness of the programme, Advisory Committee tells Work and Pensions Committee

12 October, 2022

DWP provides information on universal credit WCA outcomes for period from July 2021 to June 2022

Figures supplied by DWP Minister in context of continuing lack of official universal credit WCA statistics

11 October, 2022

Government lays amended draft Remedial Order to extend bereavement benefits to surviving cohabiting partners with children

Amendments to 2021 draft Order further extend eligibility to include pregnant cohabiting partners and allow for retrospective payments to be disregarded as capital for 12 months

11 October, 2022

Devolved governments call on Work and Pensions Secretary to take immediate action on the cost of living crisis

Letter expressing concern about impact of current crisis on poverty levels calls for immediate action including an emergency £25 uplift for all means-tested benefits and the abolition of the benefit cap and two child limit

10 October, 2022

200,000 more children will be pushed into poverty if benefits are uprated by wages rather than inflation

CPAG analysis finds that almost all these children will be in families where at least one parent is working

10 October, 2022

DWP announces national rollout of programme integrating employment advisers into NHS England psychological therapy services

£122 million funding builds on pilot service that gives those receiving mental health support the option to speak to employment advisers

10 October, 2022

First Minister announces doubling of final Scottish Child Payment bridging payment to £260

Nicola Sturgeon also confirms that final payment will be paid in addition to Scottish Child Payment when it is extended to all eligible under-16s from 14 November 2022

7 October, 2022

Pressing ahead with benefit cuts in the face of public opposition would be ‘morally indefensible’

New polling for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation highlights that more than 60 per cent of the public agree that benefits should be increased in line with inflation

6 October, 2022

Freezing of benefit cap will lead to a quarter of a million households being affected by 2025/2026

New IFS analysis also finds that freezing child benefit taper threshold will lead to 2.5 million families losing benefit by 2025/2026, equivalent to 31 per cent of families with children

6 October, 2022

Refusal to extend time to apply for mandatory reconsideration of tax credit decision gives rise to right of appeal to First-tier Tribunal

AB v Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (TC)
[2021] UKUT 328 (AAC)
CTC/886/2021

4 October, 2022

DWP provides figures on what the level of the benefit cap would be if it had been increased in line with inflation or average earnings

Figures include that, had the cap kept pace with earnings, it would be more than £85 per week higher in London and £75 per week higher outside London

4 October, 2022

Work and Pensions Committee calls on Chancellor to honour predecessor’s commitment to uprate benefits in line with inflation

Failure to increase benefits next April in line with September 2022's CPI risks 'countless families being pushed further into crushing poverty', warns Committee Chair

4 October, 2022

Government confirms that second cost of living payment will be made between 8 and 23 November 2022 for those on DWP means-tested benefits

New regulations provide that in order to qualify for the £324 payment, claimants must have been entitled to a relevant benefit on 25 September 2022

4 October, 2022

Excluding claimants whose home is in Scotland from eligibility for cold weather payments

New statutory instrument

3 October, 2022

Tribunal’s approach to claimant’s oral and written evidence, that it considered lacked credibility, was not an error of law

MH v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (PIP)
[2022] UKUT 248 (AAC)
UA-2021-000155-PIP

3 October, 2022

Circumstances in which a person for whom tax credits have not been abolished may make a fresh claim following termination of an award

Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs v RS (No 2) (TC)
[2022] UKUT 246 (AAC)
UA-2020-001557-TC