Welfare rights news and case law

20 April, 2022

Government rejects Lord’s concerns about universal credit, despite DWP Minister saying that peers’ views must be taken account of in the ‘ongoing process’ of reform

In further response to 2020 report that concluded that universal credit is failing millions of people, Department says that there are lots of elements of the benefit that work

20 April, 2022

DWP confirms it has developed an ‘automated digital solution’ to extend PIP awards to prevent them going out of payment due to delays in assessments being carried out

Minister also advises that, due to high demand for PIP new claims, some awards have been extended more than once

19 April, 2022

Equality and Human Rights Commission to require the DWP to improve its treatment of disabled benefit claimants

Legally-binding action plan being drawn up in response to serious concerns about Department's failures to meet the needs of claimants with mental health impairments and learning disabilities

19 April, 2022

DWP’s assertion that jobcentre staff do not advise people to claim universal credit is ‘disingenuous’

Writing to Minister, NAWRA seeks clarity on what safeguards the Department has in place to ensure work coaches do not misadvise, and what provision it is making for claimants to obtain independent advice on whether to make a 'voluntary move' to universal credit

19 April, 2022

Users have a ‘continued and unfulfilled need’ for WCA statistics since the rollout of universal credit, says Office for Statistics Regulation

Letter to DWP's Chief Statistician calls for clarity about plans for release of statistics in light of their importance and expectation that they are published

14 April, 2022

Levels of deprivation endured by children of parents subject to NRPF condition ‘should not be allowed to dominate any childhood’

Select Committee calls for increased support from the social security system and access to public funds after a maximum five-year period of being subject to the condition

14 April, 2022

Justice Minister resigns, saying government’s legal reforms can only be undertaken if it is resolutely committed to the rule of law

Highlighting recent disclosures of breaches of the criminal law in Downing Street, Lord Wolfson QC says that, consistent with his ministerial and professional obligations, he had no option other than to tender his resignation

13 April, 2022

Removing exception to being a ‘person subject to immigration control’ for EEA nationals in relation to accessing pension credit, housing benefit and council tax reduction schemes

New statutory instrument

13 April, 2022 Open access

Disregarding local welfare provision in the calculation of capital for universal credit purposes

New statutory instrument

13 April, 2022

Select Committee warns that government’s proposals for reform of the Human Rights Act would weaken existing human rights protections in the UK

Human Rights Committee chair says that the government’s case for reform is not proven and there is nothing in its consultation that would serve to strengthen the protections we currently have, and 'much that would weaken them'

12 April, 2022

Help to Claim service is ‘not intended to help someone decide if universal credit is right for them’

Writing to NAWRA, Minister also confirms that neither DWP or HMRC staff will advise people whether or not they would be better off on universal credit

12 April, 2022

An estimated 70,000 people in Scotland, including 30,000 children, would be lifted out of poverty by 2024 if UK Government welfare reforms since 2015 were reversed

However, Scottish Government estimates that to reverse all the changes, including the removal of the £20 universal credit uplift, the two-child limit, and the residual effect of the four-year benefit freeze, would cost £780 million per year

12 April, 2022

Evaluation of DWP programme integrating more employment advisers into NHS psychological therapy services

New reports find largely positive outcomes for participants' mental health, perceptions about their ability to work, and engagement with the labour market from DWP's programme of investment that started in 2018

11 April, 2022 Open access

Exemption from requirement to satisfy habitual residence test or past presence test for people arriving in Great Britain from Ukraine

New DWP guidance

11 April, 2022

Basic rate of unemployment benefits sees its biggest drop in value in fifty years

Joseph Rowntree Foundation also highlights that benefits are at a 35-year low in real terms following a 'decade of cuts and freezes'

11 April, 2022

Select Committee seeks update from Prime Minister after his commitment to ask the Treasury to consider re-examining benefit uprating in response to inflation

Letter from Committee Chair follows up on last month's evidence session on the costs of living crisis and the suggestion for an in-year re-indexing of benefit rates

11 April, 2022

Welsh Government calls on UK Government to reinstate funding for discretionary housing payments following another round of ‘savage’ cuts

Minister warns that reduced funding will exacerbate the plight of those already experiencing the cost of living crisis and 'inevitably lead to further hardship and eviction’

8 April, 2022

DWP says that it gave ‘due regard’ to Managing Public Money principles in coming to decision not to offer blanket compensation to claimants who were underpaid state pension

Response to Public Accounts Committee report also confirms that Department does not intend to change legislative position regarding treatment of state pension arrears for benefit purposes

8 April, 2022

Government estimates that reforms to Warm Home Discount scheme will lead to reduction of almost 300,000 in number of disability benefit claimants receiving rebate

However, consultation response argues that move to eligibility based on receipt of means-tested benefits will lead to 12 per cent increase in number of recipients with long-term illness or disability compared to current scheme