Welfare rights news and case law

11 February, 2021

Amendment of the Support for Mortgage Interest loan payment rules in Northern Ireland

New statutory rule

10 February, 2021 Open access

DWP Minister accuses opposition parties of ‘scaremongering’ about removal of £20 universal credit uplift

Minister for Welfare Delivery tells MPs that 'scaremongering in this House has real-world consequences, which the Department sees every day in claimant behaviour'

10 February, 2021

Northern Ireland Executive confirms that delayed Cost of Work Allowance will be included in forthcoming review of welfare mitigation measures

Written answer from Communities Minister explains that introduction of allowance was delayed by HMRC advice that it would be treated as personal income which arrived while Assembly was suspended

9 February, 2021 Open access

Design of universal credit creates risks for women’s financial independence which have been heightened by Covid pandemic, MPs warn

Women and Equalities Committee calls for immediate DWP action to understand impact of features including the wait for first payment, joint eligibility assessments and the single earnings disregard

9 February, 2021 Open access

£20 benefit ‘uplift’ must be maintained for another year ‘at the very least’, say MPs

Removing the extra payment next month would represent a 'failure by Government', warns Chair of Work and Pensions Select Committee

9 February, 2021

Miscellaneous amendments to the Support for Mortgage Interest loan scheme

New statutory instrument

9 February, 2021

Briefing to Scottish Parliament emphasises need for legislators to consider how devolved benefits will be categorised for purposes of EU social security co-ordination

New report highlights that, while Young Carer Grant is subject to full range of co-ordination principles, Best Start Grant is likely to be either 'partially co-ordinated' or outside co-ordination provisions altogether

8 February, 2021 Open access

DWP anticipates local authority housing benefit offices will have ‘controlled’ access to its Debt Management service line from April 2021

New edition of Welfare Direct Bulletin highlights that resourcing issues have limited local authorities' access well before Covid-19 impacted on performance

8 February, 2021 Open access

More than three in ten new universal credit claimants have either fallen into debt or seen their existing debts grow

New research also shows that even with the £20 Covid ‘uplift’, almost half of post-March 2020 universal credit claimants report income falls of more than a quarter

8 February, 2021

Less than one in five think government is doing enough to tackle child poverty

With more than four million children in relative poverty, End Child Poverty coalition calls on the government to commit to a joined up strategy for reducing and ending child poverty

8 February, 2021

Scottish Government’s response to UN call for action outlines how its ability to tackle poverty is limited by the constraints of devolved competence

New report highlights that Scottish Government controls only 15 per cent of DWP total spend in Scotland, and all income replacement benefits remain reserved to Westminster

5 February, 2021 Open access

Leading health and social care organisations urge government to retain £20 universal credit ‘uplift’ and extend increase to legacy benefits

Groups representing doctors, nurses and social workers highlight 'established link' between poverty and poor health, which is worsening in the face of Covid-19

5 February, 2021 Open access

MPs criticise limitations in claimant data sharing for preventing the routing of Covid-19 free school meals support through the benefits system

Public Accounts Committee report recommends the Department for Education and DWP work together to allow more ‘flexible and responsive’ free meals support in future

5 February, 2021

Valuation Office Agency sets out local housing allowance rates for 2021/2022

Agency highlights that rates are the same as those that came into force on 1 April 2020

5 February, 2021

Assured shorthold service charges found to be prohibited under Renting Homes Fees Act in Wales can still be covered by housing benefit

New edition of DWP's LA Welfare Direct advises that housing benefit teams should only reassess affected cases if there is a change to the terms of any tenancy agreement

5 February, 2021

HMRC confirms launch of a new child benefit IT system this month that will lead to faster processing times for new claims

However, system change will also lead to ‘short period’ when it will not be able to update live records with changes or process new claims

Welfare rights

Amendment of the Support for Mortgage Interest loan payment rules in Northern Ireland

New statutory rule

DWP Minister accuses opposition parties of ‘scaremongering’ about removal of £20 universal credit uplift

Northern Ireland Executive confirms that delayed Cost of Work Allowance will be included in forthcoming review of welfare mitigation measures

Design of universal credit creates risks for women’s financial independence which have been heightened by Covid pandemic, MPs warn

£20 benefit ‘uplift’ must be maintained for another year ‘at the very least’, say MPs

Miscellaneous amendments to the Support for Mortgage Interest loan scheme

Briefing to Scottish Parliament emphasises need for legislators to consider how devolved benefits will be categorised for purposes of EU social security co-ordination

New report highlights that, while Young Carer Grant is subject to full range of co-ordination principles, Best Start Grant is likely to be either 'partially co-ordinated' or outside co-ordination provisions altogether

DWP anticipates local authority housing benefit offices will have ‘controlled’ access to its Debt Management service line from April 2021

More than three in ten new universal credit claimants have either fallen into debt or seen their existing debts grow

Less than one in five think government is doing enough to tackle child poverty

Scottish Government’s response to UN call for action outlines how its ability to tackle poverty is limited by the constraints of devolved competence

Leading health and social care organisations urge government to retain £20 universal credit ‘uplift’ and extend increase to legacy benefits

MPs criticise limitations in claimant data sharing for preventing the routing of Covid-19 free school meals support through the benefits system

Valuation Office Agency sets out local housing allowance rates for 2021/2022

Assured shorthold service charges found to be prohibited under Renting Homes Fees Act in Wales can still be covered by housing benefit

Whether tribunal properly exercised discretion to impose civil penalty

‘Broken’ sick pay system needs urgent reform, say TUC

More than a million universal credit claimants ‘very likely’ to need to use a food bank if the £20 ‘uplift’ is removed

HMRC confirms launch of a new child benefit IT system this month that will lead to faster processing times for new claims