Welfare rights news and case law

20 January, 2021

Northern Ireland Communities Minister instructs Department to look at in-house PIP assessment model, as recommended in second independent review of PIP assessment process

However, in her response to a question on the likely extension of Capita's assessment contract for two years, Minister says move away from external provider cannot happen right away

20 January, 2021

Communities Minister confirms Northern Ireland Executive’s commitment to prioritise existing welfare reform mitigations in 2021/2022

Responding to questions in the Assembly yesterday, Deirdre Hargey also confirms that her Department is looking at what further mitigations and protections it can bring in

19 January, 2021 Open access

Jobcentres ‘should be closed now’, says Public and Commercial Services Union

Union highlights that DWP's insistance on all jobcentres remaining open goes against government advice to work from home

19 January, 2021

LITRG repeats its call for government to raise threshold for High Income Child Benefit Charge

If threshold remains at £50,000, then basic-rate taxpayers will be affected by charge for the first time in 2021/2022

18 January, 2021 Open access

Commons votes in favour of Opposition Day Debate motion calling on the government to maintain the £20 'uplift' to universal credit and working tax credit

With the government choosing to abstain, House votes in favour of non-binding motion by 278 votes to zero

18 January, 2021 Open access

Government decision on whether to keep the universal credit ‘uplift’ could determine the inequality story of the whole parliament

Living standards hit from the Covid-19 crisis is ahead, rather than behind us, says the Resolution Foundation

15 January, 2021

Work and Pensions Committee launches inquiry to examine what steps government could take to reduce child poverty

First stage of inquiry to focus on best way to measure child poverty, and how effectively the DWP works with other government departments and local authorities

15 January, 2021

Having Zambrano right of residence did not assist claimant in being eligible for child benefit

The Commissioners for Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs v AD
[2020] UKUT 353 (AAC)
CF/2239/2019

15 January, 2021

Civil legal aid system is ‘running on an empty tank’ and is being kept going by nothing more than the goodwill of the legal profession

Bar Council says that the current arrangements in England and Wales are not a sustainable way to guarantee the future of such an essential service for the public

15 January, 2021

Extending HMRC’s powers to review finalised tax credit awards to enable further backdating of disability element awards

New statutory instrument brings into effect policy intent that claimants should receive backdated disability elements even when tax credit awards have ceased or cross several tax years

14 January, 2021 Open access

Labour Party to force Commons vote demanding that the government scraps planned cut to universal credit and working tax credit

Opposition Day debate motion calls for the government to give certainty to the six million families who are set to lose out on an extra £1,000 a year

14 January, 2021

Scottish Child Payment entitlement where qualifying benefit is reduced to a nil award

New statutory instrument also includes amendments in relation to further claims for additional children

14 January, 2021

DWP sets out plans to expand its ‘PIP Apply’ pilot to further test the use of an online version of the PIP2 claim form

Minister for Disability, Health and Work says Department’s aim is to scale-up the service by Spring 2021

14 January, 2021 Open access

Amendment of council tax reduction regulations in Scotland to provide for disregard of one-off £500 payment being made to NHS and social care workers

New statutory instrument

14 January, 2021

Number of work capability assessments completed in first three months of lockdown reduced by more than 50 per cent compared to pre-March 2020

However, new DWP statistics highlight that no claimant was found fit for work following an initial or repeat assessment in the three months ending in June 2020

14 January, 2021

Government publishes call for evidence in relation to independent review of the Human Rights Act

'General views' sought by March 2021 ahead of publication of review's recommendations in Summer 2021

14 January, 2021

Amendments to the prescribed requirements for council tax reduction schemes and the default scheme in Wales for 2021/2022

New statutory instrument

13 January, 2021

Proposed changes to the way appeals from Upper Tribunal operate are ‘unnecessary, unfair and ineffective’

Responding to Ministry of Justice consultation, Public Law Project says reform which risks undermining the fundamental right of access to justice should not be pursued

13 January, 2021 Open access

HMCTS can’t continue with its ‘business as usual’ approach under the new lockdown, says Public and Commercial Services Union

Calling for reversion to Critical Business Priorities used in first Covid-19 lockdown, Union says the situation is now at a tipping point