Welfare rights news and case law

2 April, 2020 Open access

Further guidance on social security tribunal contingency arrangements during COVID-19 pandemic

New Practice Direction includes guidance on when to proceed to determine appeals without an oral hearing and when remote hearings may be appropriate

2 April, 2020 Open access

Treating carer’s allowance claimants in Scotland as engaged in caring during temporary breaks due to coronavirus

New statutory instrument

2 April, 2020 Open access

DWP must get universal credit ‘battle ready’ as unemployment grows due to COVID-19

Resolution Foundation highlights that almost a million claims have been made for universal credit in the last fortnight

2 April, 2020

Tax credits fraud and error exceeded £1.4 billion in 2017/2018

Total reflects a small reduction from the interim estimate in HMRC’s June 2019 statistical release

1 April, 2020 Open access

Scottish Government delays introduction of devolved disability benefits for indefinite period in response to coronavirus outbreak

Cabinet Secretary also announces delay to introduction of Job Start Payment while officials prioritise delivery of the Carer's Allowance Supplement and Scottish Child Payment

1 April, 2020 Open access

Scottish Government increases council tax reduction earnings disregard to take account of temporary increase in working tax credit basic element

New statutory instrument increases weekly disregard to £37.10 for the 2020/2021 tax year

1 April, 2020

Whether a lease which restricted ownership to 75 per cent of the value of the property, and with no rent payable, could be a shared ownership lease

BN v (1) Liverpool City Council (2) Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (HB)
2020] UKUT 28 (AAC)
CH/257/2019

31 March, 2020 Open access

Voucher scheme launched for children unable to access free school meals in England due to the COVID-19 outbreak

Where it's not possible to provide meals for collection or delivery, schools can now issue a weekly shopping voucher worth £15 for each eligible child

31 March, 2020 Open access

Emergency support package needed to support ‘children of the pandemic’, says IPPR

New briefing calls for range of urgent measures including £10 a week increase in child element of universal credit and working tax credit and removal of two-child limit and benefit cap

31 March, 2020

Tribunal wrongly decided to determine appeal without oral hearing when claimant had requested one / guidance on exercising power to abridge time limit to apply for set aside

LM v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (ESA)
[2020] UKUT 41 (AAC)
CE/1901/2019

31 March, 2020

Scottish Government publishes summary of social security statistics in Scotland as at March 2020

New slidepack focuses on figures relating to devolved and newly introduced benefits, and figures on overall expenditure in 2018/2019

30 March, 2020 Open access

‘Move to universal credit’ pilot in Harrogate temporarily suspended due to coronavirus outbreak

DWP says that it will not engage with any new claimants, and any migration notices issued to claimants who have not yet moved to universal credit have been withdrawn

30 March, 2020 Open access

Restriction of Scottish Welfare Fund crisis grants to three per person per year waived during COVID-19 outbreak

Scottish Government considers the current circumstances to be 'exceptional' so that the waiver can be applied

30 March, 2020 Open access

Disability Benefits Consortium calls on government to introduce further measures to protect disabled people’s incomes during outbreak of coronavirus

Charities' recommendations include that DWP legacy benefits should be uplifted in line with increases in universal credit, and that the limited capability for work element be restored

30 March, 2020 Open access

Welfare rights

Further guidance on social security tribunal contingency arrangements during COVID-19 pandemic

New Practice Direction includes guidance on when to proceed to determine appeals without an oral hearing and when remote hearings may be appropriate

Treating carer’s allowance claimants in Scotland as engaged in caring during temporary breaks due to coronavirus

DWP must get universal credit ‘battle ready’ as unemployment grows due to COVID-19

Tax credits fraud and error exceeded £1.4 billion in 2017/2018

Scottish Government delays introduction of devolved disability benefits for indefinite period in response to coronavirus outbreak

Scottish Government increases council tax reduction earnings disregard to take account of temporary increase in working tax credit basic element

Whether a lease which restricted ownership to 75 per cent of the value of the property, and with no rent payable, could be a shared ownership lease

BN v (1) Liverpool City Council (2) Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (HB)
2020] UKUT 28 (AAC)
CH/257/2019

Voucher scheme launched for children unable to access free school meals in England due to the COVID-19 outbreak

Emergency support package needed to support ‘children of the pandemic’, says IPPR

Tribunal wrongly decided to determine appeal without oral hearing when claimant had requested one / guidance on exercising power to abridge time limit to apply for set aside

Scottish Government publishes summary of social security statistics in Scotland as at March 2020

‘Move to universal credit’ pilot in Harrogate temporarily suspended due to coronavirus outbreak

Restriction of Scottish Welfare Fund crisis grants to three per person per year waived during COVID-19 outbreak

Disability Benefits Consortium calls on government to introduce further measures to protect disabled people’s incomes during outbreak of coronavirus

Limiting of operations within the Upper Tribunal in Scotland and Northern Ireland during the coronavirus pandemic

Amendments to secondary legislation in consequence of introduction of statutory parental bereavement leave and pay

Miscellaneous changes to social security in response to the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak

Changes to statutory sick pay in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

Government issues further guidance in relation to the new Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme

Welfare rights

New Practice Direction includes guidance on when to proceed to determine appeals without an oral hearing and when remote hearings may be appropriate

BN v (1) Liverpool City Council (2) Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (HB) 2020] UKUT 28 (AAC) CH/257/2019

BN v (1) Liverpool City Council (2) Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (HB)
2020] UKUT 28 (AAC)
CH/257/2019