Welfare rights news and case law

30 April, 2019

DWP confirms it will test the feasibility of a single assessment for work capability and PIP assessments

Written answer to Parliament from Parliamentary Under Secretary for Work and Pensions

30 April, 2019

MPs welcome 'small change' in guidance on terminal illness rules, but say it's 'no substitute' for change in the law

Work and Pensions Committee expresses concern at lack of transparency from government and requests that it monitor whether guidance leads to a more flexible approach

30 April, 2019

Scottish Welfare Fund crisis grant applications increase by 13 per cent compared to same period last year

New statistics also show that one in ten applications were made because of late or delayed benefit payments

29 April, 2019

British Medical Association did not ‘sign off’ revised DWP letters to GPs

Letter advising GPs to no longer provide fit notes must be 'urgently changed', says Royal College of General Practitioners

29 April, 2019

Early Years Assistance in Scotland

New statutory instrument provides for introduction of both the early learning grant and the school age grant

26 April, 2019

DWP aiming to recover £150 million in overpaid carer’s allowance from almost 80,000 carers

NAO highlights that administrative backlogs caused by DWP staff shortages had previously led to delays in identifying overpayments

26 April, 2019

Bedroom tax has saved more than £1.7 billion since its introduction

Minister provides update on deductions from housing benefit for period from 2013/2014 to 2017/2018

25 April, 2019

Minister says he has 'taken a deep breath' at poor quality of some communications relating to work capability assessment

Justin Tomlinson also confirms that government is in the early stages of 'a new way of looking at mandatory reconsiderations'

25 April, 2019

Trussell Trust calls for end to five week wait for universal credit as number of food parcels given out increases by 18 per cent in one year

New data shows that main reasons for referral were due to benefits not covering cost of living, or delays or changes to benefits being paid

25 April, 2019

Work and Pensions Secretary provides assurance that claimants will not be pursued for historic debt that has previously been written off

Only exception, Secretary of State says, is where debt attributed to official error later transpires to be the result of fraud

25 April, 2019

HMRC announces that the public will be able to contact the Adjudicator’s Office by email or 'secure digital channel' by Autum 2019

Change follows criticism from Treasury Committee that 'astonishing' lack of digital access is no longer defendable

25 April, 2019

Changes to age-related benefits needed to tackle intergenerational unfairness, says Select Committee

Recommendations include removing state pension triple lock and postponing eligibility for winter fuel payment to a later age

25 April, 2019

Welsh Government reaffirms its commitment to advice services in the face of ongoing welfare reforms

Deputy Minister issues statement outlining progress of the government's Information and Advice Action Plan

24 April, 2019

1.9 million people will lose at least £1,000 per year under universal credit, says IFS

New research also highlights disproportionate effect on 'persistently poor', with some disabled people losing up to £2,230 per year once transitional protection expires

23 April, 2019

Evidence sought of human rights impacts of introduction of digital technologies in social protection systems

United Nations Special Rapporteur invites submissions by 17 May 2019

23 April, 2019

Only 21 per cent of claimants who were in receipt of support for mortgage interest as a benefit have taken up offer of replacement loan

New DWP statistics for year since introduction of loans in April 2018

23 April, 2019

Appeal did not lapse following DWP's reversal of 'negative determination' that claimant failed to attend medical examination without good reason

CPIP/2464/2018

17 April, 2019

Work and Pensions Committee seeks explanation of ‘excessively long delay’ in publishing universal credit research

Letter to Work and Pensions Secretary and Chancellor says it would be ‘deeply irresponsible’ not to give Parliament the best possible information to inform universal credit decisions to come

17 April, 2019

DWP forecasts that administrative cost of reviewing and correcting ESA underpayments will be £40 million

Letter to Work and Pensions Committee also confirms that 400 new staff have been recruited to work on underpayment exercise in addition to 800 deployed from other posts