Welfare rights news and case law

28 March, 2018

Scottish Government’s social security plans are at a ‘critical point’, says Auditor General

However, Social Security Minister welcomes acknowledgement that good early progress has been made

28 March, 2018

HMRC sets out how vulnerable claimants with tax credit debts are protected when they move to universal credit

Response to Public Accounts Committee report on HMRC performance says claimants are given the ‘opportunity to get in touch’ with the DWP to discuss reducing recovery amounts

28 March, 2018

Identifying 'short-term specified accommodation' cases when assessing new housing benefit claims or change of circumstances

DWP issues new guidance to local authorities

28 March, 2018

DWP issues new guidance in relation to recent miscellaneous amendments to social security legislation

New housing benefit circular

27 March, 2018

Discrimination challenge to the benefit cap granted permission to 'leapfrog' to Supreme Court

Claim argues that cap unlawfully discriminates against the children of lone parents

27 March, 2018

Troubled Families Programme has achieved 'significant progress' over the past twelve months, says government

In 15 per cent of families who have met 'improvement goals', one or more adult has moved into continuous employment

27 March, 2018

Determining beneficial ownership of capital derived from informal family arrangements / credibility and taking account of cultural context

CIS/798/2017

26 March, 2018

DWP's estimates of impact of universal credit on employment apply only to a small group of claimants who are not affected in the same way as most other claimants

Employment rates likely to rise for some groups but fall for others, says IFS

26 March, 2018

Committee seeks views on the impact of single household payments of universal credit on survivors of domestic and financial abuse

Call for evidence launched to address concerns raised by Refuge and Women’s Aid

26 March, 2018

Paying the universal credit childcare element in arrears is a ‘fundamental design flaw’, say MPs

New report from the Treasury Committee recommends that the DWP could pay the element directly to childcare providers, or in advance in line with working tax credit policy

26 March, 2018

Scottish Government launches consultation on the form of the new Best Start Grant

New benefit will replace sure start maternity grant as part of the first wave of new Scottish benefits which will be in place by Summer 2019

26 March, 2018

78 per cent of self-employed households on low incomes in London will be £344 per month worse off under universal credit

New research from Policy in Practice shows that one in ten working-age households report earnings from self-employment

26 March, 2018

A reasonable need to use incontinence pads at night, whether used as a precautionary measure or not used at all, may be enough to satisfy descriptor 5b

CPIP/3104/2017

23 March, 2018

More than half of those in receipt of Support for Mortgage Interest say that they will decline the offer of the new loan being introduced from April 2018

DWP publishes new statistics having made 370,000 telephone calls to claimants regarding the conversion of SMI into a loan

22 March, 2018

Government announces ‘some modifications’ to the universal credit roll-out timetable

Changes made are to 'reflect local considerations and discussions', says Work and Pensions Minister

22 March, 2018

Local authorities outline concerns about preparing for managed migration of claimants from housing benefit to universal credit

DWP publishes findings from latest local authority insight survey

22 March, 2018

Almost half of claims for housing benefit backdating cover a period of more than a month

DWP issues new survey findings on effects of backdating period having been reduced from six months in April 2016

22 March, 2018

Government issues guidance to schools on checking eligiblity for free school meals following changes to universal credit

Department for Education outlines new criteria coming into force on 1 April 2018, including transitional protection for some current free school meal recipients

22 March, 2018

Incomes of poorer households have fallen further behind middle income households in Scotland, pushing more people into poverty

New Scottish Government statistics show that the trend has impacted more on households with children