Welfare rights news and case law

4 October, 2023

Requirement for parties raising EU citizens’ rights issues in a tribunal or court claim to involve the Independent Monitoring Authority at the same time

New Practice Direction advises that requirement applies from 1 October 2023

3 October, 2023

Universal credit is ‘simply inadequate’ to meet day-to-day living costs

Institute for Public Policy Research calls for creation of independent statutory body to monitor impact of benefit rates and hold government to account on agreed commitments

3 October, 2023

Department for Communities confirms decision to limit discretionary support grant funding to £20 million to reflect budget reduction in 2023/2024

Outcome of consultation on draft budget proposals for Northern Ireland also confirms that scaling back of grant entitlement will remain in place

2 October, 2023

Chancellor and Work and Pensions Secretary outline steps the Conservatives are taking to rethink the way the welfare system works

Party's plans include 'looking at' the way the sanctions regime works in light of the 100,000 people leaving the labour market every year 'for a life on benefits'

29 September, 2023

Government says that there are no targets to reduce the number of people who are found to have limited capability for work and work-related activity through WCA reforms

However, Minister says that very few take up the opportunity to access support voluntarily, and that one in five LCWRA claimants want to work

29 September, 2023

20 per cent of benefit checks carried out by the Make the Call Service in Northern Ireland related to universal credit in the three years to April 2023

New analysis of Department for Communities' service data also shows that around a quarter of benefits checks related to attendance allowance or pension credit

28 September, 2023

DWP confirms that it has started a small-scale test using specialist health care professionals to carry out PIP assessments

Writing to stakeholders, Department advises that test will run until January 2024 with a maximum of 250 claimants having their assessments conducted by an HCP with experience in their condition

28 September, 2023

Real terms spending on Access to Work provision increased by 15 per cent in 2022/2023 and now exceeds pre-pandemic level

However new statistics do not provide any information on waiting times, despite concerns having been raised about delays in assessments and approvals under the scheme putting people’s jobs at risk

28 September, 2023

Liberal Democrats set out vision for ending deep poverty within a decade

Pre-manifesto approved at Party's Conference this week includes commitments to increase benefit levels, maintain the triple lock for pensioners and replace sanctions with an incentive-based scheme to help people into work

28 September, 2023

Expert group commissioned by Welsh Government presents findings on impacts of cost-of-living crisis and actions that could be taken to mitigate them

Recommendations include introduction of a Welsh instalment-based payment for low-income households that include a child or a person with a disability

28 September, 2023

Ensuring that increase in benefit cap levels and uprating of social security benefits in Northern Ireland from April 2023 continue in force

New statutory rules revoke and re-enact provisions for 2023/2024 that would otherwise cease to have effect

27 September, 2023

Continuation of provisions that enable the use of audio and video live links in courts and tribunals in Northern Ireland until March 2024

New statutory rule

22 September, 2023

DWP to procure a call alert and transcription service to support identification of claimants who raise suicidal thoughts

Department also commits to introducing mandatory two-day mental health training for frontline staff as part of government's five-year strategy for suicide prevention in England

Welfare rights

Requirement for parties raising EU citizens’ rights issues in a tribunal or court claim to involve the Independent Monitoring Authority at the same time

New Practice Direction advises that requirement applies from 1 October 2023

Universal credit is ‘simply inadequate’ to meet day-to-day living costs

Department for Communities confirms decision to limit discretionary support grant funding to £20 million to reflect budget reduction in 2023/2024

Chancellor and Work and Pensions Secretary outline steps the Conservatives are taking to rethink the way the welfare system works

Government says that there are no targets to reduce the number of people who are found to have limited capability for work and work-related activity through WCA reforms

20 per cent of benefit checks carried out by the Make the Call Service in Northern Ireland related to universal credit in the three years to April 2023

DWP confirms that it has started a small-scale test using specialist health care professionals to carry out PIP assessments

Writing to stakeholders, Department advises that test will run until January 2024 with a maximum of 250 claimants having their assessments conducted by an HCP with experience in their condition

Real terms spending on Access to Work provision increased by 15 per cent in 2022/2023 and now exceeds pre-pandemic level

Liberal Democrats set out vision for ending deep poverty within a decade

Expert group commissioned by Welsh Government presents findings on impacts of cost-of-living crisis and actions that could be taken to mitigate them

Ensuring that increase in benefit cap levels and uprating of social security benefits in Northern Ireland from April 2023 continue in force

Managed migration of universal credit to roll out to South West Scotland in November 2023

Ensuring that social security benefits uprating provisions in Northern Ireland continue in force

‘Move to universal credit’ to start in Northern Ireland from next month for tax credit only claimants

DWP announces extension of Youth Offer to include claimants not currently subject to all work-related requirements

Government provides update on DWP progress in meeting its commitments under the National Disability Strategy

Calculation and payment of housing benefit subsidy for 2022/2023

Continuation of provisions that enable the use of audio and video live links in courts and tribunals in Northern Ireland until March 2024

DWP to procure a call alert and transcription service to support identification of claimants who raise suicidal thoughts