Welfare rights news and case law

25 July, 2017

Average rent arrears of council tenants on universal credit increase to more than £770

New research from the National Federation of ALMOs also finds that almost three quarters of tenants on universal credit are in arrears compared to only 31 per cent of the overall tenant population

25 July, 2017

Scottish Welfare Fund awards £34.7 million in grants in 2016/2017

New statistics show that 230,000 applications were received in the year leading to 160,000 awards

25 July, 2017

Estimates of time taken to cover journeys are relevant when applying the ESA mobilising descriptors

CE/175/2017

25 July, 2017

Tribunals must identify basis for supersession of a PIP decision and explain removal of entitlement

CPIP/2621/2016

24 July, 2017

Consultation launched in Northern Ireland on reforms to the social fund funeral expenses payments scheme

Department for Communities invites responses by 15 September 2017

21 July, 2017

Scottish Government consults on bringing forward a new socio-economic duty for public authorities

Proposed authorities covered by the new duty to include the new Scottish Social Security Agency once it is established

21 July, 2017

Basic principles of fairness and assessing evidence as a whole, as protection against tribunals diverting into satellite issues of credibility

CE/572/2017

21 July, 2017

Conclusive nature of section 18 decisions and the approach to determining sections 14,15 and 16 decisions and appeals in respect of the same tax year

CTC/3228/2015

20 July, 2017

DWP needs to ‘keep a close eye’ on the role of work coaches as universal credit rolls out

SSAC calls for support to ensure that work coaches' motivation and productivity is not adversely affected by the impact of growing caseloads and an extending remit

20 July, 2017

Extended vulnerability criteria for immediate access to hardship payments following JSA sanctions

New statutory instrument

20 July, 2017

Budgeting and crisis loans worth almost £½ billion were recovered in 2016/2017

New social fund annual report also highlights that 943,000 budgeting loan awards were made during the year

19 July, 2017

Government review of state pension age proposes rise to 68 between 2037 and 2039

Change, that will bring forward the rise by seven years, responds to a projected one third increase in the pensioner population in the next 25 years

19 July, 2017

No failure to disclose information that is already known by the DWP

CP/716/2015

19 July, 2017

HMCTS provides update on plans for online dispute resolution for Social Security and Child Support appeals

Pilot to test a new 'Track your Appeal' tool along with email and text updates for appellants to be launched from summer 2017

18 July, 2017

Immediate access to hardship payments for sanctioned JSA claimants who are homeless or have a mental health condition

DWP says regulations to bring in the measure will come into effect from October 2017

18 July, 2017

Inability to read instructions or use timers may be relevant when considering PIP activity 1

CPIP/3739/2016

17 July, 2017

Claimants affected by the two child limit are being misdirected between universal credit and legacy benefits

New DWP guidance

17 July, 2017

Requesting managed payments when social landlords verify universal credit housing costs

New DWP guidance

17 July, 2017

Annual uprating of benefits is not 'an increase in the rate of a relevant benefit' to enable supersession from the date of increase

CSE/47/2017