Welfare rights news and case law

27 September, 2023

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

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

26 September, 2023

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

Following completion of a 'discovery phase', Department for Communities says migration notices will begin to be issued from 16 October 2023

25 September, 2023

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

Expansion means support will now be offered to up to 30,000 young people who the DWP sees as further away from the labour market

25 September, 2023

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

Minister sets out whether departments have yet delivered, and also on how the government proposes to take forward commitments that were paused to comply with 2022 High Court judgment

25 September, 2023

Calculation and payment of housing benefit subsidy for 2022/2023

New statutory instrument

25 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

22 September, 2023

DWP confirms that it plans to conduct more Department-led work capability reassessments as its capacity recovers post-Covid

Department says that it wants to ensure claimants who can work are supported to do so and 'reassessments help us do that'

21 September, 2023

General public believes that benefit claimants are more deserving than at any point in the last 40 years

Latest British Social Attitudes report also finds that more than a third of people think the government should spend more on welfare benefits for the poor, even if it leads to higher taxes

21 September, 2023

Disregarding compensation payments relating to the Grenfell fire, the Post Office Horizon scandal and to vaccine damage in the calculation of council tax reduction in Scotland

New statutory instrument also makes minor amendments in relation to second adult rebate, non-dependant deductions and residence rules

20 September, 2023

Qualifying day to establish entitlement to the second cost of living payment for 2023/2024 set as 17 September 2023

New statutory instrument

20 September, 2023

Government confirms that next cost of living payment will be issued between 31 October and 19 November 2023

DWP adds that, to qualify for the £300 payment, claimants must have been in receipt of a qualifying benefit in the period between 18 August and 17 September 2023

20 September, 2023

HMRC to begin contacting the ‘several hundred thousand’ people who may be entitled to £1.3 billion of underpaid state pension caused by national insurance records error

MPs advised that the exercise expects to identify an estimated 210,000 people who claimed child benefit before May 2000 who may have errors in records that affect their pension entitlement

20 September, 2023

Determining competency where an economically inactive claimant is resident in one Member State and their economically active family member is resident in another Member State

New DWP guidance following the Court of Appeal decision in 'Harrington'

20 September, 2023

DWP issues guidance on change to underlying entitlement conditions for widowed parent’s allowance due to Bereavement Benefit (Remedial) Order 2023

New guidance advises that underlying entitlement will cease when surviving spouse, civil partner or cohabiting partner enters new cohabiting partnership on or after 9 February 2023

20 September, 2023

DWP announces start of second phase of its ‘enhanced daily support’ pilot for universal credit claimants

Minster says Additional Jobcentre Support Pilot will now test provision of an additional week of daily support for eligible claimants after their first assessment period

20 September, 2023

Chair of Standards Committee in Northern Ireland warns that ‘considerable thought’ needs to be given to implementation of managed migration to avoid a decline in decision-making standards

DfC Annual Report on decision-making and financial accuracy also highlights continued increased pressure on staff, and difficulties in recruiting and training new workers

19 September, 2023

Number of households subject to benefit cap decreased by more than 20 per cent in three months to May 2023

New DWP statistics also show that almost three-quarters of capped households were single parent families

19 September, 2023

More than 200,000 PIP claims were registered in England and Wales in the three months to July 2023, the highest level since the benefit was introduced

Meanwhile in Scotland, more than 125,000 claims for adult disability payment were registered between 21 March 2022 and 31 July 2023 with 93,880 people currently in receipt of benefit