Welfare rights news and case law

19 September, 2023

Most universal credit telephone claimants report that moving to an online claim is not a realistic option for them

New DWP research finds that claimants often face multiple barriers to applying online, which together make the digital option 'prohibitively difficult'

19 September, 2023

Scottish Government sets out policy recommendations to ensure that its commitment to using supporting information to help determine disability benefit claims achieves anticipated outcomes

Research used to inform recommendations explores claimants' understanding of what supporting information should be provided and whether they feel it is considered fairly, in addition to looking at the impact it has on decision-making

19 September, 2023

Minister welcomes successful take-up of Basic Income for Care Leavers in Wales pilot

New figures show that 97 per cent of eligible care leavers signed up to pilot, with more than a quarter of participants opting to have payments made directly to landlords

18 September, 2023

Permission granted for judicial review challenge of HMRC rules for awarding child benefit where parents have 50/50 custody of their child

Law Centre Northern Ireland highlights that case concerns a low earning parent whose child benefit award was transferred to her ex-spouse who was subject to the high income child benefit tax charge

15 September, 2023

DWP releases operational guidance on considering hardship before refusing claims for universal credit from people with pre-settled status under EU Settlement Scheme

Information supplied in response to FOI request on how Department considers whether Upper Tribunal decision in SSWP v AT applies, and whether to unstay cases and pay universal credit pending outcome of its appeal to Court of Appeal

15 September, 2023

First-tier Tribunal applied correct test when deciding what were ‘essential’ repairs for a disabled claimant under temporary absence provisions of regulation 7(4) of Housing Benefit Regulations 2006

SH v London Borough of Southwark
[2023] UKUT 198 (AAC)
UA-2021-001818-HB

14 September, 2023

HMCTS had more than 70,000 social security and child support appeals outstanding at June 2023, up almost a third on the previous year

New statistics from the Ministry of Justice also highlight that the average time to dispose of a case is 27 weeks

14 September, 2023

DWP reassures that if the deletion of messages from a claimant's online journal were to result in benefit being withdrawn due to insufficient evidence, they would 'have the opportunity to provide the evidence again'

Minister says however that the situation shouldn't arise because the Department keeps a record where it has previously verified information or evidence

14 September, 2023

Almost 70 per cent of universal credit claimants with a health condition or disability were assessed as having limited capability for work and work-related activity at June 2023

New quarterly statistics also show that almost three in ten of all claimants are claiming universal credit on health grounds

14 September, 2023

DWP confirms closure of a further 26 temporary jobcentres in fourth phase of decommissioning programme

Minister provides update on further reduction in jobcentre estate bringing it towards target of reducing provision to pre-pandemic levels

14 September, 2023

Home Office confirms Social Security Scotland benefits to be added to the list of public funds set out in paragraph 6 of the Immigration Rules

Immigration minister says that updated list will be published on 5 October 2023 alongside redrafted guidance for Home Office caseworkers on applying the NRPF policy

14 September, 2023

New regulations confirm pilot of Scotland’s carer support payment will begin on 19 November 2023 in three local authority areas

Statutory instrument also makes consequential, miscellaneous and transitional provision in connection with the introduction of the new form of carer’s assistance

13 September, 2023

Treasury considering ‘tweak’ to earnings element of state pension triple lock

Reports that officials looking to adopt increase of 7.8 per cent to reflect annual growth in earnings without bonuses, rather than figure of 8.5 per cent which includes one-off bonuses to public sector staff

13 September, 2023

DWP confirms next steps in Universal Support programme as part of policy to move more long-term sick and disabled people into employment

Department says new 'wraparound' in-work support scheme will help 25,000 people move into or towards work by September 2024

12 September, 2023

Government rejects SSAC recommendation that new style JSA and ESA should be integrated into universal credit

Committee nevertheless urges government to continue to look for ways to combine the operation of the separate systems that could deliver many of the improvements it has identified

12 September, 2023

DWP to pilot scheme capping rent liability of young people in supported housing who start work or increase their hours

Pilot announced as one of six projects to understand barriers to getting into work awarded total of £12.4 million through Labour Market Evaluation and Pilots Fund

12 September, 2023

TUC’s 2023 Congress passes motion calling for immediate and permanent uplift to benefit rates, and for sanctions and conditionality to be scrapped

Following a debate about social security at its annual conference, Congress also calls for the abolition of the Minimum Income Floor and a review of how the system treats atypical workers

12 September, 2023

DWP provides update on its plans for ‘providing more digital services with a human touch’

Minister confirms creation of 'Generative Artificial Intelligence Lighthouse Programme' to guide Department's use of emerging AI technology

12 September, 2023

One in six households in Northern Ireland is in poverty, with a further one in ten at risk of entering poverty

Department for Communities analysis also shows that lone-parent households have the highest proportion of households in or at risk of falling into poverty