Welfare rights news and case law

23 June, 2016

A person does not ‘own’ a property which is under a restraint order forbidding sale

CH/122/2015

23 June, 2016

No requirement for evidence to be ‘compelling’ to satisfy ‘genuine prospect of work test’

CSJSA/15/2016

23 June, 2016

Activity 7 'understanding communication' can be satisfied on basis of either hearing or sight difficulties

CE/3139/2015

23 June, 2016

More than a million people have returned to Jobcentre Plus at the end of their two years on the Work Programme

New DWP statistics also highlight that the most recent participants to complete two years on the Work Programme spent on average around a third of their time off benefits

22 June, 2016

Government rejects call to extend entitlement to bereavement support payment to unmarried bereaved parents

Response to Work and Pensions Committee also refuses to disregard widowed parent's allowance as unearned income in the calculation of universal credit

21 June, 2016

Adverse inference should not be an 'automatic punishment' for non - compliance with directions / Work Programme providers and delegated authority to issue attendance notices

CJSA/1135/2015

17 June, 2016

Requirement for grounds in order to revise or supersede a previous decision that a husband and wife living under the same roof are not members of the same household

CE/2388/2015

17 June, 2016

Meaning of 'prompting' and 'social support' in activity 9 / 'therapy' in activity 3 needs to have a close link to treating or helping to cure an existing medical condition

CPIP/3401/2015

16 June, 2016

Factors to consider in establishing whether there has been a mistake of fact or misrepresentation

CDLA/1469/2015

16 June, 2016

Support connected to ‘absences’ when outdoors is relevant for both care and mobility components / cognition as a bodily function

CDLA/56/2016

15 June, 2016

UK Government faces investigation of its welfare reform programme by UN Committee

Committee to focus on issues including whether disadvantaged groups are adequately supported in managing austerity measures, accessing employment and accessing affordable food

15 June, 2016

Northern Ireland Assembly confirms £2 million funding for ‘welfare advice centres’

Funding will 'support and protect the most vulnerable people through welfare changes', says Communities Minister

15 June, 2016

Number of PIP mandatory reconsiderations is increasing, but the majority result in no change to awards

New DWP statistics

15 June, 2016

Just over a quarter of a million people are currently claiming universal credit

New DWP statistics also show that 26,733 people started on the benefit during May 2016

15 June, 2016

Descriptors including a 'need' for an aid or appliance, prompting, supervision or assistance, incorporate requirement to assess reasonableness of that need

CPIP/1534/2015

15 June, 2016

Housing benefit subsidy to local authorities

New DWP guidance

14 June, 2016

Court of Justice of the European Union finds indirect discrimination is justified in the UK right to reside test for child benefit and child tax credit

C-308/14

14 June, 2016

Transitional protection from 2013 changes to Schedule 2 persists in cases where decision relates to an old style ESA50 completed prior to changes

CE/2643/2015

14 June, 2016

HMRC should exercise discretion in deciding whether to impose a penalty and, if so, how much it should be

CTC/1260/2015