Welfare rights news and case law

16 February, 2023

Scottish councils must manage workloads and staffing levels better in order to deliver a ‘more efficient and effective’ housing benefit service

Acknowledging that both the introduction of universal credit and the pandemic have brought considerable change, Audit Scotland sets out a series of recommendations to improve performance going forward

15 February, 2023

12 per cent of child disability payment applications are taking more than 28 weeks to be processed

New Social Security Scotland statistics to December 2022 also show that more than 80 per cent of applications are now made online

14 February, 2023

Universal credit sanction rate reached almost 7 per cent in October 2022

However, new DWP statistics also show that the number of claimants in conditionality regimes subject to sanction has fallen by around a third since its peak during the pandemic

14 February, 2023

Number of people on universal credit increased to 5.9 million in January 2023

DWP statistics also show that four in ten claimants are 'in employment', a higher proportion than before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic

14 February, 2023

HMRC to launch child benefit digital claim service ‘later in 2023’

Departmental performance update also confirms plan to enable child benefit claimants to view claim details and proof of entitlement online by end of 2022/2023 financial year

13 February, 2023

DWP issues guidance on Upper Tribunal ruling that universal credit claimants have the right to seek backdating of their claim after the decision to award benefit has been made

New ADM Memo provides guidance to decision makers on actions they must now take in relation to periods before and after the date of the Upper Tribunal decision

13 February, 2023

People with ‘pre-flight’ children fleeing Afghanistan and Ukraine exempted from Sure Start maternity grant ‘first child only’ policy

DWP also confirms that an exercise to review previously disallowed claims will commence with immediate effect

13 February, 2023

Uprating of council tax reduction schemes in Scotland

New statutory instrument also makes provision in relation to people providing accommodation to those coming to the UK under the Homes for Ukraine and other resettlement schemes

10 February, 2023

DWP issues guidance on extension of entitlement to bereavement benefits to surviving cohabiting partners with dependent children

New advice provided to decision makers on applying the provisions of the Bereavement Benefits (Remedial) Order 2023

9 February, 2023

DWP’s Plan for Excellence has become ‘part of the Department’s DNA’, says Permanent Secretary

Writing to Select Committee, Peter Schofield sets out examples of improvements that have been made under the Plan since 2020

9 February, 2023

Government issues Remedial Order to facilitate claims for bereavement benefits by surviving cohabiting partners with dependent children with immediate effect

Changes made following judgments of the High Court and Supreme Court more than three years ago

9 February, 2023

Decommissioning of temporary jobcentres ‘will not reduce levels of service or access to face-to-face appointments’, says Minister

Written statement to Parliament confirms that first phase of decommissioning will lead to 20 jobcentres being closed by March 2023

9 February, 2023

25 per cent cap on deductions in universal credit should be seen as a ‘proxy for an affordability test’, says DWP

However, Permanent Secretary assures Select Committee that message advising claimants that they can negotiate a more affordable rate will be strengthened 'across all notifications'

9 February, 2023

Poorest tenth of households in Scotland will be almost 5 per cent better off than they would be in England and Wales in 2023/2024 as a result of higher benefit entitlements

In new analysis, IFS also highlights that the different assessment and award policies for disability benefits in Scotland are forecast to lead to more people successfully claiming, and spending longer on their benefit

8 February, 2023

DWP confirms change to allow claims for bereavement benefits by a surviving cohabiting partner where there are dependent children from 9 February 2023

Following judgments of the High Court and Supreme Court, Department also advises of 12-month application window for anyone who would have met the eligibility criteria on or after 30 August 2018

8 February, 2023

DWP to begin publishing statistics on universal credit WCA outcomes from June 2023

Announcement follows repeated requests from both the Work and Pensions Committee and the Office for Statistics Regulation to provide the figures for which there is a 'continued and unfulfilled need'

8 February, 2023

Bill providing for 2023/2024 cost of living payments receives first reading in House of Commons

Payments will provide 'consistent, targeted and substantial support for the most vulnerable', says Work and Pensions Secretary

7 February, 2023

High Court rules that DWP decision not to waive recovery of universal credit overpayment caused by official error was unlawful

K, R (on the application of) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2023] EWHC 233 (Admin)

7 February, 2023

DWP confirms that PIP and DLA claimants who fail to return review forms will not lose their award without a health assessment where they have been identified as requiring additional support

However, Minister also says that more than 40,000 PIP claimants did lose their award for non-return of review forms in 2021