Welfare rights news and case law

7 June, 2022

Scottish Government confirms that it will make first payments of low income winter heating assistance in February 2023

Guaranteed payment of £50 to be made to around 400,000 low-income households in Scotland

7 June, 2022

Northern Ireland Government announces £12.6 million summer holiday food grant

Families with children entitled to free school meals at end of June 2022 will receive £13.50 per eligible child per week through the summer

6 June, 2022

Replacement regulations issued in relation to the establishment of the Child Funeral Fund in Northern Ireland

New statutory rule

1 June, 2022

Private contractors set out their views about how the assessment process for health-related benefits could be improved

Giving evidence to the Work and Pensions Committee, providers' recommendations include recording assessments more widely, routinely sending a copy of their report to the claimant, and widening the evidence base to include carers, physiotherapists and occupational therapists

31 May, 2022

Scottish Government outlines measures it is taking to tackle child poverty and support households with the cost of living

Resource Spending Review sets out an 'ambitious but realistic' public spending framework that outlines how more than £180 billion will be invested to deliver priorities for Scotland

30 May, 2022

Old style ESA claimant who claimed universal credit six months after ESA ended was entitled to receive LCWRA element immediately on account of previous determination of LCWRA and national insurance credits entitlement

JW v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (UC)
[2022] UKUT 117 (AAC)
UA-2021-001444-ULCW

27 May, 2022 Open access

DWP confirms that Industrial Injuries Advisory Council is investigating whether long Covid should be prescribed as an occupational disease

Council's investigation follows March 2021 decision not to recommend prescription of Covid-19 'at this stage'

27 May, 2022

DWP issues guidance on cost of living support payments to be delivered through the benefits system

New guidance follows Chancellor's announcement of a £15bn package of measures to help people through the cost of living crisis

27 May, 2022

Scottish Government announces that it will begin roll out of Scottish carer’s assistance by the end of 2023 before full national introduction in Spring 2024

Minister also confirms that new low-income winter heating assistance will be introduced in Winter 2022/2023

27 May, 2022

HMRC research finds that non-compliance with high income child benefit charge was, in general, not an ‘active or intentional decision’

Main barriers to compliance revealed by claimant survey included lack of awareness of charge and not understanding process for complying

26 May, 2022

One-off £650 cost of living payment to be made to all households on DWP and HMRC means-tested benefits

Chancellor also announces additional £150 payment for those in receipt of disability benefits and £300 payment for all pensioners

26 May, 2022

Amendments to ‘managing medication’ criteria in PIP activity 3 in 2017 were not ultra vires, did not breach human rights law, and DWP’s failure to consult on them was not unlawful

CK v SSWP (PIP); JM v SSWP (PIP)
[2022] UKUT 122 (AAC)
Reported as [2023] AACR 1
UA-2018-002190-PIP & UA-2020-000227-PIP

26 May, 2022

One in four universal credit cases have an overpayment or fraud error

New DWP statistics also show that overall 4 per cent of benefit expenditure was overpaid in 2021/2022

26 May, 2022

Department for Communities publishes universal credit, PIP and benefit cap statistics for period to February 2022

New figures include that the number of universal credit claimants required to search for work continues to decline while number of those without work search conditionality is increasing

25 May, 2022

Claimant’s right to reside as a jobseeker did not preclude her from relying on derivative right to reside as primary carer of child of EEA national to establish entitlement to housing benefit

Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council v KK and Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (HB)
[2022] UKUT 123 (AAC)
UA-2019-001124-HB

25 May, 2022

Government announces plan to open a Central London Tribunal Centre by the end of 2023

New building to be developed into a modern space with tribunal users at the forefront of its design, says Justice Minister

24 May, 2022

Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts that real value of benefits will fall by 5 per cent, or £12 billion in total, in 2022/2023

Welfare Trends Report 2022 highlights largest fall in value of benefits since annual uprating began

24 May, 2022

Bill to remove the two child limit from universal credit receives first reading

House of Lords Private Member's Bill enables all third and subsequent children to attract a child element, as was the case prior to introduction of limit in April 2017

24 May, 2022

Almost a fifth of PIP appeals are lapsed before the tribunal hearing due to DWP changing the decision in the claimant’s favour

Minister also confirms that a new appeal can be registered without first requesting a mandatory reconsideration and that this is explained to the claimant both in the phone call and in the decision notice