Welfare rights news and case law

8 March, 2022

Resolution Foundation calls for benefits to be uprated by further five percentage points in April as Ukraine conflict pushes inflation towards 40-year high

New report on living standards for 2022/2023 projects worsening of already 'bleak' outlook, with typical household income to fall by £1,000 over year

8 March, 2022

National Insurance earnings limits and thresholds for 2022/2023

New statutory instrument

8 March, 2022

Uprating of tax credits, child benefit and guardian’s allowance from April 2022

New statutory instrument

7 March, 2022

Obligation on tribunal to explain why it decided against awarding more points for a PIP activity when a higher award had been recommended in the DWP’s written submission

LH v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (PIP)
[2022] UKUT 32 (AAC)
CPIP/737/2021

7 March, 2022

Entitlement to industrial injuries disablement benefit in England and Wales for those diagnosed with Dupuytren’s contracture

New statutory instrument removes eligibility for those who experience minimal contracture

7 March, 2022

Earnings factors used for the calculation of additional state pension and guaranteed minimum pension

New statutory instrument

4 March, 2022

Benefit and child maintenance rules need to align much better to support the government’s wider objectives of addressing poverty and helping people into work

National Audit Office calls for child maintenance calculation to be updated and for modifications to be made to the universal credit system to enable automation and partial deductions from benefits for maintenance

3 March, 2022

DWP highlights successful delivery of support through telephony and digital channels during the pandemic in response to query about the impact of the removal of the face-to-face element of its Help to Claim service

While data shows that around 50 per cent of support was being delivered face-to-face, the Department says that this subsequently fell to 1-2 per cent as a result of Covid-19 restrictions

3 March, 2022

UK Government’s plan to replace the Human Rights Act with a Bill of Rights is an ‘ideologically motivated attack on freedoms and liberties’

Scottish and Welsh Governments call on the UK Government to listen to evidence from civil society and the legal profession and reverse its proposals

3 March, 2022

More than 7,000 tax credits, child benefit and guardian’s allowance claimants have not yet switched away from receiving payments into Post Office card accounts ahead of next month’s deadline

HMRC warns that claimants that miss the 5 April 2022 deadline will have their payments paused until it receives new account details.

3 March, 2022

Scottish Government confirms funding allocations that continue Scottish child payment bridging payments until support is fully rolled out to older children

Local authorities administering the payments to receive more than £68 million from the Final Local Government Settlement for 2022/2023

2 March, 2022

More than 3 per cent of universal credit claims have been suspended under the DWP’s ‘Risk Review Process’

Minister also confirms that of the 174,000 claims that have been suspended, less than 6,000 have been 'de-suspended'

2 March, 2022

Welsh Government sets out Final Budget allocations for 2022/2023 including more than £160 million of further spending to help those most affected by the cost of living crisis

Measures confirmed in Budget include extra funding to extend the Winter Fuel Support Scheme and the Discretionary Assistance Fund

2 March, 2022

Welfare Supplementary Payments (Amendment) Bill passes its final stage in Northern Ireland Assembly

Bill removes end date for qualifying for bedroom tax mitigation payments, and requires DfC to monitor and report on operation of welfare mitigation schemes by 31 March 2025

1 March, 2022

Social Security Scotland publishes new decision making guidance for child disability payment

New resource sets out how to interpret the legislation to ensure determinations are made lawfully and fairly

28 February, 2022

High Court grants permission for judicial review of PIP hospital rules that remove entitlement after stays of more than 28 days

Leigh Day solicitors welcomes decision, but highlights that the family bringing the claim faces loss of the Motability car it continues to rely on while waiting for the case to conclude

28 February, 2022

Consultation launched on proposals for Scottish carer’s assistance that include an additional £10 weekly payment for claimants who care for more than one person

Views also sought on introducing an increased earnings threshold, and removing the full-time education restriction in the current carer's allowance system

25 February, 2022

DWP confirms allocation of reduced DHP funding for English and Welsh local authorities in 2022/2023

New guidance sets out funding of £98 million by local authority, with a further £2 million to be reserved until 'later in the year'

25 February, 2022

National Housing Federation expresses concern about DWP decision to require landlord verification of all 2022 rent changes on universal credit portal

Federation seeks clarification about impact of new requirement on staff capacity and timeliness of housing costs payments