Welfare rights news and case law

21 December, 2021

Disregarding payments from schemes compensating victims of historical institutional child abuse and from the Windrush Compensation Scheme in the assessment of universal credit

New DWP guidance

20 December, 2021 Open access

Work coaches to be instructed to offer a telephone interview where claimants do not feel ‘comfortable or safe’ to come into the jobcentre

Agreement follows negotiations with PCS union which says it will 'use all means' to get better working conditions, less pressure of work and better safety for members in jobcentres

20 December, 2021 Open access

DWP issues guidance on temporary easement of requirements to provide medical evidence for sickness absences for SSP, universal credit and ESA purposes

New Welfare Direct bulletin also includes advice that claimants will not be required to provide retrospective medical evidence for any period the easement covers

20 December, 2021

Welfare benefit uprating 2022/2023

DWP issues new guidance to local authority housing benefit staff

20 December, 2021

Disregarding payments from historical institutional child abuse and Windrush compensation schemes in the calculation of means-tested benefits in Northern Ireland

New statutory rule

17 December, 2021 Open access

DWP suspends requirement to submit medical evidence after seven days of sickness or disability for universal credit and ESA

Suspension to remain in place until 27 January 2022 to give GPs more time to work on coronavirus vaccination boosters

17 December, 2021

Adult disability payment to open for new applications in pilot areas in Scotland from March 2022

New payment to roll out in specified local authority areas before going nationwide from August 2022

17 December, 2021

Commencement of provisions in relation to health assessments for the purposes of entitlement to Scottish social security assistance

New statutory instrument

17 December, 2021 Open access

Number of days over which employees are not required to provide medical evidence of sickness absence for SSP purposes extended from seven to 28 days in Northern Ireland

New statutory rule issued to help free up GP time to prioritise Covid-19 vaccine booster programme

16 December, 2021 Open access

Number of days over which employees are not required to provide medical evidence of sickness absence for SSP purposes extended from seven to 28 days

New statutory instrument issued to help free up GP time to prioritise Covid-19 vaccine booster programme

16 December, 2021

Work and Pensions Committee gives Secretary of State ‘one final chance’ to publish research into disabled people’s experience of benefits system

If publication does not happen before 11 January 2022, Committee will use its parliamentary powers to acquire report and publish it, warns Chair

16 December, 2021

Number of English and Welsh local authorities that spent more than half of their discretionary housing payment allocations almost tripled in first six months of 2021/2022

DWP half-yearly statistics show almost 30 per cent of councils spent more than half their allocation compared to around 10 per cent in the same six month period in 2020/2021

15 December, 2021

Government launches second review of state pension age

Review will consider whether current rules around pensionable age are appropriate based on factors including life expectancy data, labour market changes, and the costs of an ageing population

14 December, 2021

DWP to resume its ‘move to universal credit’ managed migration plan in 2022

Secretary of State says that people who will not be better off on universal credit now 'should wait for the managed migration programme, where they will have transitional protection'

14 December, 2021

Government launches consultation on proposals to revise the Human Rights Act and replace it with a Bill of Rights

Proposed reforms include measures to remedy 'democratic deficit' caused by increased role of courts in public policy decision-making

14 December, 2021

DWP to write to PIP claimants who have an award decided at tribunal which may be affected by Upper Tribunal decisions relating to ‘psychological distress’ and carrying out activities ‘safely’

Department says that it plans to send letters out in 2022 offering claimants the 'opportunity' to ask for a review

14 December, 2021

Tax credit entitlement is not terminated where a universal credit claim is withdrawn before the DWP issues a ‘stop notice’

Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs v AB (TC)
[2021] UKUT 209 (AAC)
CTC/2193/2019

14 December, 2021

Bill to extend bedroom tax mitigation scheme to 31 March 2025 receives first reading in Northern Ireland Assembly

Provision also made to require the Department for Communities to conduct a review and report on mitigation payment schemes to inform future decisions on a further extension

14 December, 2021

More new PIP claims were registered in the three months to October 2021 than at any other point since the benefit was introduced in April 2013

New DWP statistics also show that the number of planned award reviews and change of circumstances requests have reached similar levels to before the Covid-19 outbreak