Welfare rights news and case law

3 December, 2021

DWP confirms that Youth Offer has been extended to universal credit claimants aged 16 and 17

Eligibility for programme providing help to find a job, work-related training or an apprenticeship expanded from 1 December 2021

3 December, 2021

Revaluation of ‘protected payments’ and pension sharing ‘debits and credits’ in the new state pension in relation to those reaching pensionable age on or after 12 April 2022

New legislation issued in Northern Ireland

1 December, 2021

‘Things just haven’t been taken forward’ in the seven years since the fifth and final review of the work capability assessment was published

While DWP policy people are 'co-operative and enthusiastic', in operations there is a 'sucking of teeth' and '12 reasons why they can't do it', says review's author

1 December, 2021

Supreme Court unanimously allows DWP’s appeal against Court of Appeal ruling that government acted unlawfully in barring EU citizens from relying on pre-settled status to access universal credit

Fratila and another (AP) (Respondents) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Appellant) UKSC 2021/0008

1 December, 2021

Number of claimants attending face-to-face jobcentre appointments each month has increased almost six-fold since spring 2021

Employment Minister also advises that there is no maximum number of appointments that a work coach is expected to deliver in a day

1 December, 2021

Double payment of Scottish carer’s allowance supplement will be made on 15 December 2021

Payment of £462.80 will be made to eligible carers who were receiving carer’s allowance on 11 October 2021

1 December, 2021

Consultation launched on new winter heating benefit in Scotland

Proposed £50 payment replaces cold weather payment and will be paid annually to low-income households

30 November, 2021

Reduction in universal credit taper rate and increase in work allowances from 24 November 2021

New DWP guidance

30 November, 2021

Jonathan Ashworth appointed Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary

Mr Ashworth replaces Jonathan Reynolds who moves to Shadow Business and Industrial Strategy Secretary

30 November, 2021

Amendments to the system for appointing another person to act on behalf of claimants dealing with Social Security Scotland

New statutory instrument

30 November, 2021

Poverty in Wales could be halved if a universal basic income scheme were to be implemented

New feasibility study commissioned by Future Generations Commissioner also finds that even with a ‘modest’ £60 per week basic income, child poverty would reduce by 64 per cent

30 November, 2021

Revaluation of ‘protected payments’ and pension sharing ‘debits and credits’ in the new state pension in relation to those reaching pensionable age on or after 12 April 2022

New statutory instruments

29 November, 2021

First Minister announces Scottish child payment will be doubled to £20 per child per week from April 2022

Funding of the 'boldest and most ambitious anti-poverty measure anywhere in the UK' will be confirmed in the Scottish Budget on 9 December 2021

29 November, 2021

Social Security (Terminal Illness) Bill introduced in Northern Ireland Assembly

Bill provides for terminal illness rules in specified benefits to apply where life expectancy is 12 months or less

29 November, 2021

HMRC agrees contract extension with Post Office to allow people more time to switch the account into which their benefits are paid

13,000 claimants who have yet to switch accounts will now have until 5 April 2022 to do so, although HMRC encourages people to act at the earliest opportunity

29 November, 2021

All PIP claimants to be given option of completing PIP2 form digitally with effect from 6 December 2021

DWP also advises stakeholders of improvements to the PIP identification verification process which will 'enable more security questions to be asked to improve success rate'

29 November, 2021

Court of Appeal rules that Article 7 of Regulation 883/2004 cannot be invoked to provide an independent basis to enable export of child benefit when a claimant moves to another EU Member State

Carrington v Her Majesty's Revenue And Customs [2021] EWCA Civ 1724

29 November, 2021

Department for Communities publishes universal credit, PIP and benefit cap statistics for period to August 2021

New figures include that there were more than 5,000 new claims for universal credit in August 2021, similar to pre-pandemic claim rates

26 November, 2021 Open access

Information Commissioner’s Office upholds complaint about DWP’s failure to provide information on universal credit uplift and decision not to extend it to legacy benefits

Finding that public interest favours disclosure, the Commissioner orders Department to provide information within 35 days