Welfare rights news and case law

9 March, 2021

DWP confirms that funding for delivery of universal credit Help to Claim service has been extended by further 12 months

DWP Minister confirms third year of funding for service in response to question in House of Commons on tailored support for claimants during Covid-19 pandemic

9 March, 2021

Consequential amendments to secondary legislation in relation to the introduction of child disability payment in Scotland

New statutory instrument

9 March, 2021 Open access

Secretary of State confirms she did not ask Chancellor to extend £20 uplift to legacy benefits in lead up to Budget

Claimants of legacy benefits should be 'encouraged' to check if they would be better off on universal credit rather than waiting for 'arduous process' of migration, Dr Coffey adds

9 March, 2021

Tribunal erred in law by failing to refer an NI contributions late payment issue arising in a state pension appeal to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for onward referral to HMRC

J v Secretary of State for Work & Pensions (GRB)
[2021] UTAAC 21 (AAC)
CP/1500/2019

8 March, 2021

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions granted one month extension on all deadlines relating to proceedings in the Upper Tribunal which fall during March 2021

Concession made due to a spike of Covid-19 cases in the building where DWP's Decision Making and Appeals team is based causing the office to be closed

8 March, 2021

Ensuring that uprating of guardian’s allowance does not apply where the claimant is living abroad

New statutory instrument also prevents increases applying where there is unresolved question in relation to uprating

8 March, 2021

Responsibility for legal aid policy at the MoJ passes to Lord David Wolfson

Change follows Alex Chalk taking on responsibility for the prisons brief

5 March, 2021

DWP rejects SSAC’s recommendation that housing benefit savings credit uplift should be maintained permanently for younger partner in mixed-age couple following separation or bereavement

Department also rejects Committee's suggestion that 12-month trigger date on which bereaved partner loses uplift should be reconsidered

5 March, 2021

Pensions Minister provides update on work to reimburse people who have lost out on state pension entitlement as a result of DWP’s failure to apply an automatic uplift

Written statement to Parliament advises that estimated cost of repaying affected claimants is £2.7bn along with additional annual costs of £90m

5 March, 2021 Open access

Government issues guidance on £500 one-off payment for working households receiving tax credits announced in Budget 2021

New guidance advises that applications are not required and payments should be made by 23 April 2021

4 March, 2021 Open access

Government urged to think again about its ‘unacceptable’ decision to cut the incomes of millions of families by more than £1,000-a-year in six months’ time

Budget announcement of extension to the universal credit uplift serves only to 'kick the can down the road' leaving millions facing a financial cliff edge in the autumn

4 March, 2021

Reimbursement of universal credit childcare costs to claimants who employ nannies in Wales

New statutory instrument

4 March, 2021

Arrears of underpaid state pension dating as far back as 1992 likely to total around £3 billion over the next six years

Office for Budget Responsibility confirms that the DWP has started to make repayments to affected claimants in a programme that started on 11 January 2021

4 March, 2021

Telephone and video added as channels for undertaking medical assessments for ESA, universal credit, PIP and industrial injuries disablement benefit

New statutory instrument

4 March, 2021

High Court dismisses challenge brought by family of deceased claimant against DWP’s safeguarding policies

Turner, R (On the Application Of) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2021] EWHC 465 (Admin)

4 March, 2021

Joint Committee on Human Rights finds ‘no compelling case’ for reform of the Human Rights Act

Responding to the Independent Human Rights Act Review, MPs highlight evidence that Act is working well and sends message to the Review that ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’

4 March, 2021

Universal credit Scottish choices are ‘well received and useful for many’, new Scottish Government evaluation finds

However, analysis also highlights that some claimants have experienced unexpected negative impacts, that overall awareness of the term 'Scottish choices' is low, and that there is evidence of confusion around key aspects of how they work

3 March, 2021 Open access

Government announces that universal credit uplift is to be extended for six months and that eligible working tax credit claimants are to receive a one-off payment of £500

Budget 2021 also confirms that suspension of universal credit minimum income floor will continue to end of July 2021, and that changes to debt and advances recovery will be brought forward to April 2021

2 March, 2021 Open access

UK needs to ‘re-adopt the language of social security’, says new report from SSAC and the Institute for Government

Covid has thrown up deep questions about the structure of financial support provided to working-age people, and there's a strong case for the government to reassess what the benefit system is for and to change the language used to describe it