Welfare rights news and case law

5 December, 2023

DWP is a failing organisation in a state of crisis, according to survey of PCS union members working for the Department

Overwhelmed by the power and volume of responses, PCS calls for 30,000 additional staff and a refocusing of priorities to help support the existing workforce

5 December, 2023

DWP must ensure that claimants sent a migration notice have all the information they need to understand what it means for them and how to claim

CPAG highlights qualitative research which shows that, in some cases, misunderstandings have left claimants worse off financially, and says there is 'considerable room for improvement in this area'

5 December, 2023

DWP updates staff guidance on proof of identity evidence requirements for refugees making universal credit claims

Response to FOI request includes updated general guidance and new guidance on the types of primary evidence that can be used to prove a claimant's identity

4 December, 2023

DWP issues new transitional protection guidance for those in receipt of a universal credit migration notice

However, Department fails to address questions raised by advisers as more people have started to be subject to the managed migration process

4 December, 2023

Pensioner households were underpaid almost £30 million of winter fuel payments last winter

While NAO Auditor General qualifies opinion on regularity of DWP's Social Fund Account for 2022/2023 as a result, he says that positive progress has been made in responding to the issue

1 December, 2023

DWP says those that lose passported health benefits under plans to close the benefit claims of sanctioned claimants are likely to have prescriptions for ‘only minor health conditions’

However, responding to peers' concerns about the new sanctions policy, DWP Minister says that claimants who have more severe health conditions and vulnerabilities will be excluded from the new policy

1 December, 2023

Government confirms that increase to minimum income floor for self-employed lead carers of children aged 3-12 will be introduced from January 2024

Correction to Autumn Statement changes date of implementation from April 2024 and removes original reference to maximum amount of increase

1 December, 2023

Consent of cared for person is not a necessary part of a claim for and award of carer’s allowance

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions v GK
[2023] UKUT 273 (AAC)
UA-2023-SCO-000065-ESA

30 November, 2023

Government's amendments to Data Protection and Digital Information Bill that allow DWP to order banks to run automated surveillance of benefit recipients are 'wholly inappropriate'

Civil liberties campaign group Big Brother Watch says proposals do away with long-standing democratic principle that state surveillance should follow suspicion rather than vice versa and set an 'incredibly dangerous precedent'

30 November, 2023

Almost three-quarters of universal credit work coach appointments are held face-to-face

DWP Minister also confirms that the majority of the remainder are telephone appointments, with less than 5 per cent held by video

30 November, 2023

Almost £500 million has been paid out as a result of DWP administrative exercise to correct state pension payments

Progress report on LEAP exercise shows that more than 80,000 underpayments have been identified so far

30 November, 2023

Revaluation of ‘protected payments’ and pension sharing ‘debits and credits’ in the new state pension in Northern Ireland from April 2024

New statutory rules

30 November, 2023

Ensuring that a Category D retirement pension in Northern Ireland can continue to be claimed by people residing in an EEA state or Switzerland

New statutory rule

29 November, 2023

DWP Minister confirms that no decision has yet been made in relation to the Household Support Fund in 2024/2025

Despite the Chancellor appearing to say that there will be a Fund next year, parliamentary written answer advises that it is 'under review in the usual way'

29 November, 2023

Public Accounts Committee warns of risk that DWP’s Health Transformation Programme will not deliver promised benefits for claimants

Department 'must expand its focus to genuinely put claimants right at the heart of this work', says Committee's Deputy Chair

29 November, 2023

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 9 April 2024

New statutory instruments

29 November, 2023

Department for Communities in Northern Ireland publishes universal credit, benefit cap and PIP statistics for period to August 2023

New figures show that almost half of universal credit claimants were in the 'no work requirements' conditionality regime, the highest proportion since roll-out

28 November, 2023

DWP sets out its plans for managed migration to universal credit through to the end of March 2024

Department says by the end of 2023/2024 it will have met its target to have issued migration notices to all claimants in receipt of tax credits only

28 November, 2023

DWP says that it has not made any special arrangements for universal credit claimants who will have 53 weekly rent charging periods in 2024

However, Minister advises that discretionary housing payments can be paid to claimants who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs