Welfare rights news and case law

31 March, 2017

Government launches ‘Personal Support Package’ for people who are currently unable to work

New ESA claimant commitment will also be introduced in the summer

31 March, 2017

Removal of universal credit housing costs element for claimants aged 18 to 21

New DWP guidance

31 March, 2017

Shared room rate of LHA is not keeping up with rent increases, says Chartered Institute of Housing

New research highlights that in some areas of the UK the gap between the shared room rate of local housing allowance and the cheapest private rents means virtually all properties are out of reach

31 March, 2017

New 'Right Benefit Initiative' to reduce housing benefit fraud and error to commence from 1 April 2017

New scheme will replace the Fraud and Error Incentive Scheme

31 March, 2017

Ability to communicate by text is not relevant to PIP activity 7 / disability should be assessed in the context of normal daily life and not a self-imposed sheltered version

CPIP/2306/2015

30 March, 2017

Scrutiny Committee questions whether exception to two child limit relating to non-consensual conception can ever be made to work

House of Lords Committee says it intends to write to the Minister to seek further clarification

30 March, 2017

Interaction of the benefit cap and universal credit flexibilities in Scotland

DWP has identified a 'potential new long-term solution', says Secretary of State

30 March, 2017

Public trust in the fairness and consistency of PIP decisions is not currently being achieved, says Paul Gray

Second independent review of the benefit finds a need to 'build very considerably' on current action to improve the way PIP is administered

30 March, 2017

Amendment to Technical and Further Education Bill to enable child benefit to be payable for apprentices

Lords vote by 244 votes to 190 for the amendment

30 March, 2017

Government rejects recommendation to extend mandatory reconsideration time limits

However, response to SSAC report on decision making accepts that more can be done to make the journey through mandatory reconsideration easier for claimants to understand

30 March, 2017

Amendments to bedroom tax legislation in Northern Ireland relating to provisions for overnight care, disabled adults and disabled children

New statutory rule

30 March, 2017

Commode can be an aid to manage incontinence, and impaired mobility may be relevant to issue of whether a claimant needs to use one

CPIP/449/2016

Welfare rights

Government launches ‘Personal Support Package’ for people who are currently unable to work

New ESA claimant commitment will also be introduced in the summer

Removal of universal credit housing costs element for claimants aged 18 to 21

Shared room rate of LHA is not keeping up with rent increases, says Chartered Institute of Housing

New 'Right Benefit Initiative' to reduce housing benefit fraud and error to commence from 1 April 2017

Ability to communicate by text is not relevant to PIP activity 7 / disability should be assessed in the context of normal daily life and not a self-imposed sheltered version

Scrutiny Committee questions whether exception to two child limit relating to non-consensual conception can ever be made to work

Interaction of the benefit cap and universal credit flexibilities in Scotland

DWP has identified a 'potential new long-term solution', says Secretary of State

Public trust in the fairness and consistency of PIP decisions is not currently being achieved, says Paul Gray

Amendment to Technical and Further Education Bill to enable child benefit to be payable for apprentices

Government rejects recommendation to extend mandatory reconsideration time limits

Amendments to bedroom tax legislation in Northern Ireland relating to provisions for overnight care, disabled adults and disabled children

Amendments to PIP daily living activity 3 and mobility activity 1 in Northern Ireland

Youth Obligation should be 'liberated' from the 'postcode lottery' of universal credit roll-out, say MPs

Exempt accommodation and whether a failure to register care provision precludes entitlement to housing benefit

Assistance to self-catheterise by itself does not amount to therapy for the purposes of activity 3

Enabling claims for legacy benefits in universal credit full service areas for claimants with more than two children

Government responds to SSAC's concerns about two child limit in universal credit and child tax credit

Motion to annul PIP amendment regulations defeated in the House of Lords

Commode can be an aid to manage incontinence, and impaired mobility may be relevant to issue of whether a claimant needs to use one