Welfare rights news and case law

11 May, 2023

Department for Communities highlights potential risks to effective delivery of social security in Northern Ireland due to restricted 2023/2024 Budget

Views sought on allocation of funds to Department in Budget which has been set by Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pending formation of the Northern Ireland Executive

10 May, 2023

DWP confirms plans for the further rollout of the universal credit managed migration programme

Publication of updated rollout plans confirms details issued to stakeholders in April 2023

10 May, 2023

More than 2 million children are living in households with a universal credit deduction

Data provided by Work and Pensions Minister also shows that more than £130 million is being deducted from universal credit awards every month

9 May, 2023

DWP urges people to claim pension credit before 19 May to qualify for first 2023/2024 cost of living payment

Department highlights that, provided claims are eligible for three months backdating, they will meet the qualifying entitlement rules for the £301 payment

5 May, 2023

Universal credit earned income assessment rules are not irrational or unlawful in the case of a claimant who is paid on a fortnightly basis

Secretary of State for Work and Pensions v LM
[2023] UKUT 72 (AAC)
UA-2021-000044-UOTH

4 May, 2023

Parliamentary Ombudsman concedes judicial review, agreeing that report on injustice caused by DWP’s maladministration when communicating changes to women’s state pension age is ‘legally flawed’

Once court approves settlement of claim by affected claimants, Ombudsman's stage two report will be 'quashed' and reconsidered

4 May, 2023

Secure email process now live for local authorities to share care home admissions and funding information for attendance allowance claimants with DWP

In new guidance to local authorities, DWP confirms new process was made available from 3 April 2023 and should be used by all councils going forward

3 May, 2023

DWP rejects call for those with a terminal illness to be able to access state pension early

National insurance contributions are geared towards liability to pay rather than any likelihood of future entitlement and therefore early access 'would not be appropriate', says Minister

3 May, 2023

Around a quarter of PIP and ESA First-tier Tribunal appeals were attended by a presenting officer in 2022

Work and Pensions Minister also confirms that 150 full-time equivalent DWP staff are trained to provide evidence at appeals

3 May, 2023

Government confirms that gov.uk Verify service closed on 30 March 2023

Cabinet Office Minister highlights that many services that previously used Verify have now moved to 'One Login'

2 May, 2023

Almost £19 billion in income-related benefits and social tariffs is unclaimed each year

New Policy in Practice analysis finds that universal credit is the most underclaimed means-tested benefit, with £7.5 billion unclaimed by 1.2 million eligible households

28 April, 2023

LITRG welcomes government’s commitment to fix state pension ‘trap’ faced by some parents and guardians caught by the high income child benefit charge

However, charity body says that any proposal to award backdated national insurance credits to fill gaps in contributions records needs to include provision for refunding any voluntary contributions already made by those affected

27 April, 2023

DWP says it is ‘unlikely’ to deliver a fix to dual claims sanctions discrepancy ‘in the near future’

Writing to SSAC, Minister advises that enabling a fairer application of the sanctions system would require stopping or slowing progress on other priorities

27 April, 2023

Almost one in ten PIP claims that are turned down initially and at MR are subsequently awarded due to a ‘lapsed appeal’

DWP Minister confirms that, of these, almost half receive at least one enhanced component

27 April, 2023

Minister confirms that the average speed of answering PIP and DLA telephone enquiries exceeded half an hour in March 2023

Responding to a written question in Parliament, Tom Pursglove advises that there are currently no targets for speed of answer, but that recruitment is ongoing to deal with higher than forecast demand

27 April, 2023

DWP has made no assessment of the adequacy of PIP for people with disabilities

Work and Pensions Miniter says that benefit is intended to 'provide a contribution', with claimants then having the choice to prioritise according to their needs

27 April, 2023

MPs call for reform of Child Maintenance Service to help tackle child poverty

New Select Committee report highlights evidence of problems with the current system, including slow and ineffective enforcement and unaffordable payments

27 April, 2023

DWP confirms allocation of almost £10 million to local authorities to support the administration of Verify Earnings and Pensions service

New Subsidy Circular also sets out the amounts of the single upfront payments that each council will receive in 2023/2024

26 April, 2023

Tribunal must identify grounds for revision or supersession used by the DWP in undertaking a LEAP review in order to establish claimant’s rights to challenge decision

DB v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions(PIP)
[2023] UKUT 95 (AAC)
UA-2022-001000-PIP