Welfare rights news and case law

26 April, 2023

DWP to introduce ‘Virtual Agent’ telephone system over next three years, starting with universal credit

Minister says that new technology will 'support customers through their telephony journey' by routing calls to 'the right person or support available at the right time'

26 April, 2023

Trussell Trust distributed highest ever number of emergency food parcels in 2022/2023

Food charity reports that it distributed almost three million parcels, with more than a million of them going to children

26 April, 2023

Scottish Government introduces Bill to update regulation of legal services in Scotland

Measures within Regulation of Legal Services (Scotland) Bill include removal of restrictions preventing third sector organisations from directly employing solicitors to provide legal services

25 April, 2023

Managed migration of universal credit to roll out in Greater Manchester, north-east Yorkshire and the Humber from June 2023

In addition, DWP confirms that it plans to roll migration out in every GB region by September 2023 and in every jobcentre by March 2024

25 April, 2023

New PCS union figures show that one in five DWP workers is claiming in-work benefits

DWP staff survey also highlights that more than ten per cent had used a foodbank in the last 12 months

25 April, 2023

Department for Communities confirms that it is carrying out a programme of work to revise the independent advice and debt policy and delivery framework in Northern Ireland

Programme to consider future commissioning of advice services to allow for a 'more strategic integrated approach' to funding and delivery

24 April, 2023

DWP estimates that just 9,000 additional households will receive an SMI loan in the first year following relaxation of universal credit earnings and waiting period rules

Social Security Advisory Committee welcomes changes but highlights Department's lack of analysis of how the relaxed rules will further its policy intent of protecting claimants against repossession and incentivise work

24 April, 2023

Social Security Scotland publishes new guidance on eligibility for Job Start Payment

Agency also sets out essential information that decision makers must check in order to verify a job offer

21 April, 2023

Alex Chalk appointed Justice Secretary as Dominic Raab resigns

Mr Raab's resignation follows an investigation into allegations of bullying behaviour, including at the Ministry of Justice

21 April, 2023

Court of Appeal rules that the UK was the competent state for the purposes of a DLA claim by a child whose economically active father lived in Belgium

Harrington v Secretary of State for Work And Pensions [2023] EWCA Civ 433
Reported as [2023] AACR 8

21 April, 2023

Requiring energy companies in Northern Ireland to obtain claimant consent for new or increased deductions from benefits for ongoing consumption of fuel

New statutory rule

20 April, 2023

DWP research on reduced benefit cap introduced from November 2016 finds that less than a third of affected claimants had moved off the cap 13 months after its implementation

Findings of research originally due to be published in 2019 also include that 35 per cent of affected claimants had rent arrears and 42 per cent reported cutting back on essentials

20 April, 2023

DWP confirms it will begin testing the matching of claimants’ primary health conditions to ‘specialist assessors’ later this year

Proposal outlined in Health and Disability White Paper will be delivered through the Department’s Health Transformation Programme

20 April, 2023

DWP says it will take a ‘test and learn approach’ before introducing ‘personalised’ conditionality in place of the WCA under reforms set out in Health and Disability White Paper

Minister also tells Parliament that Department will 'continue to listen to, and work closely with' disabled people and people with health conditions on how best to deliver the reforms

20 April, 2023

PCS union announces five days of DWP staff strikes in Glasgow and Liverpool jobcentres

Strikes in first week of May designed to disrupt closure of jobcentres and pilot of scheme requiring claimants to attend the jobcentre each day for two weeks

20 April, 2023

Uprating of non-dependant deductions and care home residents’ personal expenses allowance in the calculation of income support, JSA, ESA and state pension credit

New DWP guidance also confirms increase in national insurance lower and upper earnings limits

19 April, 2023

DWP issues guidance on changes to benefit cap annual limits from April 2023

New ADM Memo confirms that 10.1 per cent increase in levels will take effect in each universal credit assessment period commencing on or after 10 April 2023

19 April, 2023

Devolution of the design and delivery of employment support provision included in ‘Trailblazer’ deals with Greater Manchester and West Midlands Combined Authorities

Deals form part of government's levelling-up plans and facilitate delegation of service delivery, and ultimately the commissioning of services, from the DWP to each of the Combined Authorities

19 April, 2023

More than 90 charities call on political party leaders to increase universal credit standard allowances to a level sufficient to cover essential living costs

Letter from civil society organisations warns that nine in ten low-income households on universal credit are going without one or more essentials