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Each year we publish more than 1,500 news updates to rightsnet, bringing you details of the latest legislative developments, new government guidance, consultation and policy documents and more … all brought together and summarised within 24 hours of their issue.
Welfare rights news
22 February
Local housing allowance rates to be frozen for one year from April 2012
New HB guidance
22 February, 2012
Reciprocal agreements and the transition from incapacity benefit to employment and support allowance
New statutory instrument
22 February, 2012
Role and impact of bereavement benefits
New DWP research report recommends removing regular payment and replacing it with larger lump sum to be paid in instalments
22 February, 2012
Second Lords Welfare Reform Bill amendment on ‘bedroom tax’ overturned in Commons
Government says it cannot afford the £100m the amendment would cost
22 February, 2012
21 February
332,000 claimants accepted on to Work Programme from June to October 2011
New DWP statistics also show that, of those, 94.6 per cent were on jobseeker's allowance and 5.1 per cent on employment and support allowance
21 February, 2012
Work experience scheme is not a labour replacement exercise, says Chris Grayling
Minister for Employment defends scheme in light of 'bad headlines'
21 February, 2012
20 February
MPs caution that mistakes with WCA should not be repeated with PIP
New Work and Pensions Committee report says that new benefit should not be introduced nationally until government has satisfied itself that assessment is empathetic and accurate
20 February, 2012
DWP launches online social justice survey to find out how it can 'help support the work of local organisations'
Department says it is particularly interested in hearing from people working in the voluntary, community or charity sector
20 February, 2012
Tesco asks government to remove sanctions from work experience scheme
Supermarket chain responds to public concern that it is profiting from use of jobseekers as subsidised labour
20 February, 2012
Requiring jobseeker's allowance claimants who have just been released from prison to enter the Work Programme
New statutory instrument
20 February, 2012
17 February
DWP proposes no time limit on compulsory work experience for people in work related activity group
Mental health professionals and disability groups express concern that people with serious health problems face unlimited unpaid work or sanctions
17 February, 2012
16 February
24,010 claimants referred for mandatory work activity between May and November 2011
New DWP statistics also show that 34,200 claimants referred for work experience between January and November 2011, with differences in gender and racial backgrounds of those referred to each scheme
16 February, 2012
Sanction of up to two weeks for jobseekers who fail to attend interviews or appointments in Northern Ireland
New statutory rule
16 February, 2012
15 February
Whether group home for people with learning disabilities counted as ‘sheltered accommodation’
New Court of Appeal decision
15 February, 2012
Government loses further vote on ‘bedroom tax’ in House of Lords
However DWP says that Welfare Reform Bill amendment will be reversed in Commons
15 February, 2012
14 February
Whether overpayment recovery decision violated claimant’s human rights
New judgment from the European Court of Human Rights
14 February, 2012
Employers to be paid for every 18–24 year old they employ from the Work Programme
Wage subsidy will encourage employers to take a chance on a young person, says Work and Pensions Minister
14 February, 2012
How government programmes can most effectively and efficiently enable unemployed people to enter sustainable self-employment
New research published by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
14 February, 2012
Welfare Reform Bill returns to the House of Lords
Prolonged 'ping pong' between Lords and Commons still possible, despite government having cited 'financial privilege'
14 February, 2012
10 February
Whether landlord entitled to appeal against housing benefit decisions in respect of former tenants
New Court of Appeal decision
10 February, 2012
Up to £2.93bn in pension credit unclaimed each year
DWP concerned that more than a million pensioners could be missing out on up to £137 per week, and related cold weather payments
10 February, 2012
DWP consults on mandatory consideration of revision before appeal
New system, designed to deliver 'timely, proportionate and effective justice for claimants', to start from April 2013
10 February, 2012
Flat rate introduction year for purposes of calculating additional state pension in Northern Ireland
New statutory rule
10 February, 2012
9 February
MPs question decision to award five Work Programme contracts to A4E despite 'abysmal' performance on Pathways to Work
However, DWP tells Public Accounts Committee that it was not possible to look at past performance of companies who had previous welfare to work contracts
09 February, 2012
8 February
DWP research shows backlog of more than four months in work capability assessments
Research also show that 35,000 people who applied for ESA before May last year are still waiting to be assessed
08 February, 2012
