Welfare rights news

23 February, 2009

Successful community care grant applicants to receive goods and services instead of money

Government responds to 'Social Fund: A new approach' consultation

20 February, 2009

Help with health service costs in Northern Ireland for those in receipt of employment and support allowance

New statutory rule

19 February, 2009

Government launches £13m ‘Fit for Work’ Service

More important than ever to help people stay in work, says Work and Pensions Minister

18 February, 2009

Extra £4.2bn needed to meet 2010 child poverty target

New report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation

18 February, 2009

Entitlement to help under the Healthy Start Scheme

New statutory instrument

17 February, 2009

£79m of European Social Fund money allocated to private welfare to work providers

Funding will bring real, substantial help to people, says Work and Pensions Minister

17 February, 2009

Introduction of new housing benefit and council tax benefit forms for prisoners

New DWP guidance

16 February, 2009

Freud report author joins Conservative frontbench in the Lords

Government's welfare reform adviser delighted to accept David Cameron's invitation

13 February, 2009

Replacing council tax with a local income tax in Scotland

Legislation will not be introduced in this Parliamentary session

11 February, 2009

Phased abolition of NHS prescription charges in Scotland

New statutory instrument

10 February, 2009

More than 60,000 pensioners receive incorrect notification of their state pension entitlement from April 2009

Any HB overpayments should be treated as caused by official error, advises new DWP guidance

9 February, 2009

Welfare-to-work providers looking for up-front payments worth 50% of contracts on offer

More 'flexibility' needed as number out of work likely to be three times greater than originally anticipated

9 February, 2009

Reviewing the October 2008 changes to the HB/CTB backdating rules

DWP invites feedback from welfare rights advisers

9 February, 2009

Capping local housing allowance will have disproportionate impact on ethnic minority households

Citizens Advice responds to SSAC consultation

5 February, 2009

Contracting out the administrative work of tribunals

New statutory instrument

4 February, 2009

Revenue sets out what it expects of those using its services, and what they can expect of it

Consultation launched on draft HMRC Charter

4 February, 2009

Many claimants and other low-income households missing out on fuel help

New National Audit Office report on the Warm Front Scheme

3 February, 2009

Reducing in-work poverty in families with dependent children

New DWP research

3 February, 2009

Help with NHS costs in Wales for those in receipt of employment and support allowance

New statutory instrument