We are updating our library. We are lacking in useful books relating welfare benefit legislation.
I would be very grateful if anyone has any suggestions for "must have" texts.
The only books that I have are the 3 volumes of Sweet & Maxwell Social Security Legislation (Bonner et al) published in 2000. Is this hideously out of date?
Much appreciated.

It's so out of date they've added a fourth on the subject of tax credits and employer-paid benefits. There is also a companion voume on housing and council tax benefits' legislation published by CPAG..

As most statute and caselaw is available online a guidebook may be more useful and cheaper to keep up to date. CPAG (cpag.org.uk for details) publishes an annual Welfare Benefits and Tax Credits Handbookwhihc is not perhaps as user-friendly as it once was, but then again the law isn't either.

if you have a benefits contract with the lsc then you have to have all the books they state to meet your contract requirements, so you should check their requirements

You will need a good reference book about Spanish social security (and all the other Euro countries). Trouble is no one has written it yet. Gap in the market place - any multilingual welfare rights writers around????????

I would suggest that you get copies of CPag's "Welfare Rights and Tax Credits", Disability Alliance's "Disability Rights Handbook" and Shelters' "Guide to Housing Benefit and Concil Tax".

From my dealings with the DWP - and it's "Executive Agencies" (chortle) - and SOME Tribunal Chairs (not ALL, I hasten to add, in case one from S. Wales circuit is reading this thread!), I would also recommend the following:-
* Machiavelli - "The Prince";
* Sun Tzu - "The art of war";
* Clauswitz - "ON war"; and,
* Che Guevara - "Guerilla warfare".
.
A copy of "The little book of calm" for the waiting room too....

You missed out Franz Kafka - The Trial.

And how about En Attendant Godot by Samuel Beckett?

I've always enjoyed 'A guide to Tribunal Submissions' by James Joyce.

how about the Lisson Grove Users Manaual .......?!

and don't forget that civil servant's bible - Big Brother's Handbook -aka 1984.

My big book of benefits (a guide for decision makers) by The Krankies