Welfare rights news and case law

8 April, 2021

Recruitment of extra Youth Employability Coaches will ‘help thousands of young people benefit from six-month intensive employment support’, says DWP

New roles are vital in helping young people onto first rung of the jobs ladder, Minister adds

8 April, 2021 Open access

Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted ‘flawed rationale’ behind two-child limit

New report from CPAG highlights how policy has removed safety net that social security should provide when crisis hits

8 April, 2021

Social welfare law-related pledges in the 2021 Senedd election party manifestos

With the 2021 Welsh Senedd election to be held on Thursday 6 May 2021, the main parties have begun to publish their election manifestos

7 April, 2021

Use of template pre-action protocol letters ‘invites an abuse’ of judicial review process

MoJ summary of government responses to Independent Review of Administrative Law reports view that increasing use of pro-forma letters suggests either 'deep-rooted misunderstanding’ of process or 'intention to use them inappropriately'

7 April, 2021

DWP launches recruitment drive to place more than 300 extra Disability Employment Advisers in jobcentres by May 2021

Exercise will build on record levels of disability employment by protecting, supporting and creating jobs for disabled people, says Minister

7 April, 2021 Open access

HMRC provides further information in relation to £500 one-off payment to working households in receipt of tax credits

Update confirms that there is no need to apply for the payment which should be received into bank accounts by 23 April 2021

6 April, 2021 Open access

PCS expresses ‘serious concern’ at DWP’s decision to increase face-to-face activity in jobcentres from 12 April 2021

However, Union advises that it has received assurances from Department that work coaches will remain 'empowered' to decide the most appropriate channel to communicate with their claimants

6 April, 2021 Open access

Almost £25 million included in Northern Ireland Executive’s 2021/2022 Budget to support ‘Benefit Delivery Response’ to Covid-19

Minister confirms that funding for scheme, which will provide financial assistance to vulnerable individuals, is on top of more than £40 million to continue welfare mitigations

1 April, 2021

DWP to introduce new Train and Progress initiative which will allow universal credit claimants to take part in up to 12 weeks full-time training

Department advises that option will be available to those in the intensive work search group

30 March, 2021 Open access

Total number of households subject to the benefit cap has more than doubled during Covid-19 outbreak

New DWP statistics show that 180,000 households were capped as at November 2020 compared to 89,000 prior to the pandemic taking hold in March 2020

30 March, 2021

Scottish Campaign for Rights to Social Security publishes manifesto for next Scottish Parliament

Holyrood Manifesto 2021 sets out five key principles needed to achieve social security system that 'prevents poverty, treats people with dignity and respect and supports everyone to flourish'

29 March, 2021 Open access

DWP confirms timetable for resumption of face-to-face assessments for health and disability benefits

In addition, DWP issues new guidance for claimants and assessment providers covering measures such as social distancing requirements, sanitisation, PPE and face coverings

29 March, 2021

Radical rethink of Scottish social security policy needed to ‘heal the wounds’ of Covid-19 without further widening inequalities

Proposing a minimum income guarantee that could be realised by 2030, IPPR Scotland sets out first steps the Scottish Government could take towards achieving a new welfare state 'built on the bedrock' of shared financial security

29 March, 2021

Social security information-sharing powers in Scotland relating to GPs, local authorities and accredited disability vehicle schemes

New statutory instrument

29 March, 2021

Benefit uprating 2021/2022 in Northern Ireland

New statutory rules

26 March, 2021

DWP identifies 1,400 self-employed women who submitted a new maternity allowance claim between 2015 and 2017 who may have been underpaid in error

Administrative exercise underway to contact those affected following a 'misunderstanding' about new qualifying rules that came into effect following the introduction of Self-Assessment tax returns in April 2015

26 March, 2021

DWP makes determination that ‘relevant threshold’ for purposes of calculating surplus earnings under universal credit will stay at £2,500 until 31 March 2022

Determination is made by Secretary of State for Work and Pensions under the Universal Credit (Surpluses and Self-employed Losses) (Digital Service) Amendment Regulations 2015

26 March, 2021 Open access

Work and Pensions Committee seeks information about DWP’s plans for coronavirus-related measures that are due to expire in May 2021

Letter to Work and Pensions Secretary also asks for update on plans for universal credit managed migration in light of Harrogate pilot being paused until April 2022

26 March, 2021

Government announces that Quarry House in Leeds is to have a ministerial presence as part of plan to establish second DWP headqurters

Plan forms part of government's 'levelling up' agenda and will 'give us direct entry into the Northern Powerhouse’