Welfare rights news and case law

31 January, 2024

Local Government Association issues urgent call for household support fund to be extended for at least a year

Funding needed to allow councils to keep residents healthy, support them to engage in work and education, prevent escalating crises and reduce pressure on wider public services

29 January, 2024

Changes to income and capital disregards in the Housing Benefit Regulations

New DWP guidance

29 January, 2024

Scottish Government sets out the new 2024/2025 benefit rates for devolved social security assistance

Using September CPI figure, majority of benefits will increase by 6.7 per cent

26 January, 2024

Removal of £20 application fee for child support maintenance

New statutory instrument also introduces powers for Secretary of State to write off maintenance arrears of under £7

26 January, 2024

Scottish Government appoints Edel Harris to chair Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment

Interim report on review's findings to be completed by September 2024, with final report to be submitted by June 2025

25 January, 2024

DWP to contact pension age tax credit claimants from August 2024 to ask them to apply for either universal credit or pension credit depending on their circumstances

Issuing a written statement on managed migration, DWP Minister also says it is progressing well and that to date there have been very few complaints, and any issues have been swiftly resolved

25 January, 2024

Government rejects Select Committee’s recommendations to consider widening eligibility for any future cost of living support payments

Keeping the policy simple enables the DWP to minimise potential fraud and error, government says

25 January, 2024

Scottish Government confirms successful projects awarded Cash First Funding designed to reduce the need for emergency food parcels and food banks

Funding also awarded to projects supporting low-income families to take part in community action and to access outreach income maximisation advice

23 January, 2024

Two in five civil legal aid providers in England and Wales say they will leave sector or reduce provision within the next year

MoJ commissioned survey finds providers experiencing 'multiple different pain points' on a frequent basis in relation to low fees, rigidity of the fee system, difficulty attracting staff and time needed to manage and support the service user

23 January, 2024

Welsh Government publishes Benefits Charter as part of Child Poverty Strategy 2024

Social Justice Minister says that the government is determined to ensure that the approach taken for administering Welsh benefits is a person-centred and compassionate one, based on rights and entitlements

22 January, 2024

Court of Appeal rules that section 38(1A) Tax Credits Act 2002 provisions that prevent appeals following HMRC refusal to extend time to seek review are ‘ultra vires’ the enabling legislation

Commissioners for His Majesty's Revenue and Customs v Arrbab
[2024] EWCA Civ 16

22 January, 2024

DWP contacts claimants who may have been underpaid new-style jobseeker’s allowance because they also received income from inherited pensions

New guidance says that if claimants respond and are found to have been underpaid because of the error, the Department will repay any sums owed

22 January, 2024

UK social security system fails to provide a ‘safety net worth its name’

While the system has always had its shortcomings, Financial Fairness Trust says its failings are now so pervasive that it is 'falling woefully and systematically short of protecting citizens against hard times'

19 January, 2024

OBR estimates that almost two-thirds of the reduction in LCWRA caseload following reform of WCA will be as a result of removal of the LCWRA ‘mobilising’ descriptor

New figures also provide estimates of the number of claimants that will be affected by amendment of the LCWRA 'risk' criteria and LCW 'getting about' descriptor

19 January, 2024

Early commencement of specified sections of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024 to assist implementation of its remaining provisions in July 2024

New statutory instrument

Welfare rights

Local Government Association issues urgent call for household support fund to be extended for at least a year

Funding needed to allow councils to keep residents healthy, support them to engage in work and education, prevent escalating crises and reduce pressure on wider public services

Changes to income and capital disregards in the Housing Benefit Regulations

Scottish Government sets out the new 2024/2025 benefit rates for devolved social security assistance

Removal of £20 application fee for child support maintenance

Scottish Government appoints Edel Harris to chair Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment

DWP to contact pension age tax credit claimants from August 2024 to ask them to apply for either universal credit or pension credit depending on their circumstances

Government rejects Select Committee’s recommendations to consider widening eligibility for any future cost of living support payments

Keeping the policy simple enables the DWP to minimise potential fraud and error, government says

Scottish Government confirms successful projects awarded Cash First Funding designed to reduce the need for emergency food parcels and food banks

Two in five civil legal aid providers in England and Wales say they will leave sector or reduce provision within the next year

Welsh Government publishes Benefits Charter as part of Child Poverty Strategy 2024

Court of Appeal rules that section 38(1A) Tax Credits Act 2002 provisions that prevent appeals following HMRC refusal to extend time to seek review are ‘ultra vires’ the enabling legislation

DWP contacts claimants who may have been underpaid new-style jobseeker’s allowance because they also received income from inherited pensions

UK social security system fails to provide a ‘safety net worth its name’

OBR estimates that almost two-thirds of the reduction in LCWRA caseload following reform of WCA will be as a result of removal of the LCWRA ‘mobilising’ descriptor

‘Move to UC’ roll out to Mercia brought forward by a week at short notice

DWP confirms that claimants with a vulnerability will not have their claim closed for disengaging from the jobcentre

Government confirms six new appointments to the Social Security Advisory Committee

DWP seeks views on its approach to developing a new measure of poverty

Early commencement of specified sections of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024 to assist implementation of its remaining provisions in July 2024