Welfare rights news and case law

24 December, 2021

Disregarding payments from schemes compensating victims of historical institutional child abuse and from the Windrush Compensation Scheme in the assessment of means tested benefits

New DWP guidance

22 December, 2021

Determining entitlement to Scottish child payment and best start grants when competing claims in respect of the same child are made

New statutory instrument

22 December, 2021

Independent review of welfare mitigation measures in Northern Ireland will consider scope of existing package and whether to extend protection to cover additional welfare cuts

Newly published terms of reference include recommendation to consider if welfare cuts, including the two child policy and removal of the £20 universal credit uplift, should be mitigated under a revised scheme

21 December, 2021 Open access

Government to reintroduce Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme as part of package of support for businesses impacted by the Omicron variant

Chancellor advises that employers will be eligible for the scheme from today and that they will be able to make claims retrospectively from mid-January 2022

21 December, 2021

Government confirms option for people entitled to HMRC ‘benefits’ to receive payments in the form of a PayOut voucher following closure of the Post Office card account

DWP Minister says that vouchers can be sent by mail or SMS to those who do not have or cannot open a transactional account

21 December, 2021

DWP estimates that up to 40,000 claimants could gain from PIP review exercise relating to Activity 9

Writing to the Work and Pensions Committee, Minister also sets out measures the Department is taking to ensure claimants do not lose out due to missing communications

21 December, 2021

Disregarding payments from schemes compensating victims of historical institutional child abuse and from the Windrush Compensation Scheme in the assessment of universal credit

New DWP guidance

20 December, 2021 Open access

Work coaches to be instructed to offer a telephone interview where claimants do not feel ‘comfortable or safe’ to come into the jobcentre

Agreement follows negotiations with PCS union which says it will 'use all means' to get better working conditions, less pressure of work and better safety for members in jobcentres

20 December, 2021 Open access

DWP issues guidance on temporary easement of requirements to provide medical evidence for sickness absences for SSP, universal credit and ESA purposes

New Welfare Direct bulletin also includes advice that claimants will not be required to provide retrospective medical evidence for any period the easement covers

20 December, 2021

Welfare benefit uprating 2022/2023

DWP issues new guidance to local authority housing benefit staff

20 December, 2021

Disregarding payments from historical institutional child abuse and Windrush compensation schemes in the calculation of means-tested benefits in Northern Ireland

New statutory rule

17 December, 2021 Open access

DWP suspends requirement to submit medical evidence after seven days of sickness or disability for universal credit and ESA

Suspension to remain in place until 27 January 2022 to give GPs more time to work on coronavirus vaccination boosters

17 December, 2021

Adult disability payment to open for new applications in pilot areas in Scotland from March 2022

New payment to roll out in specified local authority areas before going nationwide from August 2022

17 December, 2021

Commencement of provisions in relation to health assessments for the purposes of entitlement to Scottish social security assistance

New statutory instrument

17 December, 2021 Open access

Number of days over which employees are not required to provide medical evidence of sickness absence for SSP purposes extended from seven to 28 days in Northern Ireland

New statutory rule issued to help free up GP time to prioritise Covid-19 vaccine booster programme

16 December, 2021 Open access

Number of days over which employees are not required to provide medical evidence of sickness absence for SSP purposes extended from seven to 28 days

New statutory instrument issued to help free up GP time to prioritise Covid-19 vaccine booster programme

16 December, 2021

Work and Pensions Committee gives Secretary of State ‘one final chance’ to publish research into disabled people’s experience of benefits system

If publication does not happen before 11 January 2022, Committee will use its parliamentary powers to acquire report and publish it, warns Chair

16 December, 2021

Number of English and Welsh local authorities that spent more than half of their discretionary housing payment allocations almost tripled in first six months of 2021/2022

DWP half-yearly statistics show almost 30 per cent of councils spent more than half their allocation compared to around 10 per cent in the same six month period in 2020/2021

15 December, 2021

Government launches second review of state pension age

Review will consider whether current rules around pensionable age are appropriate based on factors including life expectancy data, labour market changes, and the costs of an ageing population