Housing benefit changes legal test to begin at High Court – BBC News

“A legal test is set to begin into the government’s decision to cut housing benefit for recipients living in properties that have a spare room.”

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BBC News, 15th May 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Finance and Divorce May 2013 update – Family Law Week

“Anna Heenan, solicitor and David Salter, Joint Head of Family Law at Mills & Reeve LLP analyse the April financial remedies and divorce news and cases.”

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Family Law Week, 12th May 2013

Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk

Deal or No Deal winner Caroline Banana sentenced for fraud – BBC News

Posted April 29th, 2013 in benefits, fraud, news, sentencing by tracey

“A woman who won £95,000 on the TV show Deal or No Deal has been ordered to carry
out 215 hours of unpaid work after admitting benefit fraud.”

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BBC News, 29th April 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Five disabled people lose challenge over scrapped scheme that gave them independence – The Independent

Posted April 24th, 2013 in benefits, budgets, consultations, disabled persons, judicial review, news by sally

“Five disabled people have lost their High Court challenge over the Government’s decision to abolish a scheme that helps them live independently.”

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The Independent, 24th April 2013

Source: www.independent.co.uk

Fourth pillar of the welfare state – Garden Court Chambers Blog

Posted April 17th, 2013 in benefits, budgets, legal aid, news by sally

“On April 1 cuts of £350 million from the legal aid budget of £2.1 billion came into effect.”

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Garden Court Chambers Blog, 16th April 2013

Source: www.gclaw.wordpress.com

Couple jailed for £900,000 car insurance fraud – Daily Telegraph

Posted April 11th, 2013 in benefits, fraud, insurance, news, sentencing, tax evasion by sally

“A couple who carried out a fraudulent insurance scheme worth £900,000 used the money to put one of their children through a top public school.”

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Daily Telegraph,

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

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Has the government broken the law over disability benefit changes? – The Guardian

Posted April 10th, 2013 in benefits, disabled persons, judicial review, news, regulations by sally

“Three disabled people have this week launched a challenge in the high court against the government’s new personal independence payment (PIP) regulations, which replace disability living allowance (DLA). In particular, the three are challenging the government’s last-minute change to the PIP regulations. Up until Monday claimants who could not walk 50 metres were entitled to DLA. The new PIP regulations reduce the distance to only 20 metres.”

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The Guardian, 10th April 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Three disabled claimants launch legal action against new mobility tests – The Guardian

Posted April 8th, 2013 in benefits, disabled persons, judicial review, news by sally

“Three disabled claimants have launched a legal action to challenge the government’s more stringent tests for mobility allowances that came into force on Monday.”

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The Guardian, 8th April 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Bedroom Tax, Spare Room Subsidy, or Big Headache – any solutions? – Zenith Chambers

Posted April 2nd, 2013 in benefits, housing, news, social security by sally

“The Regulations applying the Government’s ‘social sector under-occupancy penalty’ (a politically neutral description at least) are in force from 01/04/13. Broadly, social housing tenants of working age will see a deduction of 14% or 25% of the eligible rent component from their housing benefit, if the HB authority finds they have one or two spare bedrooms respectively.”

Full story (PDF)

Zenith Chambers, 28th March 2013

Source: www.zenithchambers.co.uk

Family Law Week’s Budget Briefing 2013 – Family Law Week

Posted March 21st, 2013 in benefits, budgets, families, news, social security, taxation by sally

“Jan Ellis, chartered accountant, of Ellis Foster LLP, a firm which specialises in advising family lawyers on tax-related family law issues, explains the budget changes of most relevance to practitioners.”

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Family Law Week, 20th March 2013

Source: www.familylawweek.com

Black belt judo instructor fraudulently claimed £18,000 in disability benefits – Daily Telegraph

Posted March 19th, 2013 in benefits, disabled persons, fraud, news, social security by tracey

“David Roberts, 48, falsely claimed more than £18,000 disability living allowance. He claimed he was in severe discomfort after walking a few steps, needed help getting dressed and getting in and out of bed. But the sensei and black belt judo and martial arts instructor was filmed by Department of Work and Pensions investigators throwing adults over his shoulder and holding opponents in leg and arm locks, in Runcorn, Cheshire.”

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Daily Telegraph, 18th March 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

The Cost of Care……The position following the Tower Hamlets decision – Family Law Week

“Jacqui Thomas, barrister of 37 Park Square Chambers, Leeds, considers the implications of the recent Tower Hamlets judgment for the cost of kinship care.”

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Family Law Week, 17th March 2013

Source: www.familylawweek.com

Bedroom tax: ministers given 14 days to make case against judicial review – The Guardian

Posted March 5th, 2013 in benefits, disabled persons, housing, judicial review, news, social security by sally

“A high court judge has given the work and pensions secretary 14 days to show why there should not be a judicial review of the government’s ‘spare bedroom tax’, amid concerns that disabled people will be disproportionately affected by the change in benefit rules.”

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The Guardian, 5th March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

Children’s rights cited in legal challenge launched against ‘bedroom tax’ – The Guardian

“A legal challenge has been launched on behalf of 10 disabled and vulnerable children against the government’s so-called ‘spare bedroom tax’, which is expected to lead to a reduction in benefits for hundreds of thousands of people because they have at least one unused room.”

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The Guardian, 5th March 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk

HMRC official jailed for plundering taxpayers’ accounts – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 19th, 2013 in benefits, breach of trust, fraud, HM Revenue & Customs, loans, news, sentencing by sally

“A HMRC official has been jailed for siphoning £12,000 from taxpayers’ accounts in a ‘flagrant breach of trust’.”

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Daily Telegraph, 19th February 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Back-to-work scheme breached laws, says Court of Appeal – BBC News

Posted February 12th, 2013 in appeals, benefits, forced labour, news, volunteers by tracey

“The government’s back-to-work schemes have suffered a setback after Appeal Court
judges agreed with a university graduate’s claim that unpaid schemes were
legally flawed.”

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BBC News, 12th February 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Council tax challenge goes to the Court of Appeal – BBC News

Posted February 12th, 2013 in appeals, benefits, consultations, council tax, local government, news, poverty by tracey

“A single mother is taking her legal battle over a north London council’s plans
to make people on benefits contribute to their council tax bill to the Court of
Appeal.”

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BBC News, 12th February 2013

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Room without review: Thoughts on tackling the bedroom tax – NearlyLegal

Posted February 11th, 2013 in benefits, budgets, disability discrimination, housing, local government, news, rent by sally

“With the beginning of the bedroom tax looming up for April and upwards of 700,000 households affected, I’ve been thinking about the position when the inevitable rent arrears possessions start to appear – probably by about October – and also whether the statute itself is open to challenge.”

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NearlyLegal, 10th February 2013

Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk

Farmer who claimed £100,000 in disability benefits caught herding cattle – Daily Telegraph

Posted February 5th, 2013 in benefits, disabled persons, fraud, news, sentencing by tracey

“David Millward, 55, was secretly filmed by the Department of Work and Pensions carrying bags of animal feed around the field he rented off Stafford Road, Coven, Staffs, despite claiming he could only walk 10 metres unaided.Millward admitted fraudulently claiming £75,532 in income support and £24,692 in disability living allowance earlier this month after making an application for disability benefits in 2003.He was sentenced to 18 months in prison at Wolverhampton Crown Court today.”

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Daily Telegraph, 5th February 2013

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Soldier injured in Iraq grenade attack wins benefit battle – The Guardian

Posted January 30th, 2013 in armed forces, benefits, carers, disabled persons, news, tribunals by sally

“An injured soldier left suicidal after being falsely accused of benefit fraud has won an appeal against a decision to cut a £70-a-month carers’ allowance for his wife.”

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The Guardian, 29th January 2013

Source: www.guardian.co.uk