‘The government has admitted it put disabled benefit claimants under pressure to accept lower welfare support than they were legally entitled to.’
The Independent, 14th July 2021
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘Cases where a person claiming benefits died or came to serious harm have now prompted 268 internal reviews since 2012, it can be revealed. The Department for Work & Pensions holds reviews when it is alleged its actions had a negative impact, or when named at an inquest.’
BBC News, 14th July 2021
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘Two campaigners have lost a challenge against the government’s “two-child limit” for welfare payments – an austerity measure brought in by former Tory chancellor George Osborne and one which critics have described as “desperately unfair”.’
The Independent, 9th July 2021
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘In this article, Richard Ive discusses the case of Dove v HM Coroner for Teesside and Hartlepool [2021] EWHC 1738 (Admin), which raises important questions relating to Article 2 (the right to life). On 11 June 2021, the Administrative Court heard procedural arguments concerning a late application by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to join, as an interested party, a claim pursuant to the Coroners Act 1988 s.13 for a further inquest into the death of a highly vulnerable woman who took her own life shortly after all her Department of Work and Pensions (“DWP”) benefits were stopped. The Secretary of State’s application was successful, providing her with the opportunity to make submissions at the full hearing heard by the Divisional Court on 22 June 2021.’
Inquests and Inquiries Law Blog, 29th June 2021
Source: inquestsandinquirieslawblog.com
‘A disabled woman’s suicide was “a direct result” of having her benefits cut, the High Court has been told.’
BBC News, 22nd June 2021
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘A one-year-old baby and her mother have won a high court challenge granting her the right to access a healthy food and vitamins scheme from which she was previously barred. Thousands of babies and toddlers similarly denied access to the scheme will now be able to benefit from it.’
The Guardian, 3rd June 2021
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘The family of Philippa Day, a mentally ill single mother who died from a deliberate overdose after her benefits were wrongly cut off, is to seek compensation from the government.’
The Guardian, 10th May 2021
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘The family of a woman who took a fatal overdose after her benefit payments were cut say they have begun a legal claim against the government.’
BBC News, 10th May 2021
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘A five-year-old boy has won a case against the Home Office as high court judges declared the government’s “no recourse to public funds” (NRPF) policy unlawful for the second time in a year because it drives some families into destitution and breaches the duty to safeguard child welfare. Thousands of children living in poverty are likely to benefit from the ruling.’
The Guardian, 29th April 2021
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘Local authorities may have missed out on an alternative supplier of pre-paid cards or products that were either cheaper or better suited to both their needs and the needs of those using such cards, the Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) has said after provisionally finding that five companies engaged in cartel behaviour.’
Local Government Lawyer, 6th April 2021
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘Domestic abuse is a pivotal issue within today’s society, and is often not realised to be exacerbated by poor policy and support. After years of development the Domestic Abuse Bill returned to the House of Lords in the UK on the 8th March 2021 to complete its report stage, one of the final stages before being enshrined in law.’
EIN Blog, 22nd March 2021
Source: www.ein.org.uk
‘The Claimants unsuccessfully challenged the Defendant’s policy of making deductions at a fixed rate from universal credit (UC) to pay off criminal fines. So far as relevant here, the claim alleged breach of the PSED (s149 Equality Act 2010) and unlawful indirect disability discrimination. The latter claim failed on the evidence, Kerr J pointing out that it would more suitably have been brought in the county court. The Judge did accept that the Defendant had breached the PSED but ruled against the claimants on the basis that compliance with the PSED would very likely have made no difference and that, therefore, s31A of the Senior Courts Act 1981 defeated the claim.’
Equality Law Blog, 22nd March 2021
Source: equalitylawblog.com
‘A group of former rough sleepers who were left destitute after the Department for Work and Pensions automatically deducted a third of their universal credit allowance to pay off court fines have won a high court victory.’
The Guardian, 18th March 2021
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘A five-year-old black British child has taken the Home Office to the high court arguing that officials are racially discriminating against families such as his own by denying access to the welfare safety net.’
The Guardian, 17th March 2021
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘The much-anticipated decision in R(Ncube) v Brighton and Hove City Council (2021) EWHC 578 (Admin) has arrived, confirming that in an emergency, “Everyone In” really does mean everyone. Mr Ncube was a rough sleeper and refused asylum seeker from Zimbabwe who sought accommodation from Brighton. The council found Mr Ncube ineligible for assistance because of his NRPF status, applying s.185 of the 1996 Act and the relevant secondary legislation. “NRPF” meaning someone with “no recourse to public funds” including the provision of temporary accommodation under Part VII of the Housing Act 1996 (the 1996 Act). From 30th November 2020 Mr Ncube was accommodated by the Home Office under s.4 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 (the 1999 Act). Those powers state that the Secretary of State may provide accommodation where an asylum application has been refused, but there is an obstacle to the applicant returning to their country of origin.’
Nearly Legal, 15th March 2021
Source: nearlylegal.co.uk
‘The family of a man who starved to death after his benefits were stopped has lost a High Court challenge against the government.’
BBC News, 3rd March 2021
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘An 11-month-old baby and her mother are bringing a case in the high court to try to secure the baby’s right to free vitamins, formula milk and nutritious food.’
The Guardian, 1st March 2021
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘In MN v SSHD [2020] EWCA Civ 1746 the Court of Appeal considered several linked cases brought by victims of trafficking who had received negative Conclusive Grounds decisions.’
Garden Court Chambers, 17th February 2021
Source: www.gardencourtchambers.co.uk
‘The High Court ruled that the requirement that the childcare element (CCE) of Universal Credit (UC) could be paid to applicants only after they had actually paid for childcare, rather than becoming liable so to do (“the proof of payment rule”), was unlawful because it discriminated indirectly against women contrary to Article 14 ECHR read with Article 8 and/or A1P1 Further, having scrutinised the justification for the Secretary of State’s approach through the prism of Article 14, he went on to find that it was also irrational as a matter of common law. The decision engages intelligently with the sometimes tricky question of appropriate comparator pools, and shines useful light on the potential for common law rationality to accommodate discrimination-based claims even were direct reliance on Article 14 to become unavailable.’
Equality Law Blog, 16th February 2021
Source: equalitylawblog.com
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