‘Lawyers for an eight-year-old British boy have won a ruling that a Home Office policy denying families like his access to the welfare safety net is unlawful.’
The Guardian, 7th May 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘On 26 March 2020 the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a package of support for Britain’s self-employed workers to help them through the COVID-19 crisis. It became immediately clear that higher earners making profits above £50,000 would lose out. The Chancellor, however, highlighted that it would benefit 95% of people who receive the majority of their income from self-employment and that it was “reasonable, proportionate and fair” to exclude those higher earners. The Treasury estimated that this approximately 3.8 million people would benefit.’
Thomas More Chambers, 29th April 2020
Source: www.thomasmore.co.uk
‘An eight-year-old British boy is taking the Home Office to the high court over its policy of denying families like his access to the welfare safety net.’
The Guardian, 6th May 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘The family of a mentally ill man who starved to death after his benefits were cut have applied for a judicial review of government policy.’
BBC News, 1st May 2020
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘A mother who cares full-time for her severely disabled daughter is crowdfunding an investigation into the potential for a legal challenge over the government’s decision not to increase the Carer’s Allowance in line with other benefits in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.’
Local Government Lawyer, 14th April 2020
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘A group of single parents who cannot claim welfare payments because of their migration status are suing the government.’
BBC News, 3rd April 2020
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘The Divisional Court will this week (3 April) consider whether to suspend the Home Office’s ‘no recourse to public funds’ (NRPF) policy.’
Local Government Lawyer, 30th March 2020
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘In AH v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2020] UKUT 53 (AAC), the claimant and her parents are British citizens. The parents separated in 2011 but are not divorced. The father moved to live and work in Belgium. In October 2013, the Claimant (the daughter) claimed Disability Living Allowance (DLA) when she was four years old. The care component was awarded at the middle rate, but the award was later removed when the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) became aware that the claimant’s father was living and working in Belgium.’
Garden Court Chambers, March 2020
Source: www.gardencourtchambers.co.uk
‘This appeal concerned a provision about long term disability benefit (“LTDB”) which formed part of the Claimant’s contract of employment. It provided for the employee to receive a Disability Income of 2/3rds of his Base Annual Salary less the State Invalidity Pension should he be absent from, and unable to, work due to sickness or injury for a continuous period of twenty-six weeks or more, which would commence twenty-six weeks after the start of his absence and continue until the earlier date of his “return to work, death or retirement”.’
3PB, 2nd March 2020
Source: www.3pb.co.uk
‘Some of the UK’s best known mental health charities and the Royal College of Psychiatrists have jointly called for an independent inquiry into the deaths of scores of vulnerable people who were reliant on welfare benefits.’
The Guardian, 11th March 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘The government must stop applying the so-called “bedroom tax” to domestic abuse survivors fleeing their partners, 44 MPs have written in a letter seen by the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire show.’
BBC News, 10th March 2020
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘The head of an influential cross-party committee of MPs has criticised the “incredible secrecy” surrounding the government’s handling of the deaths of vulnerable benefit claimants following the case of Errol Graham, a severely ill man who died of starvation after his benefits were cut off.’
The Guardian, 1st March 2020
Source: www.theguardian.com
‘The Department for Work and Pensions has been accused of “a cover-up” after destroying reports into suicides linked to benefits being stopped. Around 50 reviews into deaths following the loss of social security payments before 2015 have been shredded, officials have admitted – blaming data protection laws.’
The Independent, 26th February 2020
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘The battle against the discriminatory practice of landlords not renting to benefit claimants has intensified after legal victories by two single mothers.’
BBC News, 26th February 2020
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘A landmark legal case has found denying bereavement payments to co-habiting couples is against human rights law.’
BBC News, 7th February 2020
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
‘This appeal arose as a result of an application made by the Attorney General for Northern Ireland under the Northern Ireland Act 1998, Schedule 10 paragraph 34. Paragraph 34 provides that the Attorney General may refer to the Supreme Court any devolution issue which is not the subject of proceedings. A devolution issue includes a question whether a purported exercise of a function by a Northern Ireland Department is or would be invalid by reason the 1998 Act, s.24. S. 24(1)(a) provides that a Department of Northern Ireland has no power to make, confirm or approve any subordinate legislation, or to do any act, so far as the legislation or act is incompatible with any of the rights guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights.’
UKSC Blog, 5th February 2020
Source: ukscblog.com
‘The government has lost two appeals against court judgments that found the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) had unlawfully discriminated against thousands of severely disabled people who were moved on to universal credit.’
The Independent., 29th January 2020
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘Relatives of a man who starved to death after his benefits were stopped have said the system is “not fit for purpose”.’
BBC, 29th January 2020
Source: www.google.com
‘It is still relatively uncontroversial to suggest that, as a matter of public law, public authorities must comply with legislation. But what should public authorities do where such compliance would actually result in a breach of a right under the European Convention on Human Rights? In RR v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2019] UKSC 52, the Supreme Court held that it is not unconstitutional for a public authority to disapply a provision of subordinate legislation to avoid breaching a convention right. This is necessary under the Human Rights Act 1998. Public authorities will be looking to the horizon to see what impact this decision may have more widely.’
Law Society's Gazette, January 2020
Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk
‘A former lawyer who said he could not walk without help, but was spotted driving a miniature locomotive, has been sentenced for benefit fraud.’
Crown Prosecution Service, 10th January 2020
Source: www.cps.gov.uk
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