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Welfare Rights Bulletin

The Welfare Rights Bulletin is CPAG's journal of welfare benefits and tax credits law and practice. It is also an updating service for our Welfare Benefits and Tax Credits Handbook.

Published six times a year, it is sent to all CPAG Rights members as part of the membership package. It is also available on annual subscription.

This page contains a selection of articles from the magazine. Other regular features include: Handbook update; legal section with reports of court cases, Upper Tribunal decisions and new regulations; welfare rights news; reader Q&A.

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Articles now published on AskCPAG

Go to AskCPAG for current and more recent articles from the Welfare Rights Bulletin. The articles listed below are from 2019 and earlier.

 

Article

An offer you can’t refuse?

Issue 273 (December 2019)
Martin Williams considers the DWP practice of making ‘offers’ in personal independence payment (PIP) appeals.
Article Mandatory reconsideration and appeals PIP Welfare Rights Bulletin UK
Article

Universal credit childcare costs: up front and after

Issue 273 (December 2019)
Dan Norris reports on developments regarding the way universal credit (UC) supports working parents with childcare costs.
Article Childcare Universal credit Welfare Rights Bulletin UK
Article

Planes and boats and trains and PIP mobility

Issue 273 (December 2019)
Several recent cases have provided some clarity about how claimants’ use of public transport and private motors cars can affect their award of personal independence payment (PIP). Ed Pybus looks at how this clarity may help claimants apply for PIP and challenge PIP decisions.
Article PIP Welfare Rights Bulletin UK
Article

Vulnerable tribunals?

Issue 272 (October 2019)
Martin Williams considers the implications of a recent Upper Tribunal decision concerning the treatment of ‘vulnerable adults’ by the First-tier Tribunal.
Article Disability benefits Welfare Rights Bulletin UK
Article

The transitional SDP amount

Issue 272 (October 2019)
Owen Stevens considers new rules providing extra amounts of universal credit (UC) to certain severely disabled claimants who have undergone ‘natural’ migration to UC from legacy benefits.
Article Disability benefits Welfare Rights Bulletin UK
Article

UC managed migration rules

Issue 272 (October 2019)
Simon Osborne looks at rules regarding piloting of ‘managed’ migration to universal credit (UC).
Article Universal credit Welfare Rights Bulletin UK
Article

Housing benefit suspensions

Issue 272 (October 2019)
Jon Shaw looks at when housing benefit (HB) awards can (and cannot) be suspended and then terminated.
Article Housing benefit Welfare Rights Bulletin UK
Article

Appeals and DWP delays

Issue 271 (August 2019)
Advisers are reporting delays in receiving DWP submissions. Ed Pybus looks into the issue.
Article Mandatory reconsideration and appeals Welfare Rights Bulletin UK
Article

Universal credit and prison

Issue 271 (August 2019)
People entering and leaving prison tend to encounter a specific set of difficulties within the universal credit (UC) system. These include confusion about whether they are entitled to UC, doubts about whether they have permanently lost entitlement to legacy benefits and the consequences of detention for those claiming benefits because they have limited capability for work. Barbara Donegan explains.
Article PRISON Universal credit Welfare Rights Bulletin UK
Article

UC date of claim and Help to Claim

Issue 271 (August 2019)
It is now clear that the DWP does not accept that use of the ‘Help to Claim’ service (operated by Citizens Advice and Citizens Advice Scotland) permits a claimant to rely on rules allowing the date of a claim for universal credit (UC) to be fixed at the date help is first requested. Simon Osborne explains.
Article Universal credit Welfare Rights Bulletin UK