Welfare Rights search

Kirsty McKechnie, welfare rights worker at CPAG in Scotland, describes CPAG in Scotland’s welfare reform monitoring system.

David Simmons considers the effects of the introduction of same-sex marriage and some recent caselaw on cohabitation.

Jon Shaw takes a look at some of the issues with the rollout of personal independence payment (PIP).

Dan Norris describes a rule making new demands on lone parents as a condition of getting income support (IS) or employment and support allowance (ESA).

CPAG has launched an innovative new service for advisers and claimants who want to know more about the different local schemes and short-term benefit advances which replaced the discretionary social fund in April 2013. Dan Norris explains what the free service will offer.

The future of localised welfare assistance schemes has been thrown into doubt as it emerged that DWP funding would end in April 2015. Dan Norris explains more, including news of the campaign to save the funding for the schemes.

On 21 February 2014 the Court of Appeal dismissed human rights challenges to the benefit cap1 R(SG and others) (previously JS and others) v SSWP [2014] EWCA Civ 156 (21 February 2014). and the bedroom tax.2 R(MA and others) v SSWP [2014] EWCA Civ 13 (21 February 2014). Mike Spencer considers the implications for human rights arguments in social security cases.

Rebecca Walker, author of the immigration and residence rules section of CPAG’s Welfare Benefits and Tax Credits Handbook, explains the new residence requirements introduced from January 2014.

Mark Willis considers some recent and forthcoming changes to the administration of tax credits.

David Simmons examines the issues and options which arise in relation to the payment of benefit during a dispute about whether a claimant has limited capability for work.

Nick Jones takes a look at an advice sector-led proposal to increase investment in advice services in England and Wales.

Simon Osborne describes a current split in the caselaw on the question of whether someone’s ability to ‘mobilise’ with a manual wheelchair refers only to functional limitations, or to wider personal factors such as the ability to store the chair. The split will hopefully be resolved in a forthcoming decision of a three-judge panel of the Upper Tribunal.