Caselaw summaries

Universal credit – date of claim – claimant telephoned the DWP’s UC Helpline in order to claim, but was wrongly told he had to wait three months

UC and immigration status after deportation action

Universal credit (UC) – capital disregards – property – ‘taking steps to obtain possession’

Universal credit (UC) – entitlement during three-month relevant period before LCWRA element included – minimum entitlement applied and therefore was entitled to passported benefits

Universal credit (UC) – housing element – liability for rent – claimant a joint owner and an agreement to pay money to a tenant-in-common does not establish liability

Universal credit (UC) – childcare costs element – two sets of childcare charges paid in same assessment period – maximum applies for that period 

Universal credit (UC) – 'backdating’ a claim for UC – whether as a result of disability claimant could not reasonably have claimed earlier – background circumstances

Universal credit (UC) – late application for a revision – not to be confused with supersession for change of circumstances – no bar to ignorance or misunderstanding of law being considered

Universal credit – temporary absence – when no longer temporary or has exceeded the time allowed – entitlement not lost retrospectively from beginning of absence

Tribunals – jurisdiction – claimant requested a mandatory reconsideration (MR) of a UC decision regarding his housing costs – DWP responded by saying an ‘MR was not necessary due to a policy issue’, subsequently also said the decision was a necessary result of the legislation and suggested the claimant sought a discretionary housing payment