Caselaw summaries

Tax credits (TC) – tax credit appeals – effect of First-tier Tribunal decision in a tax credits case

Benefit cap – lone parents with children aged under two – not unlawful

Personal independence payment (PIP) – descriptor 5(b) ‘needs to use and aid or appliance to be able to manage toilet needs or incontinence’ – bed wetting at night and reasonable need to use incontinence pads whether or not used

Employment and support allowance (ESA) – tribunals – an inconsistency between the statement of reasons and the decision notice may be an error of law

Personal independence payment (PIP) – transfer from disability living allowance (DLA) to PIP – potential relevance of evidence behind DLA award

Housing benefit (HB) – non-dependant deduction – whether ‘normally resides with’ claimant – ‘normal home’ elsewhere

Notional income for pension credit – funds in private occupational pension with an ‘income drawdown policy’

Bereavement benefit (BB) – polygamous marriage

Income support (IS) – capital – whether impressed with a trust by family member – cultural context and credibility of claimant

Personal independence payment (PIP) – adequacy of Secretary of State responses to PIP appeals to the First-tier Tribunal – practice of not informing appellants of the of descriptors and points not awarded