Welfare Rights Bulletin articles

(For subscribers) Help with housing costs through universal credit (UC) continues to create problems for tenants. Jessica Strode considers three of the issues reported to CPAG’s judicial review project.

Carri Swann examines the plans, set out in DWP’s March 2025 Pathways to Work Green Paper and amended in the later Spring Statement, and explains how soon they come into effect.

Martin Williams considers cases where the DWP ‘closes’ a claim made by a new claimant of universal credit (UC) on the basis that they have failed to establish their identity.

(For subscribers) Jessica Strode looks at deductions from claimants’ universal credit (UC) for rent arrears and benefit overpayments during debt relief orders.

(For subscribers) Will Hadwen describes a new statutory payment for parents.

(For subscribers) Certain sums can be deducted from universal credit (UC) before it is paid. These are usually debt repayments but can also be for some ongoing liabilities like gas and electricity charges. Carri Swann summarises the deductions rules in the wake of new caselaw and changes to DWP policy.

Owen Stevens and Martin Williams review the state of play following various developments related to the erosion of the transitional elements of universal credit (UC).

(For subscribers) With universal credit (UC) as the increasingly predominant low income benefit, Simon Osborne reviews what that means for when an overpayment can be recovered from the claimant.

Martin Williams considers whether those migrating from ESA to UC whose ESA includes contributory ESA as well as income-related ESA are discriminated against during their first assessment period.

Simon Osborne reviews where the managed migration to universal credit (UC) process has got to and what lies ahead in 2025.