Welfare Rights Bulletin articles

The DWP has announced the start of the next stage in the process of the transfer of current disability living allowance (DLA) claims to claims for personal independence allowance (PIP). Simon Osborne outlines the plans.

Safeguarding procedures exist within DWP guidance to protect vulnerable claimants if their claim is about to be stopped. Greenwich Welfare Rights Service has found that querying with the DWP when the guidance has not been applied has regularly resulted in benefit being reinstated quickly.

Mike Spencer looks at a recent Upper Tribunal decision on the residence rights of women who have to give up work during pregnancy and following childbirth.

Alison Gillies provides an update on some increasingly important rules.

Simon Osborne reviews some recent guidance offered in the caselaw about the ability of tribunals to make decisions more adverse to the appellant than the one under appeal.

Henri Krishna examines the most significant developments in residence-related rights for European migrants over the last year.

The Welfare Reform and Work Bill was laid before parliament and given its first reading on 9 July 2015. The second reading took place on 21 July 2015 and CPAG will continue to lobby for amendments to the Bill as it progresses through parliament. Paul Treloar summarises the main points of the Bill.

Recent rule changes make it more difficult for claimants to get employment and support allowance (ESA) in payment straight away if they reclaim following failing the work capability assessment (WCA). One way to do so is on the basis that their health condition has ‘significantly worsened’. But what does that mean, and how will the DWP approach the matter?

David Simmons examines the issue of jobseeker’s allowance (JSA) sanctions for alleged failures to ‘actively seek employment’.

Simon Osborne reviews the rules under which housing benefit (HB) claimants can be ‘passported’ to maximum HB.