Welfare Rights Bulletin articles

Claimants have been having their benefit suspended for months after being flagged as a high fraud risk. Owen Stevens discusses the DWP’s new Risk Review Team.

​Angela Toal reports on the latest developments regarding when a disabled student may – or may not – be entitled to universal credit (UC).

​Owen Stevens considers the circumstances in which the amount of the transitional SDP element included in the calculation of a claimant’s universal credit (UC) award can be reduced (or ‘eroded’), as a result of increases to her/his UC.

​Martin Williams considers whether those with pre-settled status and no other qualifying right to reside have any remaining route to obtaining benefits to which the right to reside test applies.

​Claire Hall considers the DWP’s retrospective reverification of universal credit (UC) claims made during the early stages of the pandemic.

The DWP is encouraging those on legacy benefits who ‘would be better off’ on universal credit (UC) to claim it voluntarily, and is also resuming ‘managed migration’ to UC during 2022. Where does this leave claimants and those that advise them? Simon Osborne takes a look.

​Simon Osborne reviews the ‘substantial risk’ rules in the work capability assessment, looking at some key questions and caselaw.

Hardship payments are payable when a claimant’s UC has been reduced due to a sanction or benefit offence and s/he is in hardship. Sabrina Dubash looks at the main rules and issues.

Owen Stevens discusses what can be done when a DWP decision maker has ‘stayed’ making a decision on entitlement to universal credit (UC) or, alternatively, a tribunal has stayed an appeal pending the outcome of the Secretary of State for Work and Pension’s appeal to the UK Supreme Court, against the judgment in Fratila and T​anase v SSWP and AIRE Centre [2020] EWCA Civ 1741.

​Claire Hall updates on CPAG’s test case concerning universal credit (UC) claimants who are working 16 hours a week earning the national living wage hourly rate, but who are being subjected to the benefit cap because of their wage pay cycle.