The Public Accounts Committee yesterday published its latest report focused on how the changes to Housing Benefit and Universal Credit are likely to impact on tenants and landlords. Read the report: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmselect/cmpubacc/814/81402.htm Its Chair, Margaret Hodge doesn’t mince her words (see below). “The Rt Hon Margaret Hodge MP, Chair of…

The DWP has just recently published “Making your Universal Claim (UC) from April 2013” http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/making-your-universal-credit-claim-toolkit.pdf. The leaflet heralds the introduction of Universal Credit “Pathfinders” from April but only applies if you live in Ashton-under-Lyne, Oldham, Warrington and Wigan. Even in those districts, only a selected few people (1500 per month)…

The DWP has just published a circular HB/CTB A8/2013 which confirms that consequential regulations have been introduced to correct an anomaly in the draft Universal Credit regulations which, but for the amendment, would have meant unemployed Non dependent sons, daughters or other adult members of the tenant’s extended family, between 21-24…

Ian Duncan-Smith has been forced to make further concessions following Prime Minister David Cameron’s gaff at PM Question Time last week. You may recall he stated to Parliament “Anyone with severely disabled children is exempt from the spare room subsidy” otherwise known as the “bedroom tax”. Now as everyone knew…

I’m sure you must have heard earlier this week of the Government’s concessions with regards to approved Foster Carers and armed forces personnel. The concessions came in the form of a written ministerial statement after weeks of growing political pressure and the popular press smelling Ministerial blood. The changes will…

The media is focused with laser precision on Universal Credit no doubt anticipating Ministerial resignations due to the chaos and scandalous loss of public money. Based on the recent Guardian revelations it’s looking ever more likely, the planned national rollout will be delayed until after the May 2015 election. By that date,…

Ian Duncan-Smith & Lord Freud must have been drowning their sorrows last night, having heard from civil servants that yet another Scottish Tribunal Judge, this time in Glasgow, has set-aside a Bedroom Tax sanction that would otherwise have applied to a severely disabled woman (suffering from Multiple Sclerosis) on the…

Hard on the heels of Thursday’s announcement on Direct Payments, Lord Freud has intimated, just this morning, that the 2nd Pathfinder is to start today in Wigan. The format is identical to what happened in Ashton-under-Lyne, where to control numbers, only certain single claimants could claim. So those claimants who have…

The Residential Landlords’ Association have just published an article in which it has welcomed a Government commitment to work with landlords, to make a new system of direct rent payments successful when Universal Credit is rolled-out. For the full article, go to http://news.rla.org.uk/rla-welcomes-direct-payments-parity-with-social-sector/…

Access…

As a follow-up to yesterday’s bulletin I can now provide a copy of Jonathan Mitchell’s actual opinion, responding as he does to some pertinent questions posed by Govan Law Centre on behalf of its Advice Agency client. The opinion – http://www.govanlc.com/GAAopinion.pdf Whilst I found the opinion interesting and informative it…