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In an earlier bulletin, I highlighted the worrying practices of DWP’s recently created “Risk Review Team” (RRT). The team, reported to have 1400 staff, is currently sifting through awards made during COVID, when normal validation measures were suspended, and DWP’s flawed policy of “trust & protect” was…

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The Government expect thousands of Ukrainian refugees to start arriving in the UK this week. It claims 9,500 family members of people in Britain have been issued visas under the Ukraine Family Scheme – with many more likely to follow…

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Universal Credit – Upper-tier Tribunal – CSUC/280/2020 

In one of my earlier bulletins I discussed the implications of a Court of Appeal case, which found in favour of Danielle Johnson and 3 other single mothers, who had fallen foul of a Universal Credit rule…

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You may already have seen this article  which appeared on BBC news the other day. It explains how in 2020-21, Fraud & Error in respect of DWP’s overall benefit payments amounted to £8.4billion, up from £4.6 Billion the year before. £6 Billion or 75% of the overall figure…

These regulations deal with the sharing of data between the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, local authorities and authorities that administer Housing Benefit,
including their service providers and persons exercising functions on their behalf, and between local authorities and social landlords.

This instrument prescribes purposes where…

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Most state benefit rates have changed from this month.

Some, like Universal Credit, have been increased by 0.5% (in line with inflation). Whereas, Pensioners enjoy a rise of 2.5% to their state Pension. To access the comprehensive list of benefit type changes, and the variable amounts that apply,…

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This HOC library report – COVID Social security changes provides details of the various benefit measures the Government introduced in March 2020 to offset the detrimental impact of COVID and the Lockdown measures. It also provides a timetable explaining how and when these measures woud be withdrawn.

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Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced, last week, a new “Jobs Support Scheme” (JSS) as a replacement to the current Job Retention scheme (JRS), introduced in March 2020, which is due to end on 31st October. He also confirmed the extension of the Self-employed Income Support Scheme until April 2021.

Hi Members

The House of Lords report concludes, amongst other things:

Currently, Universal Credit claimants must wait five weeks for their first payment. Claimants are given the option of an Advance Payment if they do not think they will be able to manage financially, but this is expected to…

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I recently received notification of a successful Universal Credit appeal outcome, in which the Judge referred to DWP’s muddled mishandling of the case, which had taken nearly two years to resolve. Having secured the desired result for both my tenant & landlord clients, I was anxious to conclude…