‘Almost all of the 200 “fit for work“ test appeals undertaken by a student volunteer project have been won, providing more evidence of the unreliability of the government’s controversial work capability assessment (WCA).’
Full story
The Guardian, 2nd September 2015
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘A Biggleswade man who made more than £5,000 after advertising his services as a professional McKenzie friend has been jailed for three years after being found guilty of multiple trading standards and housing benefits offences.’
Local Government Lawyer, 21st August 2015
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘A lorry driver has been jailed for cheating his terminally ill wife out of £30,000 of incapacity benefits and committing bigamy by marrying a new bride on their wedding anniversary.’
The Guardian, 25th August 2015
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘When a legal challenge to one of the coalition Government’s flagship welfare reforms – an overall cap of £26,000 per year on the amount any family could receive in benefits – was reviewed by the Supreme Court earlier this year, the resulting judgment left many observers scratching their heads. Had the Court declared the cap unlawful or not? The answer seemed to be a mixture of yes and no.’
UK Human Rights Blog, 24th August 2015
Source: www.ukhumanrightsblog.com
‘A woman has been fined £330 for stealing a 75p pack of Mars Bars after her benefits were stopped.’
Full story
The Independent, 14th August 2015
Source: www.independent.co.uk
‘A council has admitted wrongly using the Working Time Regulations to refuse the direct payments they assessed a young man as needing, following an investigation by the Local Government Ombudsman.’
Local Government Lawyer, 6th August 2015
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
‘The UK statistics watchdog has asked the Department for Work and Pensions to ensure its statements on jobseeker sanctions are “objective and impartial” following a series of complaints by leading experts.’
The Guardian, 7th August 2015
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘Magistrates have begun to resign in protest at punitive court charges of up to £1,200 that they claim can never be collected and encourage the innocent to plead guilty.’
Full story
The Guardian, 31st July 2015
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘The Upper Tribunal has another go at the separated families issue in CH 0062 2015-00 and this time, unsurprisingly, shuts down completely the FTT dissenting position in a Middlesborough FTT decision, while upholding and amplifying MR v North Tyneside.’
Nearly Legal, 1st August 2015
Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk
‘Immigrants living in Britain illegally will face abrupt eviction from rental properties under new laws designed to make Britain a tougher place to live in, the government will announce as it redoubles its response to the Calais migrant crisis.’
The Guardian, 3rd August 2015
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘Rape that results in pregnancy is one circumstance that defies the chancellor’s notion of choice about family size.’
Full story
The Guardian, 29th July 2015
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘In Wychavon District Council v EM (HB) [2011] UKUT 144 (AAC), the claimant, who was profoundly physically and mentally disabled, appealed from a decision that she was not entitled to housing benefit in respect of the sums payable under a tenancy agreement which, in the space for the tenant’s signature, stated that she was “profoundly disabled and cannot communicate at all.”’
Tanfield Chambers, 18th June 2015
Source: www.tanfieldchambers.co.uk
Mathieson v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions: [2015] UKSC 47; [2015] WLR (D) 296
‘The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions violated the Convention rights of a severely disabled child when he suspended payment to him of disability living allowance once he had been an in-patient in an NHS hospital for more than 84 weeks.’
WLR Daily, 8th July 2015
Source: www.iclr.co.uk
‘Richard Holme, Chartered Accountant of Creaseys, a firm which specialises in advising family lawyers on tax related family law issues, explains the Budget changes of most relevance to family lawyers.’
Family Law Week, 8th July 2015
Source: www.familylawweek.co.uk
‘Desmond Rutledge reviews the prospects of the bedroom tax litigation succeeding in the light of the recent Supreme Court judgment in the household benefit cap case.’
Garden Court Chambers Blog, 6th July 2015
Source: www.gclaw.wordpress.com
‘A couple who were part of a family-run multimillion-pound drugs ring spent £40,000 on their wedding and lived a lavish lifestyle while still claiming benefits, a court heard.’
The Guardian, 26th June 2015
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
‘Benefit cheat Heather Rimmer, 61 flew to exotic oceans to reel in the giant fish while claiming she was too ill to work.’
Daily Telegraph, 23rd June 2015
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
‘This is not a usual blog post. I was asked to do an analysis of the proposed £23,000 pa benefit cap, its impact on housing, homelessness and the legal position, with a focus on London, for use elsewhere and for a purpose which shall remain nameless. But I feel this needs wider sharing.’
Nearly Legal, 10th June 2015
Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk
‘An attempt to settle a divorce cheaply backfired leaving Norma Wilson having to live a one-bed council flat.’
Daily Telegraph, 10th June 2015
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
‘A delay in paying welfare benefits to two disabled people was “unlawful”, the High Court has ruled.’
BBC News, 5th June 2015
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
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