Bootle benefits fraud woman ‘invented’ six children – BBC News
‘A woman who invented six children in order to claim extra state benefits, has been jailed for a year.’
BBC News, 16th June 2014
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Category: benefits
On the naughty step: The unacceptable face of London landlords – NearlyLegal
‘Some of you, those in London at least, might have noticed Boris Johnson announce a new, and completely voluntary, no compulsion here, landlord accreditation scheme. The idea being that tenants, desperate to find somewhere in the middle of the worst accommodation shortage in London for many, many years, will choose to avoid a ‘non-Boris’ landlord. This is of dubious worth, but no matter, what concerns us here is what followed that announcement. Bear with me, because it is worth it in the end.’
NearlyLegal, 12th June 2014
Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk
Work capability assessment system at ‘virtual collapse’, says judge – The Guardian
‘The outgoing head of the tribunal which hears appeals relating to social security benefits has said that the work capability assessment (WCA) has undergone “virtual collapse” and accused the Department for Work and Pensions of being overly optimistic about the pace at which fit-for-work tests were being carried out.’
The Guardian, 11th June 2014
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Formerly known as – NearlyLegal
‘Here is an interesting FTT bedroom tax decision from Runcorn, received via RAISE who are clearly doing good work in supporting such appeals.’
NearlyLegal, 6th June 2014
Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk
Shanks v Unilever plc and others (No 2) – WLR Daily
Shanks v Unilever plc and others (No 2) [2014] EWHC 1647 (Pat); [2014] WLR (D) 242
‘The time value of money received by an employer following the vesting of an invention by an employee was not a benefit derived by the employer for the purposes of section 41(1) of the Patents Act 1977.’
WLR Daily, 23rd May 2014
Source: www.iclr.co.uk
Hines v Lambeth London Borough Council – WLR Daily
Hines v Lambeth London Borough Council: [2014] EWCA Civ 660; [2014] WLR (D) 238
‘A person whose right to remain in the United Kingdom had expired and who sought housing assistance under the Housing Act 1996 on the basis of a derivative right of residence as a primary carer of her son, a British citizen, would be entitled to accommodation only if her son would be effectively compelled to leave the United Kingdom if she left.’
WLR Daily, 20th May 2014
Source: www.iclr.co.uk
Family of disabled grandchild lose spare bedroom fight – BBC News
‘A couple who care for their severely disabled grandchild have lost an appeal against cuts to their housing benefits because they have a spare bedroom.’
BBC News, 30th May 2014
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Curry house owner jailed after falsely claiming £41,000 benefits which wife spent on designer clothing – Daily Telegraph
‘Mohammed Chowdhury claimed he only worked 16 hours a week as a waiter but owned an Essex tandoori restaurant which made £400,000 a year.’
Daily Telegraph, 12th May 2014
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Challenging discretionary housing payments by way of judicial review – Garden Court Chambers Blog
‘Desmond Rutledge looks at the role discretionary housing payments (DHPs) have assumed in the wake of the Government’s welfare reform programme and examines the scope for challenging DHP decisions.’
Garden Court Chambers Blog, 7th May 2014
Source: www.gclaw.wordpress.com
Judicial review to go ahead on impact of ‘bedroom tax’ on separated families – Local Government Lawyer
‘Human rights campaign group Liberty has been given permission by a High Court judge to bring a judicial review claim over the impact of the Government’s spare-room subsidy or “bedroom tax” on separated families with shared custody of children.’
Local Government Lawyer, 2nd May 2014
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Women in burial and fraud case must repay £90,000 – BBC News
‘Two women who were jailed after burying a man in a garden and claiming his benefits have been ordered to repay almost £90,000 under the Proceeds of Crime Act.’
BBC News, 28th April 2014
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Ignoring the Court of Appeal? – NearlyLegal
‘There has been an odd bedroom tax development, one on which details are tantalisingly still absent. Mr & Mrs Carmichael have won their appeal to the First Tier Tribunal, apparently on the basis of Mrs Carmichael’s disability, so on grounds of Article 14 read with Art 1 Protocol 1. The Tribunal apparently found that it would be unjustifiable discrimination to impose the bedroom tax.’
NearlyLegal, 24th April 2014
Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk
Supreme Court to hold expedited hearing on benefit cap next week – Local Government Lawyer
‘The Supreme Court will next week hold an expedited hearing of a challenge to the Government’s introduction of the controversial “benefit cap”. The case of R on the application of SG and others (previously JS and others) (Appellants) v The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Respondents) will be heard over two days on 29-30 April by a panel comprising Lady Hale, Lord Kerr, Lord Reed, Lord Carnwath and Lord Hughes.’
Local Government Lawyer, 23rd April 2014
Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk
Woman who said she had agoraphobia but led ‘globetrotting lifestyle’ jailed – The Guardian
‘A woman who claimed she was trapped at home in the UK by agoraphobia but in fact led a lavish globetrotting lifestyle has been jailed for falsely claiming benefits.’
The Guardian, 23rd April 2014
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Judge condemns ‘ludicrously low’ sentencing powers as benefits cheat jailed – Daily Telegraph
‘A judge condemned her own sentencing powers as “ludicrously low” as she ordered a woman who fraudulently claimed £40,000 in benefits to repay the money at a rate of £10 a week and said it was unlikely the total would ever be recovered.’
Daily Telegraph, 23rd April 2014
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
Regina (Refugee Action) v Secretary of State for the Home Department – WLR Daily
‘The Home Secretary had acted unlawfully in failing to identify and take account of certain essential living needs for which provision had to be made in setting the level of cash support under section 96(1)(b) of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.’
WLR Daily, 9th April 2014
Source: www.iclr.co.uk
Asylum-seeker subsistence payments defeat for government in high court – The Guardian
‘The home secretary, Theresa May, has been ordered to review the level of benefits paid to asylum seekers after the high court ruled that she acted unlawfully in freezing essential living needs payments.’
The Guardian, 9th April 2014
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Room for manoeuvre – Hardwicke Chambers
‘In R (on the application of MA & Ors) v The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Respondent) and The Equality and Human Rights Commission (Intervener) [2014] EWCA 13 the Court of Appeal has rejected appeals against the dismissal of claims for a judicial review of the so-called “bedroom tax”, bringing to an end – for the time being at least – months of speculation about the lawfulness of arguably the most controversial aspect of the Government’s welfare reform programme.’
Hardwicke Chambers, 12th March 2014
Source: www.hardwicke.co.uk
Housing benefit changes distress disabled people, say MPs – BBC News
‘Changes to housing benefit in England, Scotland and Wales are creating “financial hardship and distress” for disabled people, MPs have warned.’
BBC News, 2nd April 2014
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
Room use and Uratemp – NearlyLegal
‘A successful FTT bedroom tax appeal in Birkenhead has raised some new questions over ‘room use’ as an argument.’
NearlyLegal, 17th March 2014
Source: www.nearlylegal.co.uk
