“The government will break new ground in welfare reform today when it proposes that 250,000 long-term unemployed will have to work or train for a month if they wish to continue receiving the Jobseeker’s Allowance, the government’s main unemployment benefit.”
The Guardian, 20th February 2008
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“A pensioner was jailed for five years for masterminding one of Britain’s biggest benefit frauds.”
Daily Telegraph, 15th January 2008
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
“A mother who claimed £46,000 in benefits by pretending she had seven extra children was jailed for 10 months yesterday.”
Daily Telegraph, 12th December 2007
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
“A woman who claims she was healed by prayer had to battle the benefits system to stop her disability payments.”
BBC News, 11th December 2007
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
“Lie detection technology will be used for the first time on telephone calls of unemployment benefit claimants.”
BBC News, 20th November 2007
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
“Fewer sick and disabled people will qualify for disability benefits for being unable to work, after a new test is introduced from next year.”
BBC News, 19th November 2007
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
“A woman who falsely claimed nearly £40,000 in benefits because she said she was not having sex with her live-in partner has had her £60,000 fine overturned.”
BBC News, 19th September 2007
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
“An MEP for South East England convicted of 21 charges of benefit fraud is to be sentenced later.”
BBC News, 4th September 2007
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
“Benefit claimants and job seekers could be forced to take lie detector tests as early as next year after an early review of a pilot scheme exposed 126 benefit cheats in just three months, saving one local authority £110,000.”
The Observer, 2nd September 2007
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
“The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has upheld a House of Lords ruling that the UK Government did not act unlawfully by refusing to pay widows’ benefits to two widowers.”
The Lawyer, 28th May 2007
Source: www.thelawyer.com
Overpaid benefit not recoverable
Regina (Balding) v. Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Queen’s Bench Divisional Court
“Liability to repay overpaid social security benefit occurring prior to a bankruptcy was a bankruptcy debt. Discharge from bankruptcy released the debtor from liability for recovery of the overpaid benefit.”
The Times, 1st May 2007
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
Please note the Times Law Reports are only available free on Times Online for 21 days from the date of publication.
R (Balding) v. Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2007] EWHC 759 (Admin)
“Where an individual was liable to repay overpaid social security benefit under the Social Security Administration Act 1992 this was counted as a liability to pay money under an enactment for the purposes of s 382(4) of the Insolvency Act 1986 and was a bankruptcy debt. Discharge of the bankrupt released him from liability for recovery of the overpaid benefit.”
WLR Daily, 4th April 2007
Source: www.lawreports.co.uk
Please note once a case has been fully reported in one of the ICLR series the corresponding WLR Daily summary is removed.
No offset for overpaid benefit
Brown v. Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
Court of Appeal
“Where payments of disability living allowance had been suspended for overpayment and a redetermination made, payments subsequently awarded could not be offset against the irrecoverable overpayment, since the amount of payments would vary depending on how long it took for the redetermination to be reached.”
The Times, 4th April 2007
Source: www.timesonline.co.uk
Please note the Times Law Reports are only available free on Times Online for 21 days from the date of publication.
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