Claimants win legal challenge vs loss of disability premiums

WE WON!

Today at the High Court, the judge ruled that claimants who lost severe disability premium when they moved to a Universal Credit (UC) area, were unlawfully discriminated against.   He further commented that the government recognised the need of this group (the DWP barrister had suggested the disabled men could get social care from the Council, instead of the benefit*!) but failed to deal with it.

Read the Leigh Day legal team press release here:

https://www.leighday.co.uk/…/First-legal-challenge-against-…

The DWP tried to spin the story to make out the men didn’t win, but in court the DWP was refused permission to appeal the ruling — which they shamelessly still disputed against two vulnerable severely disabled claimants, and thousands of others in the same situation.

The judge’s ruling recognises that Income Support premiums are there to meet specific needs — additional amounts across different situations which are mostly or completely cut to new claimants of UC.

*Mr P needed the benefit for things like taxi fare, so it was not even possible to replace it with homecare.  Mr R could not afford food and heating, and had to use the foodbank, after moving to Hartlepool.