Let’s look at the track record of political parties concerning benefits. Click here to read our previous chronology of the community actions from October 2010 to March 2016 which led to the resignation of the then Work and Pensions Minister Iain Duncan Smith. Note: Research done by the Spartacus Network was not included in the round-up. At the time of compiling the chronology, we were shocked by the decision of Spartacus’ Sue Marsh to work for Maximus, one of the notorious benefit assessor companies, as Head of Customer Experience for a reputed salary of £75,000 a year. … Read more
We want to share this news from the Benefits Training Company about someone who was told to claim Universal Credit (UC) but should have stayed on Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). As far as we understand it, the Benefits Training Company is saying that although Mr B split up from his partner, his ill-health remained the same (no change) so he should have stayed on ESA, he did not have a change of circumstances. By starting a UC claim, Mr B’s contributions-based ESA was converted to ‘new style ESA’ which doesn’t include severe disability premiums. We … Read more
Reviews are happening now of people’s PIP claims. This follows several legal wins challenging benefits discrimination, including Ms R F, whom we supported at court in 2017 (see the report by Public Law Project). Because of these successes, the government had to agree to check 1.6m PIP claims on whether we are getting our full entitlements. But in many cases, women are getting letters from DWP reviewers saying “no change”, so now is the time to press your case for an increase. The government had blocked people with mental distress from getting the top rate for mobility. … Read more
A mum and her son who was aged 11 have finally won their legal challenge against the bedroom tax, after taking their case to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). Nearly three years after she lost at the Supreme Court, on 24 October 2019 (Thursday), the European Court ruled that the UK government is discriminating against women fleeing domestic violence, by applying the bedroom tax to women and children who need an extra room to take refuge in and be safe from a violent ex-partner who is likely to come to attack them. The mum, known … Read more
The two severely disabled men, known as TP and AR, who were on ESA and claimed Universal Credit (UC) when they moved to a different area, are still battling for their severe disability premium (SDP) rights. Other single severely disabled people previously on ESA will get these — if they have no “change of circumstances” and are told by the DWP to change over to UC. Note, disabled people claiming Universal Credit, if they are claiming benefits for the first time and weren’t previously on ESA, don’t get any so-called “transitional protection”. Solicitors Leigh Day … Read more
WinVisible is among those supporting Joy Dove, mother of Jodey Whiting. On 10 June, DWP officials travelled to meet Jodey’s bereaved parents at the office of her MP, where they told her they have made many changes. They told her that Mind is providing training to staff. Read the Disability News Service report of the meeting here. Our comment: In our experience doing casework every day, critically vulnerable women claimants are still being cut off for “failure to attend” and have their good cause for it dismissed, like what happened to Jodey. When they are made … Read more