Benefit rights / guaranteed care income

Universal Credit — WV evidence to Social Security Advisory Committee

By winvisibleblog | 07/08/2018 | 2 Comments

The Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC) is a Committee of up to 15 people, some with a disability background.  It was set up by the government to advise on social security issues and to scrutinise benefit regulations.  They send a report to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.  Their report must be presented to Parliament along with the regulations, showing what has been done about the SSAC recommendations. The SSAC is looking at the “transitional protection” rules for existing claimants to be moved over to Universal Credit, and asking people to comment.  Read … Read more

More on Universal Credit win — DNS quotes WV

By winvisibleblog | 02/08/2018 | 0 Comments

From Disability News Service https://www.disabilitynewsservice.com/dwp-agrees-to-pay-thousands-to-disabled-duo-in-universal-credit-court-case/ BY JOHN PRING ON AUGUST 2, 2018 DWP agrees to pay thousands to disabled duo in universal credit court case The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has finally agreed to pay compensation to two disabled men who saw their benefits drastically reduced when they were forced onto the new universal credit. The high court had ruled in June that DWP unlawfully discriminated against the two men, known as TP and AR for legal reasons, under the European Convention on Human Rights. But DWP forced their lawyers to another court hearing to prove … Read more

Universal Credit claimants win compensation

By winvisibleblog | 31/07/2018 | 2 Comments

Here is the press release from the legal team at Leigh Day: https://www.leighday.co.uk/News/News-2018/July-2018/Men-with-severe-disabilities-win-compensation-foll Men with severe disabilities win compensation following Universal Credit discrimination The Government has settled a case of unlawful discrimination against two men with severe disabilities who both saw their benefits dramatically reduced when they moved Local Authority and were required to claim Universal Credit. 30 July 2018 In June this year the High Court ruled that the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (SSWP) unlawfully discriminated against the men who will now receive thousands of pounds in compensation after a settlement … Read more

Vigil cancelled re: compensation for Universal Credit benefit cut claimants

By winvisibleblog | 25/07/2018 | 1 Comment

VIGIL CANCELLED Our vigil is cancelled as we are told by the solicitor in the case that the hearing is likely not to go ahead due to developments. More news to follow as we get it. Monday 30 July 2018 High Court, Strand, London WC2A 2LL 10.30am:  Court case was listed in COURT 2, case of TP v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. https://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/court-lists/list-rcj 1-2 pm: Vigil outside court. Jointly with Disabled People Against Cuts, Mental Health Resistance Network, Single Mothers’ Self-Defence, Taxpayers Against Poverty, WinVisible, campaigner Maggie Zolobajluk, and others. In June, … Read more

Winning PIP paper assessment for teens

By winvisibleblog | 04/07/2018 | 5 Comments

There is wide concern from the public, MPs and others about how claimants with mental distress are treated in the benefit system. But not everyone is aware that as PIP is tied to working age (16-64), teenagers aged 16 are put under the stress of possible loss of benefit when their DLA is ended in the name of their independence. WinVisible was contacted by mums whose disabled daughters aged 16 and in mental distress were having to contend with PIP assessments and loss of DLA. We helped them to win paper-based assessment, but what had … Read more

Claimants win legal challenge vs loss of disability premiums

By winvisibleblog | 14/06/2018 | 1 Comment

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 … Read more

Legal challenge vs Universal Credit — judgement Thur 14 June

By winvisibleblog | 12/06/2018 | 3 Comments

  This Thursday 14 June, at the High Court, Strand, London WC2A 2LL 9.30am: Support disabled claimants at the Joint vigil: Disabled People Against Cuts, Single Mothers’ Self-Defence, WinVisible, Rev Paul Nicolson (Taxpayers Against Poverty), Maggie Zolobajluk, and others. 10am: In court – the judge will announce his ruling.  Check court number here. On Thursday 14 June, the judge will announce his ruling in the case brought by Mr P, a terminally-ill man who lives alone, and other disabled claimants previously on ESA who lost around £180 a month. They were brutally denied severe disability … Read more

PIP win — on need for supervision

By winvisibleblog | 01/06/2018 | 3 Comments

Claimants in Kirklees, West Yorkshire, including one with epilepsy, have won a PIP tribunal legal case against being scored too few points for “managing therapy or monitoring a health condition”. Benefits minister Esther McVey had to concede the DWP is in the wrong and will again have to review PIP claims where people have been wrongly denied, as with the mental distress mobility discrimination. It’s another case where the government made changes without consultation — one reason why the judge in the PIP mobility legal challenge quashed regulations which limited how many points people with … Read more

Benefit sanctions condemned in 5-year research

By winvisibleblog | 22/05/2018 | 2 Comments

Five-year research by universities condemns sanctions. Report on disabled people here Research covers Jobseekers, Universal Credit (UC) recipients, disabled people, migrants, lone parents, ‘offenders’, social tenants, homeless people, and those subject to anti-social behaviour (ASB) interventions and Family Intervention Projects (FIP). More  Guardian article below: “Benefit sanctions are ineffective at getting jobless people into work and are more likely to reduce those affected to poverty, ill-health or even survival crime, the UK’s most extensive study of welfare conditionality has found. The five-year exercise tracking hundreds of claimants concludes that the controversial policy of docking benefits as punishment … Read more

Freedom Pass

By winvisibleblog | 16/05/2018 | 0 Comments

Info about the rules for getting a Freedom Pass, and how to apply, is here. Disabled asylum seekers and other immigrant disabled people ARE entitled to the Freedom Pass.  When they talk about resident, this means living in the borough.  You do not have to have won your right to stay in the UK to get the Freedom Pass.  More info here.