Ongoing News

PIP statistics show only around 15% of mandatory reconsiderations lead to a changed award in favour of the client.

CLICK HERE for the Citizens Advice form for complex needs.

If your client is identified as having complex needs then the DWP should tailor or turn off their conditionality. This will reduce the risk that the claimant's claim is sanctioned or closed.

Latest Benefit Tribunal statistics show a further increase in the already high success rate for claimants-
71% had the initial decision revised in favour of the claimant (up from 67% in the same period in 2018).

Sight loss- adjustments to be made by DWP staff- 'longer appointments;  tailored support when accessing the internet and completing forms;  home visits for people unable to access the jobcentre; and additional support through the Work and Health and Access to Work programmes' 

The BBC has confirmed plans to make over-75s pay the £154.50 a year TV licence fee. Three million households are expected to lose the right to a free licence next June (2020). This Universal Benefit was introduced by the Labour government 20 years ago.

The BBC has said it will continue to provide TV licences to over-75s who can provide evidence that they claim Pension Credit.

We are offering the following open courses up to Christmas 2019- please click the links. (or  Contact us for in-house training provision).

Universal Credit- The Tricky Parts 2019

The government has issued guidance for its managed migration pilot in Harrogate.

'Managed migration started in Harrogate as a pilot on 24 July 2019. The pilot is expected to last for up to 18 months.

In managed migration cases, claimants entitled to an existing benefit are sent

The latest government statistics from July 2019 show that the number of clients on Universal Credit(UC) is rising quickly. Over 100,000 clients became entitled to UC in the month to 11th July.

Of these:

One of the problems with Universal Credit is that it is paid monthly in arrears.

Childcare costs are paid at 85% of fees up to a monthly maxmium of £646.35(1 child)  or £1108.04(2 or more children).

The government has started to make transitional payments to those claimants who have lost the SDP(severe disability premium)as part of their Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or Income-related Employment

The same regulations referred to above introduce more changes-

The rules around support for mortgage interest(SMI) are here. Generally clients wait 9 months to receive help;
typically 2.61% of the outstanding mortgage/ home loan.

SMI is paid as a loan. Clients need to repay the money they get with interest when they sell or transfer ownership of their home.

This interest is added to the loan and has dropped from 1.5% to 1.3%.

'automatic recommendation that payments are to go to the main carer, we’re making it easier for women to build the financial independence they need to leave their abuser....Currently around 60% of Universal Credit payments go to women within joint claims.”

The BBC has confirmed plans to make over-75s pay the £154.50 a year TV licence fee.   Three million households are expected to lose right to free licence next June (2020). This  Universal Benefit was introduced by the Labour government 20 years ago.  

Clients often struggle to cope on Universal Credit due to the large number of deductions taken from their expected payments.

There is scope to ask for the repayment rate to be reduced where it is causing hardship.

The government say-