Read the latest social welfare news from around the UK.
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UC- Most Clients 'in Debt' to the System
The government has said ' I can confirm 55 per cent of all current universal credit customers have a benefit debt, social fund loan or benefit advance being managed by DWP. '
1.2 Million Claimants on Universal Credit
1.2 million claimants are now on UC.
UC Dummy Account- for clients without a Bank Account
This advice is from a Partnership Adviser in the DWP and is happy for the information to be shared-
' I’ve had confirmation today that the following dummy details can be used:
Bank Account Number: 12345678
Sort Code: 01-02-03
Welfare Benefit tip- changing retirement ages
Retirement age is changing for women and also men. Retirement age de nes working age and has implications for the Bene ts people can claim.
The age for claiming both State Retirement Pension and Pension Credit for men and women will be the same from from November 2018.
Latest PIP Statistics
Around 80% of mandatory reconsideration decisions are unchanged. At the end of July 2018, 1,885,000 people had a PIP claim in payment.
Appeals- Stunning Success Rate for PIP & ESA Claimants
Latest statistics show that the '...overturn rate varied by benefit type, with PIP and ESA both having 71%, Disability Living Allowance 65%, Universal Credit 55% and Job Seekers Allowance having 36% in favour of the customer.'
Useful Housing Benefit Guidance on Universal Credit Claims
The government has published useful Housing Benefit guidance relating to Universal Credit. A7/2018 (revised)
Latest UC Statistics
Claimants on Universal Credit have risen by 7% in just one month as more areas engage the digital(full) service.

Universal Credit Claimants Reach 1 million
Remember that under Universal Credit we have different conditionality groups(what the client needs to do to fulfill their claimant commitment and get benefit).

PIP- Therapy- help with listening counts
Caselaw (MM v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (PIP): [2018] UKUT 193 (AAC).) has confirmed that for the purposes of Daily Living descriptor 3 the following counts as 'therapy''
UC Claimants- How Many in your Area?
Remember UC is being rolled out to all areas by the end of December 2018.
Widows Benefits for Cohabiting Couples
The Supreme Court has ruled in favour of a client with 4 children who had been refused Widowed Parents Allowance and Bereavement Payment after cohabiting with her deceased partner for 23 years. Both benefits are contributory and non means tested.
Universal Credit and Managed Migration
The government has published draft regulations that deal with lots of issues relating to the migration of current
legacy benefit claimants onto Universal Credit.
UC Numbers Pick Up Pace
The number of live claims for Universal Credit has grown to nearly one million in June 2018. Eventually, the government estimate, there will be 8 million claimants.
As the digital (full) service rolls out to all areas this year, the numbers moving onto UC should speed up further.
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