Ongoing News

You don't have to use a form(a letter or verbal communication would do) but some people prefer an official form. Click here for the Mandatory reconsideration form.

The government say-'...Universal Jobmatch will be replaced by the Find a job service on 14 May 2018. Important: If you have an existing Universal Jobmatch

From 6/4/2018 support through the benefits system will be a loan.

Universal Credit- 18-21 year olds cut scrapped

Free E mail copy- Ensure you get the next finalised Benefits Rate Poster for 2018/ 2019 (due in mid April 2018) by checking you are subscribed to free newsletter click here. All subscribers will be sent a copy by email free of charge.

Free colour hard copy- (to be sent in late April)

When clients are naturally migrated onto Universal Credit (due to a change of circumstance) they are being told that they need to send in sick notes and wait for a new Work Capability Assessment before a limited capability for work element (WRAG group) worth £126.11 per month or a limited capability for work related activity element (support group) £318.16 per month is awarded.

The DWP latest statistics say most work capability assessment decisions (including the medical which take around 14 weeks) are now taking 19 weeks to clear.

UC- Housing Costs Update

2 important changes (regulations here) announced at the end of last year are coming which should aid claimants (DWP guidance)-

A recent ESA case(TM v SSWP (ESA) [2018] UKUT 9 (AAC)) has ruled then when we view the descriptors 11-17(part 2) for ESA (Mental, cognitive and intellectual

function assessment) then we shouldn't take into account aids and adaptations.

Training for your team at a location to suit you. We have lots of availability for in house courses this May.

We regularly train in-house throughout England and Wales.

To view our current in house training(including Universal Credit) courses click here.

From 6/4/2018 regulations have changed the support that people with a mortgage get from the benefits system. Instead of a payment the support will now be a loan.

Here are some of the main features-

● The scheme applies for those on Universal Credit, Income Support, JSA(income based), ESA(income related) and State Pension Credit(guarantee credit).

Up to now, claimants of Universal Credit with children would be entitled to free school meals. Even recipients who

only get a few pounds of Universal Credit per month....

New regulations have been issued (applying from 1/4/2018) that decide at what point Universal Credit claimants will

Roll out for the digital(full)service continues to gather pace. By the end of April around 40% of the country will be covered.

The government aims for roll out to the whole of the country by the end of December 2018.

Want to know more of the detail on how people get their housing costs under UC?

This course examines the similarities to Housing Benefit and differences under the Universal Credit system.

UC- Getting payments direct to a private landlord

The government has confirmed-