Ongoing News

The second Independent review of PIP has surprisingly recommended
' ...the Department makes clear that the responsibility to provide further evidence lies primarily with the claimant and that they should not assume the Department will contact health care professionals.'

DS1500 reports for the terminally ill for PIP assessments will be able to be submitted electronically by healthcare professionals from May 2017. This will be through the online portal.

Labour accused the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) of "rewarding failure" by Atos and Capita, which appear set to be paid more than £700 million for their ve-year contracts(due to end in December 2018). £578 has already been paid.(Press Association gures)

Ensure you get the next finalised Benefits Rate Poster for 2017/ 2018(due in mid April 2017) by checking you are subscribed to free newsletter click here. All subscribers will be sent the new poster automatically free of charge. For a free colour hard copy-
(to be sent in Mid April)

In response to the two Supreme Court cases won by clients, guidance around the Universal Credit housing costs element and amended Housing Bene t and the bedroom tax/ Local Housing Allowance have been amended.

An extra bedroom may now be allowed where -

Nos. on UC-

The number of people on Universal Credit rose to 470,000 in February 2017. 39% are in employment.

The latest PIP Statistics-
● '1,232,200 claims in payment at January 2017, up 141,000 from October

2016'

From 3/4/2017 the law has been changed around ESA which should help clients-

Permitted work- remove the 52 week limit on work(permitted wok higher

limit).
● ESA Hardship payment when sanctioned – the rate will be 80% of the

Universal Credit- 18-21 year olds- housing costs restrictions- Click here for the law.

exemptions-

• ●  is responsible for a child or a qualifying young person;

• ●  was a care leaver before reaching the age of 18;

Have your say on how UC is going- (deadline 20/3/2017) Rt Hon Frank Field MP, Chair of the Work and Pensions Committee said:

New law will apply from 3/ 4/2017 removing the Work Related Activity Component for new claimants of ESA.  The Support Component if applicable will remain payable.  

Transitional protection is given where-

'where 

In response to two test cases ,  the government has changed the law to alter the wording concerning two PIP descriptors.  Click on the link in the last sentence to see how- 

re- Daily Living Descriptor 3- Managing therapy or monitoring a health condition.

The government has signalled that it intends to set up regulations for the new benefit-

Can't have a DHP with Managed Payments? Not correct-
'...what reason the universal credit regulations require that a claimant with a managed payment to landlord (MPtL) is unable to apply for a discretionary housing payment from their local authority while a MPtL is in place.....'

Penny Mordaunt The Minister of State, DWP