Constituency Casework
Appealing benefits decisions beyond the First-Tier Tribunal
How people can challenge a benefits decision beyond the First-Tier Tribunal
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Constituency Casework
Challenging benefits decisions
How people who are unhappy with a decision on a benefit claim can challenge the decision.
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Research Briefing
Universal Credit and the Severe Disability Premium
This Commons Library briefing looks at how Universal Credit will affect benefit claimants who are, or were, getting the Severe Disability Premium. It covers measures which came into force in January 2019 to prevent people getting SDP from moving onto UC until they can receive transitional protection, and "SDP transitional payments" for those who have already moved to UC and lost SDP.
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Research Briefing
Under-occupying social housing: Housing Benefit entitlement
This Briefing Paper provides information on which claimants are affected by the reduction in Housing Benefit/housing element of Universal Credit when under-occupying a social rented home. The policy is often referred to as 'the removal of the Spare Room Subsidy' or the 'bedroom tax'. The benefit reduction has been in place since 1 April 2013. The paper has been updated to include some of the more recent legal challenges to the under-occupation deduction.
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Insight
How can EU nationals access UK benefits?
What are the rules for EU nationals accessing UK benefits, including Universal Credit, and how might they be affected by Brexit?
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Debate Pack
Spending of the Department for Work and Pensions
This House of Commons Debate Pack briefing has been published in advance of an Estimates Day debate on the spending of the Department for Work and Pensions. This will take place in the House of Commons chamber on Tuesday 2nd July 2019.
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Debate Pack
Universal Credit and Debt
On 5 June 2019 there will be a Westminster Hall debate regarding universal credit and debt. The debate will be led by Ruth George MP.
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Research Briefing
2019 Benefits Uprating
2019/20 is the final year of the four-year freeze, which keeps most working-age benefits and tax credits at their 2015/16 cash values. Non-frozen benefits, mainly those aimed at disabled people and carers, rise in line with CPI inflation (+2.4%). The triple lock delivers a 2.6% increase to the new State Pension (£168.60 in 2019/20) and the Basic State Pension (£129.20).
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Research Briefing
What if there’s no Brexit deal?
What could happen if the EU and UK negotiators don't agree a withdrawal agreement in time and the UK has to leave the EU on 29 March 2019 without one - and with no framework for future relations either? This paper looks at how such a situation might come about, the constitutional implications for the UK and in some cases for the devolved administrations, and what the impact might be in a range of policy areas.
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Research Briefing
The Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill 2017-19
The Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill 2017-19 was published on 20 December 2018 and its First Reading in the House of Commons took place that day. MPs will next consider the Bill at Second Reading, which will take place on Wednesday 16 January 2019.
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Debate Pack
Mental health and the benefits assessment process
This House of Commons Library debate pack briefing has been published in advance of a debate entitled “Mental health and the benefits assessment process”. This will be led by Angela Crawley MP and will take place on 22 January 2019 in Westminster Hall, starting at 2.30pm.
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Research Briefing
Housing cost element of Universal Credit and 18 to 21-year-olds
This briefing paper provides information on the decision to restrict entitlement to the housing cost element of Universal Credit for young people aged 18 to 21. On 29 March 2018 the Government announced that restrictions on accessing the housing element would be removed. Regulations have been laid - the relevant provisions will come into force on 31 December 2018.
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Debate Pack
Opposition Day Debate: Universal Credit
This House of Commons Library debate pack briefing has been prepared in advance of an Opposition Day debate on Universal Credit, which will take place on Wednesday 17th October 2018.
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Research Briefing
Universal Credit: why are sanction rates higher?
Sanction rates are higher under Universal Credit, the Government's flagship welfare reform, than under the benefits it is replacing. In December 2017 around 0.3% of JSA claimants were currently under a sanction compared to 8.2% of Universal Credit claimants required to search for work though, in the case of UC, this rate has since fallen to 5.3% as of May. This higher rate of sanctioning, the DWP argues and our new analysis corroborates, is due to the way DWP deals with claimants who miss a work-search interview without good reason under Universal Credit compared to under JSA (one of UC's predecessors). Despite this analysis, however, there are still a number of questions relating to sanctions under Universal Credit that we cannot yet answer.
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Debate Pack
Universal credit debates on Wednesday 11 July 2018
On 11 July 2018, there will be an Opposition Day debate on Universal Credit in the Commons Chamber.
Total results (page 4 of 13)