National Association of Welfare Rights Advisers

SDP – get it while you can!

Patrick Hill writes: “Since the introduction of Personal Independence Payment (PIP), there have been increasing reports from advisors across the UK that the Severe Disability Premium (SDP) has not been added to income based benefits such as: Employment Support Allowance, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Income Support, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support.  Nor have there been claims made to those income based benefits that might become payable due to entitlement Read more

By alanmarkey, ago

Mandatory reconsideration

Neil Bateman writes: Many thanks to everyone who supplied examples of poor practice around MRs by DWP staff.  They were very effective.  Please continue to send me examples of bad practice in the light of the following: The DWP accept that there have been widespread problems and have now issued Gatekeeper Memo 03.15.38 in an attempt to tackle the problems.  The main text Read more

By alanmarkey, ago

Meeting in Stoke-on-Trent 6 Mar 2015

Our next meeting will take place on Friday 6 March at the University of Staffordshire, Stoke-on-Trent. Our guest speakers will be Andrew Hood from the Institute for Fiscal Studies and Jackie Cox from Church Action on Poverty.  Andrew will present his research on social security spending under the current coalition government and beyond.  Jackie will tell us about “The Real Read more

By nawra, ago

Evidence needed for social policy research

Mary O’Hara (social policy journalist and author of Austerity Bites) is looking for evidence to support her new project and is interested in hearing from claimants and advisers about the current difficulties/realities.  She is especially interested in: Bedroom tax/housing and homelessness Welfare changes/freezes/cuts to benefits Food banks and poverty Stress/mental health impact of cuts Impact on women/children/single parents/disabled people Local Read more

By nawra, ago