Welfare

The Scottish Parliament’s social security committee has launched an inquiry into whether the social security system adequately supports tenants in both the private rented sector and social housing. There are growing concerns that a system which should support people to be able to rent an affor

CIH policy and practice officer Sam Lister rounds up all the latest changes to Universal Credit – including some which have slipped under the radar. Already in 2019 we’ve seen several new announcements about Universal Credit – in addition to those in the November Budget. Some have

West Whitlawburn Housing Co-operative (WWHC) is to consult on a proposed rent change for the forthcoming financial year but has blamed Universal Credit for not being able to provide tenants with more than one option. The management committee is proposing an increase of 1.9% uplift on all rents for 2

More than £181 million in emergency funding has been accessed by low income households in Scotland since 2013. From when the Scottish Welfare Fund scheme began on 1 April 2013 until 30 September 2018, a total of 316,095 individual households have received awards totalling £181.6 million.

The UK Parliament’s work and pensions committee is today launching a new inquiry into the process by which people claiming existing benefits move onto Universal Credit if they have a change in their circumstances. Now that Universal Credit has been rolled out to every Jobcentre in the country,

An SNP MP has urged the UK Government to accept amendments to its Domestic Abuse Bill to tackle the increased risk of financial abuse under the current Universal Credit system. Dr Philippa Whitford MP, who has led the campaign to introduce separate payments as the default for Universal Credit, said

Institute for Social Policy, Housing, Equalities Research (I-SPHERE) director Professor Suzanne Fitzpatrick provided oral evidence this week to the UK Parliament’s work and pensions committee on its inquiry into the welfare safety net. Drawing on I-SPHERE’s work on Destitution in th

Four working single mothers have secured a High Court victory against the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for the operation of its Universal Credit benefits scheme. The court found on Friday that the way the DWP has been assessing income from employment through its Universal Credit work asses

The UK Government is to scrap its plans to extend a benefits cap to 15,000 families with more than two children. Work and pensions secretary Amber Rudd told Sky News that families with a third child born before April 6, 2017, will still be able to claim £2,780 worth of annual Universal Credit

A Loretto Housing tenant has received more than £21,000 in backdated benefit payments thanks to the work of the Association’s welfare benefits advisor. Karen Gribben, from Lanarkshire, received the payment after Loretto helped her claim Severe Disabled Premium she didn’t know she w

A document which outlines the eight principles that will guide Scotland’s new social security system is to be considered for approval by the Scottish Parliament. Created by people with experience of the existing social security system, the newly-published ‘Our Charter’ outlines in

Social security secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville has announced the appointment of Dr Sally Witcher as chair of a new body tasked with scrutinising the Scottish social security system. The Scottish Commission on Social Security will provide independent and expert scrutiny of the Scottish social secu

Low income families and carers will benefit from four new benefits being introduced by Social Security Scotland this year. The four new payments will follow the successful launch last year of the Carer’s Allowance Supplement and Best Start Grant, Pregnancy and Baby Payment.

Scottish ministers are on course to invest over £125 million in 2018-19 to mitigate the worst impact of UK Government welfare reforms and to protect those on low incomes, social security secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville has revealed. The announcement follows new figures which found that, as a

Hillhead Housing Association has successfully gained National Standards accreditation for the provision of Information and Advice for our welfare rights service. The Scottish Legal Aid Board conducted a review of the Association on behalf of the Scottish Government as part of the accreditation/reacc