Child Poverty Action Group

Care leavers and the benefits system

Many young people who have been ‘looked after’ by the local authority are excluded from income-related benefits. Instead the local authority is responsible for supporting them. This course looks at the special benefit rules for care leavers and the local authority’s responsibilities towards these young people. We will also be covering the new developments in relation to ‘continuing care’.

This half-day course covers:

Child poverty and welfare reform

Many more children in Scotland are forecast to be living in poverty by 2020. This half-day course looks at why this is and which families are likely to be worst affected. Participants will be encouraged to consider the steps they can take in their own roles to prepare for and mitigate the predicted increase in child poverty and make a practical difference to families.

The course covers:

Personal independence payment – the essentials

Personal independence payment (PIP) is the disability benefit for people aged 16-65. This course equips you with the knowledge and confidence to help the people you work with make effective claims and manage the process of transferring from disability living allowance (DLA).

The course covers:

PIP - caselaw and tactics

This half-day course gives advisers the chance to discuss the latest caselaw developments in relation to personal independence payment (PIP), and consider the impact of recent decisions and other developments on tactics for PIP tribunals. Participants will have the opportunity to share their own experiences and ideas.

The course includes:

Scottish Welfare Fund - effective applications

This half-day course provides both a practical introduction to the fund and an overview of the tactics which make for an effective application. It explains when and how to make applications for DWP short-term benefit advances – often a preliminary step before a Scottish Welfare Fund application.

Students and benefits – an update

Make sure you know what benefit changes are in the pipeline and likely to affect students. Welfare reform is changing the face of our benefits system with many changes made and others still to come.

Students and benefits – an update

Make sure you know what benefit changes are in the pipeline and likely to affect students. Welfare reform is changing the face of our benefits system with many changes made and others still to come.

UC for people with ill health and disabilities

With every local authority area in Scotland expected to move to universal credit (UC) full service over 2017 and 2018, many more people with ill health and disabilities will be claiming UC for the first time. Even in live service, a change of circumstances can mean a switch to UC. This half-day course looks at who will be affected first and the impact of failing a work capability assessment. It looks at work-related conditions and using flexibilities, and how awards are affected by a move into work.

UC for people with ill health and disabilities

With every local authority area in Scotland expected to move to universal credit (UC) full service over 2017 and 2018, many more people with ill health and disabilities will be claiming UC for the first time. Even in live service, a change of circumstances can mean a switch to UC. This half-day course looks at who will be affected first and the impact of failing a work capability assessment. It looks at work-related conditions and using flexibilities, and how awards are affected by a move into work.

Universal credit - refresher

Universal credit has arrived. If you have already had training but need to refresh and update your knowledge, this course is for you. Using practical exercises and cases, you will have an opportunity to review entitlement conditions and practice universal credit calculations for those in or out of work.

The course includes: