Welfare Rights Bulletin (202 February 2008)

• The 'local housing allowance' rules
  New housing benefit (HB) rent restriction rules – the 'local housing allowance' (LHA) rules – - are due to be introduced nationwide from 7 April 2008. Far from simplifying the HB rules, a new layer of complexity will be added. An additional difficulty is that, until 6 April 2009, there will be two versions of some of the Housing Benefit Regulations 2006 and the Housing Benefit (State Pension Credit) Regulations 2006. Carolyn George sets out the detail.

• Tax credits: changes and performance
  Nearly five years on, and the tax credits scheme still appears to be a work in progress. Mark Willis looks at some of the latest changes and performance.

• Government press on with compulsion
  A trio of official publications in late 2007 and early this year provide further detail of the increasing compulsion – or conditionality – being applied to benefit claimants, with the accompanying threat of sanctions (and resulting poverty) for non-compliance. Simon Osborne describes the announcements.

• April 2008 benefit uprating [124 KB PDF file]

Also in this issue:

• News in brief
  
• Interact: Benefits, tax credits and moving into work – an outline
  Community Links, CPAG and the Low Income Tax Reform Group recently published Interact: benefits, tax credits and moving into work, a report examining the complexity of financial support for those in work or considering work. The findings have mixed results in terms of supporting Government policies of abolishing child poverty and making work pay. Beth Lakhani sets out the main findings and recommendations.
  
• DLA, evidence and tribunals: telling right from wrong
  Simon Osborne looks at some recent developments in the way tribunals should treat certain types of evidence in DLA appeals.
• Backdating made simple?
  Recent talk of benefit simplification has turned to standardising backdating provisions. Few advisers would disagree that the rules in this area are complex and far from uniform. Most are likely to view radical proposals currently under consideration as not striking the right balance between justice for the claimant on the one hand and administrative convenience and efficiency on the other. David Kelly looks at the current rules on backdating claims focusing on recent changes and the Government’s future ‘alignment’ plans.
  
• Handbook update
• Legal section
• Commissioners' decisions
• Training

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