CPAG IN SCOTLAND CONFERENCE
Annual Conference:
Welfare Rights 2008
Friday 27 June 2008, 10am to 4pm
£95 per delegate
Glasgow
Caledonian University
70 Cowcaddens Road
Glasgow G4 0BA
CPAG in Scotland’s annual welfare rights conference: Welfare Rights 2008 will be held on Friday 27th June 2008 at Glasgow Caledonian University. This conference is for welfare rights workers, other advisers and policy workers. It offers the opportunity to hear about the latest developments in benefits and tax credits, find out more about the Scottish Government’s framework for tackling poverty and the role of welfare rights within it. Also, looking to the future, debate what a welfare state to end child poverty should look like.
Keynote speaker
- Nicola Sturgeon – Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, Scottish Government
Panel debate and question time – A Welfare State to End Child Poverty: what should it look like?
- Kate Green – Chief Executive, CPAG
- Peter Kelly – Director of the Povery Alliance
- Adrian Sinfield – Professor Emeritus, Social Policy, University of Edinburgh
- Annie Miller – Chair, Citizen's Income Trust
Workshops
Employment and support allowance – Judith Paterson and DWP
From October 2008, ESA replaces incapacity benefits for new and repeat claimants. Alongside tougher assessments and work-related conditions, ESA is also intended to reduce complexity and provide more money, at least for some. But is it a simpler benefit? And will disabled people be better off? This workshop considers these questions and also takes a practical look at the process of claiming ESA.
Kinship carers: allowances, benefits and tax – Alison Gillies
Kinship care is the care of children by their extended family or by family friends. Historically kinship carers have been treated very differently depending on where they live and how the kinship care arrangement has come about. Kinship care arrangements have frequently thrown up complex benefits and tax credits problems. In December 2007 the Scottish Government announced that kinship carers would be paid an allowance on a par with that paid to foster carers. This workshop considers how these plans are developing and what the likely impact will be on benefits and tax credits.
Local housing allowance – Sarah Clarke
The local housing allowance is a new way of working out how much housing benefit claimants will get. It will mostly affect private tenants. The scheme has been piloted in pathfinder areas, but from April 2008 it is being rolled out nationally, bringing in new rules on housing benefit rent restrictions. The workshop looks at: The new rules on the local housing allowance How it will work in practice How the scheme has changed since the pilots
Medical evidence and tribunals – Stewart Wright
Tribunals hearing DLA and incapacity appeals often have to consider differing opinions from the claimant, their GP or specialist, and an examining medical practitioner or approved disability analyst concerning the effects of a claimant’s condition. Representatives need to be aware of how reports that they have obtained will be considered in light of issues that have arisen around independence and admissibility. This workshop examines the development of caselaw in the way evidence should be treated by tribunals.
Refugees rights – an update – Maggie Kelly and Mark Willis
Over the past 14 years successive. governments have gradually removed rights to benefits for asylum seekers in the UK, leaving many without adequate support. This workshop looks at what rights asylum seekers, refugees and others granted leave to remain may now have and asks whether current proposals for further legislation are likely to improve the situation.
Right to reside – Commissioner Edward Jacobs OSSC
This session will concentrate on the right of reside under the EU Citizenship Directive (2004/38/EC) and 2006 Regulations. What is the best structured way to apply the right to reside test for benefits? What issues have been decided so far by the courts and the Commissioners? What issues are pending before them? What issues are live ones for representatives? What evidence do you need? What are the best arguments?
Comments from CPAG in Scotland annual conference 2007
- ‘Excellent networking opportunities’
- ‘Very well presented – much food for thought’
- ‘Enjoyable and informative’
Details of the venue
The conference will be held at the Govan Mbeki building at Caledonian University. This is across the road from Buchanan Street bus station and a 5 minute walk from Glasgow Queen Street train station. View travel directions.
Booking a place and further information:
This conference is the only one of its kind in Scotland and places are limited. Please book early to avoid disappointment.
CPAG in Scotland
Unit 9, Ladywell,
94 Duke Street,
Glasgow,
G4 0UW
Tel: 0141 552
3303
Fax: 0141 552 4404
Email:
bkelly@cpagscotland.org.uk
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