I understand that the UT has set down in CH/140/2013 (a LHA case) that a “bedroom” has a plain dictionary meaning…a room for sleeping / a room with a bed in it. “19. The word “bedroom” is not defined in the legislation. It is an ordinary English word and should be construed as such. According […]

DWP have now told us that the lowering of the benefits cap for childless couples, getting Universal Credit, was ‘an error’ and not a change in policy.

The announcement by the government in the Daily Mail here (didn’t there use to be Parliament and Hansard?) talks only about JSA and Housing Benefit.  This proposal will, presumably, need to be carried into Universal Credit as well.  That should help with the increasing simplicity of the scheme.  There are a few questions about the […]

Firstly, apologies for the long delays in posting things here.  It’s being a busy time, as you’d expect around welfare reform.  I’ve been particularly busy updating our Future Benefits Model (FFBM) with the April 2014 benefit rates and rules and getting the known changes and indexations for the next five years plugged in.  Now done […]