Good afternoon John

In the midst of a very difficult time for very many of us across the UK, we’re pleased to be able to share a bit of good news with you.

As you’ll know, when we can't resolve injustices in our social security system another way we sometimes take strategic test cases to protect families’ rights. Today we won a legal case in the Court of Appeal that involves people with a disability who lost out when they had to claim universal credit (UC) because their previous benefits were stopped as a result of Department of Work and Pensions errors. They were blocked from returning to their previous benefits once they had claimed UC.

In this case, our clients (including a single mother with a disabled daughter) had no choice but to claim universal credit when their previous benefits had been wrongly stopped. When it was then found that their benefits shouldn’t have been stopped in the first place, they were stuck on UC with less support.

This win means that, depending on what remedy the government chooses, the two households in our case – and potentially thousands like them – will be able to return to their previous benefits or have their UC topped up to the level of their previous benefits.

The single mother in our case gave up her full-time job to care for her now 14-year-old daughter, who has severe sickle cell anaemia and epilepsy. The family are significantly worse off on UC because payments for some disabled children are lower in UC than in tax credits.

We are able to take on these legal challenges thanks to your support. We always want to be able to stick up for families and for justice, and are pleased to have you by our side.

With best wishes,​

Lizzie

Lizzie Flew
Child Poverty Action Group
 

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