VE Day: Council duties under the Armed Forces Covenant
As we mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, Geoff Wild, Legal & Governance Consultant, looks at the duties of councils under the Armed Forces Covenant.
Celebrities speak out against cuts to disability support
20/03/2025 Celebrities, including Rosie Jones and Sir Stephen Fry, have spoken out against benefit cuts, arguing they will force disabled people to use food banks. |
Ministers consider exemptions to benefit cap
27/02/2025 Parents of children under five reportedly could be exempt from the two-child benefit cap. |
High Court blocks health benefit cuts
17/01/2025 Cuts to health benefits which were announced by the previous Government, and which are due to take effect in September, are unlawful, High Court rules. |
NextGov: Scrapping the two-child benefit cap
17/06/2024 Rachel Walters, ECPC, and Amanda Bailey, NECPC, argue the next government should scrap the two-child limit on benefit payments. |
£23bn in benefits goes unclaimed
19/04/2024 The total amount of unclaimed benefits in the UK is now £22.7 billion a year, analysis has found. |
Council to revisit how it calculated allowances to 300 families
21/02/2024 An investigation has revealed that Devon County Council has been calculating incorrectly allowances for families who look after children as special guardians. |
At-risk EU migrants eligible for universal credit, court rules
09/02/2024 The Government must support EU migrants who are at risk of not being able to meet the ‘most basic needs’, the Supreme Court has ruled. |
Government set to fail to meet rough sleeping target
25/09/2023 The Government will fail to meet its target to end rough sleeping because of a ‘chronic shortage’ of affordable housing and support services, experts warn. |
Claimants losing benefits in ‘managed migration’ to UC
31/08/2023 More than a quarter of claimants who are required to move to universal credit (UC) have not claimed UC and have had their tax credits stopped as a result, new analysis has revealed. |
Fresh calls to raise local housing allowance
23/08/2023 Calls have been made for ministers to increase local housing allowance (LHA) after research revealed 85% of English councils are facing a rise in homelessness. |
Rent arrears surge
02/08/2023 Four in five council landlords have reported growing rent arrears over the past year, according to the findings of a new survey. |
Childcare payments boosted by 47%
28/06/2023 Childcare payments to working families on universal credit are to increase from today by 47% in England, Scotland and Wales. |
Vulnerable families facing £5,600 shortfalls
26/06/2023 The UK’s most vulnerable families are facing shortfalls of up to £5,600 this year due to the cost-of-living crisis, new research has revealed. |
Call for Government to share more data with councils
06/06/2023 Councils are struggling to reach households hit by the cost of living crisis due to the Government’s failure to share its data with local authorities. |
Universal Credit childcare payments to rise nearly 50%
31/05/2023 Parents on Universal Credit will be able to claim hundreds of pounds more to cover childcare costs from the end of June, the Government has announced. |
Nearly £19bn of benefits go unclaimed
02/05/2023 The total amount of unclaimed income-related benefits and social tariffs is now £18.7bn a year, a new study has found. |
Autumn Statement: £1bn extension to Household Support Fund
17/11/2022 Local authorities will receive £1bn of funding to ensure vulnerable households are supported through the cost of living crisis, the chancellor has announced today. |
Doctors back free school meal campaign
03/11/2022 Health care professionals have urged the Government to offer free school meals to thousands more children to fight malnutrition. |
Four million children face ‘food insecurity’
18/10/2022 An estimated four million children are currently living in homes that do not have adequate access to food, a food charity has revealed. |
Mini-Budget: Universal Credit sanctions tightened
23/09/2022 Tens of thousands of people on Universal Credit face sanctions and reductions if they do not show up at jobcentres, under plans unveiled by the chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng. |
Universal Credit recipients ‘skipping meals’, charity says
07/09/2022 Forty percent of people claiming Universal Credit are skipping meals to survive, new research from the Trussell Trust reveals. |
Charity calls for suspension of UC deductions
30/06/2022 Suspending deductions from UC for Government debt would help over a million low income households struggling with the cost-of-living crisis, researchers say. |
Teaching unions call for expansion of free school meal eligibility
01/06/2022 Teaching unions have called on the Government to extend free school meals to all families on Universal Credit (UC). |
Universal Credit failing to meet basic cost of living, charity warns
17/05/2022 The £20 per week cut to Universal Credit (UC) means that the benefit is failing to meet the basic cost of living, a children’s charity has warned. |
Chancellor urged to use £20bn windfall to support struggling households
11/05/2022 The Chancellor should use some of the reported £20bn fiscal windfall to provide emergency support to squeezed households, report says. |
Benefit cuts force record 2.1 million households to rely on food banks
27/04/2022 The reduction in Universal Credits payments and the cost of living crisis have forced millions of people to rely on food bank parcels, Trussell Trust warns. |
Around 900,000 benefit claimants face UC cuts
26/04/2022 An estimated 900,000 benefit claimants will see a cut to their payments as the move to the Universal Credit (UC) scheme is resumed. |
Cost of living crisis risks leaving levelling up ‘dead on arrival’
07/04/2022 The Government’s levelling up agenda could be undermined by a deepening North-South divide exacerbated by the cost of living crisis, a think tank has warned. |
Universal Credit cut forced 400,000 children into poverty
01/04/2022 Around 400,000 children were pulled out of poverty when UC was increased £20 per week, but these children were pushed back into poverty when UC was cut. |
Landlords call for ‘absurd’ housing benefit freeze to be lifted
01/04/2022 Landlords have called on the Government to unfreeze the Local Housing Allowance to cover the average rent. |
Spring statement: Sunak to tackle cost of living pressures
23/03/2022 Chancellor Rishi Sunak is expected to tackle increasing pressure on household budgets when he makes his Spring Statement today. |
Two in five Brits claiming Universal Credit forced into debt
17/03/2022 The Chancellor is being urged to bring benefit levels in line with rate of inflation as hundreds of thousands of families struggle to cope with cost of living. |
Trade unions call for £200 fuel loan to be a grant
07/03/2022 Trade unions have called on the Government to protect working families against further energy price rises as a result of the Ukraine crisis. |
Getting to grips with HBAAI
22/02/2022 Steven Rybaruk explains how intelligent case selection can lighten the load for councils. |
Homelessness levels could rise by a third by 2024, research warns
22/02/2022 The number of homeless people in England could increase by a third by 2024, new research has warned today. |
Universal Credit would be better delivery vehicle for energy bills support
17/02/2022 Universal Credit has the data on those likely to need support with energy bills and would be a more effective way to target the £150 council tax rebate, says Deven Ghelani. |
Workers on universal credit face ‘perfect storm’, TUC warns
07/02/2022 Low-income workers face a ‘perfect storm’ this April with universal credit (UC) falling behind the cost of living as energy bills and taxes rise, TUC say. |
Benefit reforms could lead to 'poorer health' campaigners warn
27/01/2022 Plans to reform Universal Credit to move half a million people into jobs by the end of June could lead to poorer health, a charity has warned. |
Calls for urgent reform of UK’s welfare system
24/01/2022 The UK’s social security system is failing to protect low-income families from extreme hardship and urgently needs reforming, researchers have warned. |
Millions of people facing financial crisis this winter, charity warns
26/11/2021 A charity has called for urgent action after finding more than three million families are facing financial crisis this winter. |
IFS reveals scope of Universal Credit
08/11/2021 Budget changes to Universal Credit mean families with well above-average earnings and even paying 40% rates of tax could be entitled to the benefit, according to an Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) report. |
Families with children to lose £20 a week over winter
27/09/2021 A typical low-income family with children could see their income fall by over £20 a week over the next six months, a think tank has warned. |
Kerslake: Government must act now on rough sleeping
23/09/2021 Strides made to end homelessness during the pandemic could be lost if the Government does not act now, a major new report on rough sleeping has concluded. |
Think tank calls for 'fairer' welfare system
20/09/2021 The welfare system should reintroduce a clear link between contribution and reward, according to the results of a three-year research programme. |
Report warns UC uplift is 'lifeline' for vulnerable young people
15/09/2021 Vulnerable young people leaving supported housing will be disproportionately affected by the cut to Universal Credit, a new report has warned. |
One in ten care workers 'trapped' on Universal Credit
13/09/2021 One in ten care workers are in receipt of in-work benefits, analysis by GMB has revealed. |
COVID welfare claimants seen as more deserving than pre-pandemic claimants
02/09/2021 New research has revealed that COVID-19 benefit claimants are seen as much more deserving of welfare support than pre-pandemic claimants. |
Devolved governments express ‘grave concerns’ over welfare cuts
31/08/2021 The devolved governments have written to the UK Government expressing ‘grave concerns’ regarding plans to withdraw a £20-per-week increase to UC. |
Universal Credit cuts to force two million people into debt
26/08/2021 Government plans to cut Universal Credit this October could push 2.3 million people into the red, Citizens Advice warns. |
Keep up COVID funding to end homelessness, says Kerslake
27/07/2021 Ending homelessness is possible, but the Government needs to keep up funding or face a post-pandemic surge, an independent commission concluded. |
Study warns private landlords are reducing their housing benefit lettings
24/06/2021 The number of private landlords willing to let to housing benefit tenants is falling due to the way Universal Credit is administered, a study has warned today. |
Report finds 200,000 people ineligible for UC due to partner’s earnings
18/05/2021 Hundreds of thousands of people are ineligible for benefits despite facing financial insecurity due to the coronavirus pandemic, study reveals. |
Confusion and stigma stopped half a million people claiming UC during pandemic
20/04/2021 Around half a million people failed to claim for Universal Credit during the start of the pandemic despite being eligible for the benefit, new research has found. |
UC claimants given access to longer work-related training
01/04/2021 An initiative aimed at increasing access to training for UC claimants will see an extension to the time people can receive UC during work-focused study. |
Budget 2021: Sunak warns of pain to come
03/03/2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak has unveiled a budget to protect ‘livelihood and jobs’ – with a warning of public finance pain to come. |
Budget 2021: Universal credit boost extended for six months
03/03/2021 The £20 uplift to Universal Credit has been extended for a further six months, the chancellor has confirmed in his Budget today. |
BUDGET 2021: Sunak's lifeline for workers and business
03/03/2021 Rishi Sunak’s Budget is expected to provide a lifeline for workers as the furlough scheme is extended to September while the universal credit £20 uplift could also be prolonged for six months. |
Household food insecurity at 'crisis' levels warns report
02/03/2021 The Government must make food insecurity a priority and move away from short-term emergency measures, a new report has urged today. |
MPs calls for year-long extension of Universal Credit uplift
09/02/2021 Mps have urged the chancellor to extend the £20 weekly increase for Universal Credit for at least a year to stop hundreds of thousands of people falling into poverty. |
Charity warns of soaring food bank use if UC uplift ends
04/02/2021 One in five people on Universal Credit are 'very likely' to use a food bank if the £20 weekly uplift is removed, new research has found. |
Universal Credit £20 uplift ‘blunt policy instrument’, says think tank
25/01/2021 A think tank has described the £20 uplift to UC as a poorly targeted ‘blunt policy instrument’ and proposed its replacement with a ‘hardship payment’. |
Council chiefs call for restoration of local welfare funding
13/01/2021 Local authority leaders have called on the Government to restore local welfare funding as a study warns of the impact the pandemic is having on people who were already struggling with poverty. |
Lockdown piles extra financial pressures on low income families
12/01/2021 The extra cost of food, energy, and entertaining and home-schooling children has meant that low-income families with children are twice as likely to have increased their spending during the pandemic, according to a new study. |
One million households face UC debt deductions
07/01/2021 More than one million households who were forced to claim universal credit (UC) when coronavirus struck are having debt deductions taken from their benefit payments, according to a child poverty charity. |
Councils urged to back £20 Universal Credit uplift
10/12/2020 Councils have been urged to lobby the Government to make the £20 uplift in Universal Credit permanent by trade union Unite. |
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Study highlights ‘appalling’ rise in destitution in the UK
09/12/2020 The number of people experiencing destitution in the UK has increased by 54% in two years, a new study has found. |
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Faith leaders call for ‘cross-party strategy’ for tackling child poverty
02/11/2020 Faith leaders praise footballer Marcus Rashford’s campaign to extend free school meals and urge the Prime Minister to establish a cross-party commission with the mandate and resources to tackle child poverty in England. |
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MPs call for ‘starter payment’ to support new UC claimants
19/10/2020 A starter payment should be made to people claiming Universal Credit (UC) for the first time to ensure that they have enough money for the basics, MPs say. |
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Universal Credit does not cover ‘basic day to day living costs’, campaigners say
13/10/2020 Four in five people claiming Universal Credit do not have enough money to cover rent, food and bills, shocking new research reveals. |
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Automated benefit system 'pushing people into poverty'
30/09/2020 The UK’s automated benefits systems is threatening the rights of people most at risk of poverty, campaigners have warned. |
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Thousands of families face ‘bleakest’ winter, charity warns
14/09/2020 A new report from a children’s charity has warned of a ‘bleak’ winter with thousands of families set to be plunged into financial crisis. |
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A third more families with children now claiming universal credit
12/08/2020 Over 400,000 more families with children started claiming universal credit since the start of the pandemic, a charity has said. |
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Lords call for reform of 'failing' Universal Credit system
31/07/2020 A Lords committee has urged the Government to substantially reform Universal Credit to protect the most vulnerable. |
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London boroughs face £23m rent arrears due to Universal Credit
22/07/2020 The rollout of Universal Credit is leading to thousands of council tenants falling behind on rent payments, new research commissioned by London Councils has found. |
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Call to 'supercharge' early years services
17/07/2020 Early years services are failing to target the children that most need support, a report has warned today. |
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Nearly two thirds of families on Universal Credit stuck in debt ‘nightmare’
18/06/2020 Two charities have called on the Government to increase the child element of UC by £20 to help struggling families ‘stay afloat’ during the Covid lockdown. |
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Councils call for tougher action on ruthless loan sharks
08/06/2020 Council leaders are calling for tougher sentences for loan sharks who are pushing vulnerable people further into debt. |
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Politicians calls for universal basic income to jumpstart economy
22/04/2020 The Government has been urged to make Universal Basic Income a crucial part of its coronavirus recovery plan by 110 MPs and Peers. |
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Figures show 400% monthly increase in benefit claims
21/04/2020 New claims for Universal Credit have increased by at least 400% in the past two months, new figures have revealed. |
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Millions of renters expect to lose their job in next three months
16/04/2020 One in five private renters in England expect to lose their job in the next three months due to the coronavirus crisis, new research has revealed. |
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Universal credit 'is key to hardship', says think tank
02/04/2020 Universal credit is the ‘key to many families avoiding real hardship’, the Resolution Foundation think tank has claimed. |
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Nearly 500,000 new Universal Credit claims made in nine days
26/03/2020 A think tank has warned that the UK is in the midst of an unemployment crisis as 477,000 new Universal Credit (UC) claims are made in nine days. |
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Study finds 64,000 UC recipients suffer ‘psychological distress’
02/03/2020 New research has found that tens of thousands of people have experienced ‘psychological distress’ due to the introduction of Universal Credit (UC). |
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Universal Credit causing 'debt and destitution' charity warns
23/01/2020 Universal Credit is driving vulnerable people to use loan sharks, a debt charity has warned today. |
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Universal Credit creating ‘a complex mix of winners and losers’
21/01/2020 The impact Universal Credit is having on different parts of the country is being ‘ignored’ a think tank has warned today. |
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Benefits payments at lowest level since 1948, says think tank
19/11/2019 Social security payments are at their lowest level since the 1948, a new report from a think tank has found. |
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Labour pledges to scrap Universal Credit
30/09/2019 Labour has promised to replace ‘inhumane’ Universal Credit with a new social security system. |
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Universal Credit drives food bank use, charity says
19/09/2019 A report from the main provider of food banks has warned that the roll out of Universal Credit has been a major factor behind the increase in food bank use. |
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Universal Credit driving tenants into rent arrears, study says
23/08/2019 Universal Credit is causing tenants to fall behind in their rent, new research from a group representing landlords has revealed. |
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Poverty result of ‘political decisions’, MPs say
31/07/2019 The poverty and destitution levels in the UK are the result of political decisions made since 2010, MPs have said. |
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Universal Credit should come with ‘health warning’, MPs say
23/07/2019 The Department for Work and Pensions should develop ‘clear and comprehensive guidance’ on when a benefit claimant is to be moved onto Universal Credit, MPs have said. |
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Universal Credit appeals blocked by ‘error and failures’, charity finds
19/07/2019 Universal Credit claimants who suspect the Department for Work and Pensions has made a mistake in their award are too often blocked by ‘error and failures’ in the system, a new study finds. |
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Universal Credit draining council resources
15/07/2019 Universal Credit (UC) is draining resources from councils, a new survey has found. |
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UC payment delays should be no more than a week, MPs say
11/07/2019 Two independent MPs have called for Universal Credit payments to begin within a week of registering for the benefit. |
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Housing association calls for an end to the 5-week wait for UC payments
26/06/2019 Housing association called for an end to the 5-week wait for Universal Credit payments after survey revealed two fifths of claimants forced to use food banks. |
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Whitehall blasted for trying to solve homelessness ‘on a shoestring’
20/06/2019 An assessment of the state of homelessness prevention has criticised Whitehall for trying to solve the homelessness crisis ‘on a shoestring’. |
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Universal credit causing rent arrears, MSPs warn
12/06/2019 The Scottish Parliament has called for immediate action to tackle the problem of rent arrears it says have been caused by the Universal Credit system. |
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London parents 'locked out' of work due to rising childcare costs
06/06/2019 Nearly two in three local authorities in London do not have enough childcare to meet the demand from parents of school-age children, new research has revealed. |
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Welfare reforms put pressure on struggling families, report warns
13/05/2019 A new study looking at the impact of welfare reforms on child vulnerability has found that a quarter of children in low income families are unable to make ends meet. |
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Universal Credit ‘key driver’ behind increase in foodbank use
25/04/2019 The number of food parcels given out across the UK has gone up 73% in five years, according to a major charity. |
