Latest news with #LeighDay
Daily Mirror
22-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mirror
DWP issues new update for benefit claimants owed £1,000s in compensation
The payments are being issued to people who received certain disability benefits such as Employment and Support Allowance, who lost disability premiums after they were moved to Universal Credit The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has issued an update for disability benefit claimants who could be owed thousands of pounds in compensation. The payments are being issued to people who received certain disability benefits such as Employment and Support Allowance, who lost disability premiums after they were moved to Universal Credit before January 2019. As a result, some people lost out on severe disability premium (SDP) and enhanced disability premium (EDP). Law firm Leigh Day challenged this loss of income in court and argued that some people saw their payments drop by up to £180 a month. The DWP agreed to compensate for the loss of income, which Leigh Day estimates could be worth in excess of £5,000 per person. However, the DWP has now confirmed around 13,000 cases are yet to be processed and cleared. In its annual report published earlier this month, it said: "Unfortunately, some underpayments may be owed to customers who no longer have an active ESA claim and restrictions in data make it difficult to identify, assess and correct these errors." The DWP said it expects the remaining cases will be resolved by September. It is estimated that 57,000 people were affected by the issue and the total cost of the repayment exercise is expected to be £452million. Leigh Day secured a settlement for 275 claimants following its High Court challenge and these people were awarded between £200 and £3,000 in a damages. A DWP spokesperson told the Independent: 'We are fully committed to identifying claimants that are owed arrears and providing the financial support to which they are entitled as quickly as possible, with the majority of these cases having already been resolved. "We are clear that errors like this one should not happen and have already taken action to avoid future errors.' In a statement issued earlier this year, Leigh Day solicitor Ryan Bradshaw said: 'I am glad to have settled this claim on behalf of my clients. However, there are thousands of others who have been similarly affected who have not been in a position to bring a claim like this. 'They too will have experienced the loss of £180 a month after they were moved from legacy benefits on to universal credit in the years before January 2019. They too will have suffered unnecessary stress.' It comes as the DWP is finishing moving everyone on legacy benefits to Universal Credit. The benefits being replaced by Universal Credit are: Housing Benefit, Income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Child Tax Credit, Working Tax Credit and Income Support.
Scottish Sun
22-07-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Date when thousands of Universal Credit households will get £1,000s back after DWP claim error
We reveal more details on the move from old-style benefits to Universal Credit below TO YOUR BENEFIT Date when thousands of Universal Credit households will get £1,000s back after DWP claim error THE Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed when thousands will get £1,000s back after a major error. The payments are being issued to people who received certain disability benefits such as Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and were moved to Universal Credit. Advertisement 1 Thousands who moved to Universal Credit are still owed compensation It was found some claimants unfairly lost out on Severe Disability Premiums (SDP) and Enhanced Disability Premiums (EDP) during the transition, resulting in a drop of income. Both premiums offered additional financial support on top of the standard allowance for certain means-tested benefits. Tens of thousands who transferred to Universal Credit and missed out on this protection have now been found to be owed arrears. Around 57,000 people are reportedly thought to be affected by the issue, with the vast majority having now received redress. Advertisement But, the DWP has confirmed around 13,000 cases are yet to be processed and cleared. In its annual report published earlier this month, it said: "Unfortunately, some underpayments may be owed to customers who no longer have an active ESA claim and restrictions in data make it difficult to identify, assess and correct these errors." The department said it was working its way through all the remaining 13,000 cases which should be completed by September. The report added: "We are working to both correct existing errors and to prevent new errors in the new premiums cases." Advertisement The total arrears being paid to the roughly 57,000 claimants who missed out on SDP and EDP is worth £452million. Solicitors Leigh Day, who brought a legal challenge for claimants on disability benefits who didn't receive income protection while moving over to Universal Credit, secured a settle for 275 claimants who list their SDP earlier this year. Stop handing out new cars for FOOD INTOLERANCE says Kemi Badenoch as she demands Labour cut ballooning benefits bill These claimants were awarded between £200 and £3,000 for the loss of income they incurred. We have asked the DWP how the remaining 13,000 people affected by the issue will receive any compensation and will update this story when we have heard back. Advertisement We have also asked how much the approximately 44,000 who have already received compensation got on average. Will I need to move to Universal Credit? The DWP is currently moving everyone from old-style "legacy" benefits onto Universal Credit, through a process known as managed migration. Universal Credit was set up to replace these benefits and the scheme kicked off in November 2022 after a successful pilot in July 2019. As part of the process, households on legacy benefits are sent "migration notices" in the post which tell them how to make the move to Universal Credit as it's not automatic. Advertisement Households must apply for Universal Credit within three months of receiving their managed migration letter. Failing to do this can result in benefits being stopped. Tax credits, income-based jobseeker's allowance, income support and housing benefit (for those under the state pension age) were permanently discontinued in April. The remaining households, currently claiming income-related employment and support allowance (ESA), will be asked to move to Universal Credit by December 2025. Advertisement Can I get help claiming Universal Credit? As well as benefit calculators, anyone moving from legacy benefit to Universal Credit can find help in a number of ways. You can visit your local Jobcentre by searching at There's also a free service called Help to Claim from Citizen's Advice: England: 0800 144 8 444 Scotland: 0800 023 2581 Wales: 08000 241 220 You can also get help online from advisers by visiting, Advertisement Will I be better off on Universal Credit? ANALYSIS by James Flanders, The Sun's Chief Consumer Reporter: Around 1.4million people on legacy benefits will be better off after switching to Universal Credit, according to the government. A further 300,000 would see no change in payments, while around 900,000 would be worse off under Universal Credit. Of these, around 600,000 can get top-up payments (transitional protection) if they move under the managed migration process, so they don't lose out on cash immediately. The majority of those - around 400,000 - are claiming employment support allowance (ESA). Those who move voluntarily and are worse off won't get these top-up payments and could lose cash. Those who miss the managed migration deadline and later make a claim may not get transitional protection. The clock starts ticking on the three-month countdown from the date of the first letter, and reminders are sent via post and text message. There is a one-month grace period after this, during which any claim to Universal Credit is backdated, and transitional protection can still be awarded. Examples of those who may be entitled to less on Universal Credit include: Households getting ESA and the severe disability premium and enhanced disability premium Households with the lower disabled child addition on legacy benefits Self-employed households who are subject to the Minimum Income Floor after the 12-month grace period has ended Either way, if these households don't switch in the future, they risk missing out on any future benefit increase and seeing payments frozen. Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@ Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories
Roya News
20-07-2025
- Health
- Roya News
UK faces legal action for refusing medical evacuation of critically ill children from Gaza
The United Kingdom government is facing intensified scrutiny and a significant legal challenge for its decision not to facilitate the medical evacuation of critically ill children from Gaza. Lawyers and human rights advocates contend that this stance sharply contrasts with Britain's historical humanitarian efforts in other global conflicts, prompting widespread calls for a dedicated pathway for child patients. The legal action, spearheaded by law firm Leigh Day on behalf of three severely unwell children in Gaza, has been formally brought against both the Foreign Office and the Home Office. The challenge asserts that government ministers have failed to adequately assess the dire lack of medical resources and treatment options within the besieged territory when denying requests for vital medical transfers. Carolin Ott, a lawyer with Leigh Day, underscored the inadequacy of the government's current position. "The UK government has explained its failure to facilitate medical evacuations from Gaza on the basis that it supports treatment options in Gaza and the surrounding region and that there are visas available for privately funded medical treatment in the UK," Ott stated. "However, these mechanisms are profoundly inadequate to meet the urgent needs of children in Gaza." The three children at the heart of the legal case include a two-year-old, identified as Child Y, who suffers from an arteriovenous malformation in his cheek, causing daily bleeding and leaving him in critical condition. The other two, siblings aged five and known as Child S, are battling cystinosis nephropathy, a chronic kidney condition that has already led to kidney failure, with one sibling reportedly no longer able to walk. All three require urgent, specialized medical attention unavailable in Gaza. The legal challenge draws pointed comparisons to the UK's past actions, noting the active role Britain played in evacuating children from conflict zones such as the Bosnian War in the 1990s and, more recently, from Ukraine. Critics argue that the government's current approach to Gaza represents a troubling departure from these precedents. Despite ongoing appeals from humanitarian organizations, including Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and Project Pure Hope, for the establishment of a government-funded medical evacuation route, the UK has not yet offered itself as a receiving state for such patients. While Project Pure Hope successfully brought two Gazan children to the UK for urgent, privately funded care in May, this remains a solitary instance. The charity's subsequent request for a government-funded pathway was reportedly declined. Recent developments have seen the Scottish First Minister, John Swinney, publicly urge Prime Minister Keir Starmer to engage with Scotland on the issue. Swinney stated that Scotland "stands ready" to receive some of the estimated 2,000 injured children from Gaza who require urgent medical attention and treatment within the NHS. However, Swinney claims to have received no response from the Prime Minister on this offer, highlighting a growing disconnect within the UK's political landscape regarding the crisis. According to health officials in Gaza, more than 17,000 children have been killed since October 7, 2023, out of a total of 58,000 Palestinian fatalities. The World Health Organization estimates that as many as 12,500 patients in Gaza require evacuation for medical treatment, with only around 7,200, including nearly 5,000 children, having been moved to other countries as of April 10. The legal pre-action letter requires a formal response from the UK government by July 28. As of Saturday, July 20, 2025, neither the Foreign Office nor the Home Office has publicly commented on the legal proceedings, but a government spokesperson reiterated their ongoing humanitarian contributions, including a £7.5 million medical support package announced in May, and their support for privately funded initiatives like Project Pure Hope.
The Guardian
19-07-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
UK government faces legal action over not evacuating critically ill children from Gaza
The UK government is facing a legal challenge over its decision not to medically evacuate critically ill children from Gaza in the way they have done for young people caught up in other conflicts. The legal action, being taken against the Foreign Office and Home Office on behalf of three critically ill children in Gaza, argues that UK ministers have failed to take into account the lack of treatment options for children in the territory before denying medical evacuations. It also says the position not to medically evacuate children from Gaza stands in stark contrast to Britain's historical record in such circumstances, which has evacuated children during the conflict in Bosnia and, most recently, Ukraine. 'The UK government has explained its failure to facilitate medical evacuations from Gaza on the basis that it supports treatment options in Gaza and the surrounding region and that there are visas available for privately funded medical treatment in the UK. However, these mechanisms are profoundly inadequate to meet the urgent needs of children in Gaza,' said Carolin Ott from the law firm Leigh Day, who is leading the action. The families of the three children, aged two and five, have said an urgent evacuation is needed for critical medication and treatment they are unable to access in Gaza. To date, the UK has yet to offer itself as a receiving state for medical evacuations from Gaza, and campaigners have been pushing for a separate immigration route. The two-year-old, referred to as Child Y, has an arteriovenous malformation in his cheek which causes daily bleeding and has left him in critical condition. The other children, two siblings referred to as Child S, have been diagnosed with cystinosis nephropathy, a chronic condition also known as leaky kidney. They have already developed kidney failure and may need transplants. One of the siblings is no longer able to move. The action comes as Israel's war on Gaza passed 650 days. Since 7 October, more than 17,000 of the 58,000 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in the territory were children, according to the health ministry in Gaza. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), it is estimated that as many as 12,500 patients in Gaza require medical evacuation. As of 10 April, 7,229 patients have been evacuated to Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, the EU and the US. Of these patients, 4,984 have been children. However, organisations such as Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), which has evacuated 22 patients, have called on more nations to help, as the limited destinations remain a challenge, said Dr Hani Isleem, MSF project coordinator for medical evacuations from Gaza. 'Some countries are reluctant to take in patients, fearing they might be perceived as facilitating 'forced migration' or as taking on the burden of the patients' extended stay,' he said. A government spokesperson said that since the start of the conflict the UK has provided healthcare to over 500,000 people in the Palestinian territories through supporting field hospitals and medical supplies. In May, the UK announced a £7.5m package of support for medical care in Gaza and the region. 'We have helped several children with complex paediatric conditions access privately funded medical care in the UK, supporting an initiative by Project Pure Hope, the spokesperson said. In May, two children arrived in the UK for medical care with the assistance of Project Pure Hope. It was the first time the UK let in a child from Gaza for medical care, which was privately funded, and is the only existing route for those in need of critical care. According to legal documents, the charity had requested a Gaza-UK pathway at the government's expense and was refused. 'We have been clear the situation in Gaza is intolerable and that there must be an immediate ceasefire. We urge Israel to let vital humanitarian aid in and allow Gazans to receive urgent healthcare, including allowing the sick and wounded to temporarily leave the Gaza Strip to receive treatment,' the government spokesperson said. The government has until 28 July to respond to the pre-action letter.
Bloomberg
18-07-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Into The Breach: The UK's Secret Data Leak
The dramatic revelation of a massive and expensive data breach has blindsided Westminster. It's the first time that a superinjunction, which stops media reporting, has been used by the government. We talk to Sean Humber, from law firm Leigh Day, who specialises in privacy breach compensation claims and is organising a class action in the case. We ask if the government is getting worse at handling data, and how much it might eventually cost. Hosted by Caroline Hepker and Yuan Potts.
