Hundreds of thousands of people who receive Legacy Benefits will be affected by a new High Court ruling, following a judicial review challenge brought by Helen Timson, a disabled former police officer.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Third Party Deductions Scheme gives third parties, such as private electric, gas and water companies, the ability to apply to the DWP for a proportion of a person’s benefits to be paid direct to them, to repay debt that they say is owed, and to meet ongoing usage costs.
Following the legal challenge, the way that the DWP operates the scheme – and in particular the way that the written guidance is drafted – will need to be significantly altered, specifically by making it clear to DWP decision-makers that benefit claimants should be given the opportunity to make representations and/or provide relevant information prior to the decision to make the deduction being taken.
Read more about the successful legal challenge at Disability Rights UK’s website
