Social Welfare Updates

Our social welfare pages provide bite-sized updates on recent case-law and policy, written by Garden Court barristers specialising in adult social care, children’s services, Court of Protection (health and welfare), housing and homelessness, and welfare benefits.

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Latest Updates

Garden Court Chambers | Thursday 1 July 2021

Capacity to decide to engage in sexual relations – application for a prospective declaration of incapacity rejected

Blog post by Helen Curtis of the Garden Court Chambers Court of Protection Team. A Local Authority v A Mother and A Father and DY [2021] EWCOP 28 (Knowles J) 10 May 2021

Helen Curtis

Garden Court Chambers | Thursday 1 July 2021

Capacity and best interests: agoraphobia, pregnancy and transfer to hospital

Blog post by Mai-Ling Savage of the Garden Court Chambers Court of Protection Team. A NHS Foundation Trust v An Expectant Mother [2021] EWCOP 33, Holman J, 13 May 2021

Garden Court Chambers | Wednesday 30 June 2021

Napier barracks not ‘adequate’ accommodation for asylum-seekers

Sonali Naik QC and Ali Bandegani of Garden Court Chambers represented interveners JCWI. Blog post by Connor Johnston of the Garden Court Chambers Community Care Team.

Connor JohnstonSonali Naik KCAli Bandegani

Garden Court Chambers | Wednesday 30 June 2021

Change to DWP guidance on recovering hardship payments for sanctioned Universal Credit claimants

Matthew Ahluwalia of the Garden Court Chambers Welfare Benefits Team was one of the counsel in the case. He was instructed by Sarah Clarke and Emma Vincent Miller of Public Law Project.

Matthew Ahluwalia

Garden Court Chambers | Wednesday 30 June 2021

Universal credit policy on deductions for court fines unlawful as it did not contain exception for financial hardship

Blog by Desmond Rutledge of the Garden Court Chambers Welfare Benefits Law Team. R (Blundel & Ors) v Secretary of State for Work and Pensions [2021] EWHC 608 (Admin)

Desmond Rutledge

Garden Court Chambers | Wednesday 30 June 2021

Court of Appeal considers affordability of accommodation in appeal concerning intentional homelessness

Edward Fitzpatrick and Matthew Ahluwalia, both of the Garden Court Chambers Housing Team, acted for the Appellant, instructed by Kevin Long of Hackney Community Law Centre.

Edward FitzpatrickMatthew Ahluwalia

Garden Court Chambers | Tuesday 29 June 2021

High Court orders fresh assessment of 16-year-old’s needs after Discharge Care Programme Approach document under s117 MHA 1983 deemed unlawful

Blog post by Tim Baldwin of the Garden Court Chambers Community Care Team. R. (on the application of AK, by her mother and litigation friend GK) v Islington LBC, North Central London Clinical Commissioning Group [2021] EWHC 301 (Admin)

Tim Baldwin

Garden Court Chambers | Monday 3 May 2021

Social Welfare Update: Security of tenure for person accommodated by local authority under Everyone In

Blog post by Connor Johnston of the Garden Court Housing Team. R (Abudah Ali Ibrahim) v Haringey LBC and Capital Home Services Ltd [2021] EWHC 731 (QB), 30 March 2021

Connor Johnston

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