RCJ Official: Approved Judgment - Co/1643/2018 & Co/1552/2018 - Johnson And Ors V Secretary Of State For Work And Pensions - [2019] EWHC 23 (Admin)

Four working single mothers have won their High Court challenge over the government's universal credit scheme.

Lord Justice Singh and Mr Justice Lewis today ruled that the DWP has been wrongly interpreting the universal credit regulations.  They said in their judgment that treating claimants as having earned twice as much as they do if they happen to receive two pay cheques in one monthly assessment period,  and as having no earnings in the next assessment period is "odd in the extreme" and ".... could be said to lead to nonsensical situations".

They added that the DWP's incorrect interpretation of the regulations had caused "…severe cash flow problems for the claimants living as they do on low incomes with little or no savings".

Jenni Richards QC, together with Stephen Broach of Monckton Chambers and Tom Royston of Garden Court North, represented the claimants, on the instruction of Leigh Day and the Child Poverty Action Group.

Click here to view full judgment.

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