Information about social security and related subjects

The most detailed information on legislation and caselaw about social security is available on CD ROM. Ferret's has been going since early 1999. It contains all the Social Security and Child Support Acts and regulations, the Adjudication Officers Guide, Neligan's Guide, all the reported Commissioners decisions since 1977 and the starred decisions since 1990, the Disability Rights Handbook and Paul Stagg's book on overpayments. It is updated several times a year and has the promise of further extending the contents. CPAG's includes the text of their Welfare Rights and Child Support handbooks, the the law on Housing Benefit, Social Security legislation and 1500 Commissioners Decisions.

RightsNet LASA's website is a good place to keep up to date with developments in the law. There are more useful links to current debates on the Welfare Reform page.

The Decision Maker's Guide is a good place to start if you want to understand how the benefit rules are applied, because the regulations themselves are not available on line in a useable form. Bear in mind that this is the official guidance. Some of it may not exactly reflect the law.

Useful Sites

Citizens First guide to rights in the European Union

Department for Social Development, Northern Ireland. The rules there are slightly different from those on the mainland, and decisions of the NI Commissioner are not binding on this side of the Irish Sea, but they are of persuasive authority. And they have a nice web site.

Department for Work and Pensions Resource Centre.

Disability Alliance

Disability Now

Education Maintenance Allowance

European Court of Human Rights