A so-called "yellow card" system of benefit sanctions has been dropped by the Government after research suggested it was not worth the extra time and cost. Ministers have instead said they will consider a written warning system for first time offenders rather than penalising them by docking their benefits. Sanctions…

Ministers have again come under fire over an "unfit" policy on disability benefits - as an MP revealed how identical twins, suffering with the same condition, had been given differing judgments by assessors. The twins, who both had the same genetic condition, went for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessments at…

The Government is being urged by MPs to end the benefits "cliff edge" for carers who also work which can see them lose out if they receive even a small rise in pay. The Commons Work and Pensions Committee said the way the system is operating is contrary to the…

Two severely disabled men have begun a High Court challenge against the Government's controversial Universal Credit benefits scheme, which they say has left them unable to meet many of their basic needs. Their lawyer told a judge in London on Tuesday that a "significant" drop in monthly income was having…

Restrictions on benefit payments to families with more than two children have been relaxed, with a new exemption covering all of those who are adopted or taken in by relatives other than their parents. The move follows a High Court ruling that it was "unlawful" for the exemption to be…

The Home Office is facing fresh anger over the Windrush scandal after "heartbreaking" new cases emerged. Labour MP David Lammy, a prominent figure in exposing the fiasco, reported that his office had received six further cases before midday on Tuesday. In one, a man who arrived as a boy from…

A record number of emergency supplies were handed out by food banks in the past year, research has revealed. The Trussell Trust said its network distributed more than 1.3 million three-day food supplies in the year to March, a 13% increase on the previous 12 months. Almost half a million…

MPs and campaigners have urged the Government to go further in reforming benefits for disabled people after ministers published their response to a major review. The Department for Work and Pensions has pledged to make recording assessments for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) a standard part of the process. This is…

Families have lost a High Court challenge against the Government's two-child rule for payment of tax credits and universal credit. A judge in London ruled on Friday that the policy was "compatible" with human rights laws. But campaigners welcomed Mr Justice Ouseley's declaration that a provision in regulations relating to…

More than one in three working parents cannot afford to have regular meals, showing the "desperate choices" low paid families have to make, according to a new study. Research by the Living Wage Foundation showed that parents on low incomes regularly skip meals. A survey of 1,000 adults found that…

Ministers spent £5 million preparing a policy that affected 90 people in its first three months before it was scrapped, according to new figures. Last month Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey announced a U-turn on the policy to remove automatic entitlement to housing benefit for 18 to 21-year-olds, which…

The Government's rape clause is a disgrace, the SNP's Westminster leader has said as he sought to put Theresa May on the spot over claims made by her Work and Pensions Secretary that the clause could help support rape victims. Esther McVey was previously heckled as she spoke on the…