DWP acts to avoid claimant payouts

Iain Duncan Smith's Department for Work and Pensions is considering legislation to protect it from potentially expensive legal action by welfare claimants who had money docked for refusing work placements, it has emerged.

The move follows a court ruling last month that schemes requiring claimants to do unpaid work experience or lose benefits were unlawful, because of the way the regulations were framed.%VIRTUAL-SkimlinksPromo%