For anyone that has received a letter claiming that they are under investigation for benefit fraud, it can cause panic, worry and anxiety. This is a topic that is constantly hitting the headlines, but it’s also the case that many errors (both human and accidental) are often made in the benefit system. At Hylton-Potts, we always like to reassure our clients that all is not lost when you receive this letter. Our top priority is making sure that you are kept well informed and that your paperwork is in order if you’re being investigated, which is why it’s important to…
In the wake of Brexit, we at Hylton-Potts have received many emails and phone calls from medical professionals wanting to know where they stand. Of course, as we have written in previous blog posts, we want to reassure all people from the industry that the UK is still very much in need of doctors, nurses and other medical professionals, and never has this been clearer than with the release of the latest report on NHS staff figures. We understand that these are turbulent times, and that many people have doubts about whether they should consider making a career move to…
As experienced family lawyers, we know all too well the stresses and strains that can occur in relationships. Some of them can be worked out over time, but others cannot, and in a recent study conducted by a Harvard University professor, a new area of modern life is apparently to blame for marriage splits. Over the years, we’ve heard every reason under the sun for why marriages have sadly broken down. It’s fair to say that contemporary relationships have done away with a lot of those traditional barriers that once kept women within the home, as they are now free…
Our last post on the current situation with benefit reform left many people staggered. As regular readers may remember, the National Audit Office (NAO) recently released a report which stated that current benefit underpayments are “unacceptably high”. According to the reports that followed, Sir Amyas Morse, the Comptroller and Auditor General for the NAO, claimed that he could not sign off the accounts of the Department for Work and Pensions, as the level of fraud and error was still too high. The NAO also warned about the absence of up-to-date data; for example, disability living allowance accounted for £13.3 billion…
Over the past year, a lot of changes have been made to the legislation surrounding the UK benefits system, as the government aims to reform the processes in place, and simplify the current system by bringing in Universal Credits. We have written blog posts before about how these changes affect you, but today, we’d like to talk you through the recent reports that the government is responsible for incorrect welfare payments, which has resulted in £1.8billion being underpaid to families. We receive dozens of queries each day about benefits claims from people across the UK. Many of those are about…
For any couple or family, divorce is never an easy thing to deal with. Aside from the emotional strain and concerns about the dramatic changes it will make to your life, there’s a lot of financial uncertainty for both parties. We’ve written in previous posts about the kind of things you should consider when entering divorce proceedings, but what exactly are the benefits of having a solicitor? Gary Lineker has made headlines recently after claiming that there is simply none! He has scorned many family legal practitioners, lawyers and solicitors alike by claiming that they are no more than sharks…
Ever since the result of the referendum came through, we’ve had countless concerned phone calls and emails about what Brexit means for the many EU migrants in this country working for the NHS. What does the future hold for anyone wanting to come over and be a part of our healthcare industry? At Hylton Potts, we’re happy to take your queries all day long – as the experts, that’s what we’re here for. However, we thought we’d take some time in today’s blog post to go over a few of the essential facts, and allay any of those immediate worries…
At Hylton-Potts, we’ve come across hundreds of cases where members of the public have wrongly had their tax credits deducted or benefits stopped, due to clerical errors or other considerations which were not their fault. However, a different kind of headline has been making the news recently, and as your go-to reference point and expert on these matters, we thought we’d better bring it to your attention. Hopefully, if you find yourself in these strange circumstances, it will help to reassure you before you pick up the phone to us. As the saying goes, the two things that we can…
Recently, we published a post about the DWP Universal Credit report. While the system is still very much in its infancy, the statistics clearly indicated that changes needed to be made if it were to be rolled out on a national scale. With this in mind, it should come as no surprise to hear that Universal Credits has one again been spotted in the limelight, this time where tenants are concerned. According to a recent study referenced in an article by Inside Housing, tenants on Universal Credit owe, on average, £321.05. By comparison, all tenants in arrears owe a lower…
The decision to divorce can be a painful and distressing one for the whole family. Whether there’s only yourself and your spouse to consider though, or children in the mix as well, it’s completely natural for your thoughts to quickly move on to the family home. Do you sell it? Who lives there? What’s best for everyone concerned? With property prices at an all-time high, the property ladder has never been more counter-productive for a quick sale. Plus, affordability criteria have made it ever more difficult for couples who are planning to buy together, let alone for the newly-divorced who…
