Law Centre Ni

Law Centre NI has successfully overturned an HMRC decision on the allocation of child benefit in a case involving parents with 50/50 joint custody. The law centre took judicial review proceedings to challenge a decision by HMRC to withdraw child benefit from its client, who was in minimum wage emplo

Law Centre NI is in the High Court today to challenge HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) on how it applies the rules on which a parent is awarded child benefit. Law Centre NI has brought the judicial review proceedings on behalf of a mother whose payment of child benefit was stopped by HMRC and instead t

Law Centre NI has announced plans to take part in the Belfast Pride parade for the first time, using this year's event to show its support for refugees and asylum seekers. During Pride Week, the law centre will highlight the struggles faced by LGBTQIA+ refugee and asylum seekers, who have often been

A finding that the so-called "six-month rule" for terminally ill people accessing certain benefits is unlawful has been overturned by the Court of Appeal. The High Court ruled last summer that the requirement for terminally ill claimants to demonstrate that their death can reasonably be expected wit

Law Centre NI has been recognised for its work in ensuring access to justice for all with an award at the UK-wide Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year Awards (LALYs). The Law Centre won the Regional Legal Aim Firm/Not-for-Profit Agency category. It was nominated alongside the Family Law Company in Exeter an

The High Court in Northern Ireland has awarded a woman £5,000 for the "upset, distress, annoyance, inconvenience, worry and humiliation" caused as a result of unlawful discrimination. Lorraine Cox was diagnosed with the terminal illness of motor neurone disease and the Law Centre NI brought a

New employment supports set to be introduced by the UK government following the end of the furlough scheme are not sufficient to avoid mass redundancies and significant hardship, Law Centre NI has said. The new Job Support Scheme will run for six months from 1 November 2020, but will only support so

Law Centre NI has successfully challenged the decision to withhold bereavement support payment to the family of a woman who was severely disabled due to a progressive degenerative condition. Throughout her working life, Pauline O'Donnell had been unable to work due to severe congenital disabilities

A terminally ill woman who was denied fast-track access to certain benefits has succeeded in a High Court challenge to the definition of "terminal illness" in Northern Ireland. In a decision handed down yesterday, Mr Justice Gerry McAlinden said the requirement for terminally ill claimants to demons

Law Centre NI has translated its resources for employees and self-employed workers affected by the coronavirus pandemic into nine languages. The FAQs on support for employees and self-employed people during the COVID-19 outbreak have been translated into Arabic, Chinese, Hungarian, Latvian, Lithuani

The Court of Appeal in Belfast will tomorrow consider whether the Department for Communities breached human rights law by refusing bereavement payments to a man after his severely disabled wife died in July 2017. Michael O'Donnell, who is being represented by Law Centre NI, was refused the benefit o

Lawyers have experienced an increase in queries from employees who have been asked to return to work despite no change in public health guidance in Northern Ireland. Law Centre NI said recent statements by Prime Minister Boris Johnson had led to confusion in Northern Ireland, where advice for worker

People with social security debt should be told about the discretionary waiver which allows it to be written off, the Law Centre NI has said. There has been 3,546 cases of overpayment of Universal Credit since its 2017 roll-out but the discretionary waiver has only been used three times, according t

Law Centre NI has moved to new premises in Belfast with effect from today. The charity offers free independent legal advice and assistance in the areas of employment, social security, health & social care and immigration & asylum.