Calendar Benefits News

Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith has said that housing benefit changes that have been introduced today are about "fairness".

In response to criticisms of the so-called 'bedroom tax', he said: "The reality is this is about getting our housing benefit back into order".

"This is about fairness. It's about fairness to those who pay vast sums of money in taxation to see that people living in subsidised accommodation who often don't use the bedrooms they've got, while others in overcrowded accommodation.... they can't get the accommodation they need.

"This is a nonsense problem that was created by the last government who didn't build enough housing and didn't manage the housing stock properly".

Read: What is the 'bedroom tax'

• Politics
• Conservatives
• George Osborne

New rules on housing benefit come into effect today as the Government begins the biggest shake-up in the history of the welfare system.

Daybreak's Sue Jameson reports:

• Politics
• Conservatives
• George Osborne

A former RAF police dog handler from Lincoln, who suffers from heart failure, has won an appeal to have his benefits reinstated, after wrongly being declared fit to work.

Alex Smith challenged the Department for Work and Pensions following a medical, and is highlighting his case to warn others. Kate Hemingway reports.

• UK
• Lincoln
• Alex Smith

The Department for Work and Pensions says it reinstated the benefits of former RAF worker Alex Smith, who has heart failure, because of new evidence which wasn't available at the time of a medical assessment.

"Only a small proportion of decisions are overturned on appeal. If a decision is overturned it does not necessarily mean that the original decision was wrong - claimants sometimes produce new evidence in their appeal which wasn't available at the time."

• UK
• Lincoln
• benefits

There've been protests across the region today over planned cuts to disability benefits.

Campaigners say a private firm which is sponsoring the Paralympic Games is also employed by the government to assess the sick and disabled - and is unfairly deciding some claimants are fit to work.

• UK
• disability
• benefits

East Riding residents whose working tax credits end in April are advised that they may now be entitled to housing and/or council tax benefit.

East Riding of Yorkshire Council is offering benefit and money advice service. They authority says it has helped thousands of residents to claim the benefits to which they are entitled. In 2010/11 residents who had used the service claimed -

• £150,500 in housing benefit
• £120,500 in council tax benefit

• UK
• benefits
• East Riding

A man from Huddersfield who lived with the body of his dead father for FIVE months and continued to claim his Dad's benefits, has been jailed today.

Christopher Blackburn was sentenced to 3 years in jail at Preston Crown Court. Chris Kiddey reports for ITV's Calendar News.

• UK
• Preston
• Christopher Balckburn