[2025] UKUT 001 (AAC)

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is the Appellant in the present Upper Tribunal appeal proceedings and the claimant is now the Respondent. Their roles were obviously reversed before the FTT. To avoid any potential for confusion, I refer to the parties in this decision as the Secretary of State and the claimant respectively.

I held a first oral hearing of the appeal on 13 February 2024. The Secretary of State was represented by Mr Jack Anderson of Counsel, instructed by the Government Legal Department (GLD), while the claimant was represented by Mr Martin Williams of the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG). I then directed additional written submissions, resulting in a further oral hearing on 17 October 2024. Mr Anderson appeared again for the Secretary of State while on this occasion Mr Tom Royston of Counsel represented the claimant. I am grateful to all concerned for their helpful written and oral submissions.