Welcome to the BLOG of our project – POLARIS.
This blog will publish comments, analysis and short papers dealing with social rights protection in national, international and supranational contexts, in order to foster the debate and scientific reflection on the challenges to socio-economic rights in our times.
Contributions from Master Students at the University of Milan are particularly welcome! If you want to contribute, write to antonia.baraggia@unimi.it
Giulia Calini – University of Milan
Introduction
The first applicant is J. D., a woman who has been living with her disabled daughter in a 3 bedroom house since 1993. Her daughter’s condition is very serious and for this reason their home has been designed with all the necessary comforts to help her in daily life.
Following the 2012 governmental regulation the housing benefit of the applicant is reduced by 14% because her house has one more room than needed. Because of the reduction, the applicant’s Housing Benefit no longer meets the cost of her rent. The applicant asked for Discretionary Housing Payments (“DHP”) to meet the difference, which are temporary payments. Her last concession expired on 31 March 2017 and at the time of making her application she was awaiting a response to her most recent claim and had not been offered smaller accommodation adequate for her daughter too.
Continue reading “Housing Benefits and vulnerable people: comment to J.D. and A. v. UK”Yasaman Yousefi – University of Milan
In the case of J.D. and A. v. UK, the European Court of Human Rights touches the scope of discrimination set out in Article 14 of the European Convention on Human Rights. The decision of the court in this case can have significant implications for the way in which cases of discrimination involving social and economic measures are approached in the future.
Continue reading “Gender-based violence and Housing Benefits: the case of the UK “Bedroom Tax”. Comment to J.D. and A. v. United Kingdom”