Social Welfare Updates

Our social welfare pages provide bite-sized updates on recent case-law and policy, written by Garden Court barristers specialising in adult social care, children’s services, Court of Protection (health and welfare), housing and homelessness, and welfare benefits.

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Latest Updates

Administrative and Public Law, Community Care Law | Monday 12 October 2026

The Socio-Economic Duty and Educational Inequality

Following his session at the Socio-Economic Rights Conference with Curtis James of Class Divide, Dan Rosenberg of Gold Jennings, and Stephanie Harrison KC of Garden Court Chambers, Ollie Persey writes on how a new duty could tackle the inequalities in & produced by our education system.

Ollie Persey

Housing Law, Community Care Law, Administrative and Public Law | Friday 9 October 2026

Accommodation rights and the socio-economic duty: avoiding destitution and ensuring dignity

Georgie Rea considers how a socio-economic duty could help prevent people falling through the gaps between different statutory schemes, covering homelessness, asylum support, and community care.

Georgie Rea

Administrative and Public Law, Community Care Law, Housing Law | Friday 9 October 2026

Disabled man forced to drag himself to toilet in unsuitable accommodation wins £20,000 settlement

Angharad Monk and Isaac Ricca Richardson of Garden Court Community Care & Public Law Teams acted for CPH, instructed by Emma Pein of Bindmans LLP.

Angharad MonkIsaac Ricca-Richardson

Community Care Law, Administrative and Public Law | Monday 21 September 2026

Landmark Court of Appeal ruling on assessment of capacity by local authorities

Gráinne Mellon and Isaac Ricca-Richardson of the Garden Court Community Care Team acted for the Appellant, TDB.

Gráinne MellonIsaac Ricca-Richardson

Community Care Law, Children’s Rights | Thursday 6 August 2026

High Court confirms councils cannot avoid care-leaver duties by “mislabelling” s.20 accommodation as s.17 assistance

The claimant was represented by Gráinne Mellon and Georgie Rea, instructed by Deighton Pierce Glynn.  

Gráinne MellonGeorgie Rea

Administrative and Public Law, Immigration Detention, Asylum and Deportation, Immigration Law | Friday 22 May 2026

Supreme Court refuses permission to appeal judgment on vital protections for asylum seekers

Alex Grigg of the Garden Court Immigration, Public Law and Community Care teams acted for MAH, instructed by Bahar Ata, Katie Nelson and Ana Isabel Hart of Duncan Lewis Solicitors.

Alex Grigg

Community Care Law, Welfare Benefits Law | Monday 8 December 2025

Successful defence of Universal Credit Transitional Protection

Blog post by Georgie Rea of the Garden Court Community Care Law Team.

Georgie Rea

Community Care Law | Tuesday 29 July 2025

Tim Baldwin explores decline in community care legal aid lawyers with Legal Action Group and Access Social Care

Tim Baldwin of the Garden Court Chambers Housing Law Team has co-written an article for Legal Action Group, with Karen Ashton of Central England Law Centre, Louise Eardley of Gold Jennings, and Caroline Miles and Laura Peters of Access Social Care.

Tim Baldwin

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