Good morning. Welcome back to Survival Guide. 

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is back at it with taking vulnerable people to court. This time, they’re up against widower Daniel Jwanczuk, who was denied bereavement support payments. 

Two courts and four judges have so far ruled in Daniel’s favour, deciding that the DWP is breaching his human rights by denying him the benefit. But the department keeps appealing and has recently taken Daniel to the Supreme Court – all for the sake of trying to keep hold of £4,300.

And let’s not forget the DWP is also spending money to take Daniel to court… We won’t be able to find out the exact figure until after the court case is over but I would imagine it is a whole lot more in staff costs than a few thousand pounds (for context, we know the department is spending tens of millions taking disability benefits claimants to court every year).

We have more on Daniel’s story in the newsletter. Also this week, London’s only homelessness drop-in service for young people has had to shut its doors to new clients due to “unprecedented” demand for its services.  

If you’ve got a story to share, we want to listen. Get in touch at isabella.mcrae@bigissue.com or share your story here.

Daniel's wife died. Then the court battle with the DWP began

Daniel Jwanczuk took the DWP to court in 2022, two years after his wife Suzzi died. 

At the heart of the dispute is £4,300. He had been denied bereavement support payments on the grounds that Suzzi had not worked and therefore not met the national insurance threshold which would have qualified Daniel for the benefit. The denial sparked the widower’s David-and-Goliath fight against the government.

He sat through discussions of his late wife’s lifelong disabilities. At the end, a High Court judge ruled in his favour – finding that the denial of the benefit had breached Daniel’s human rights. It looked like victory.

Then, in 2023, the DWP appealed the High Court’s decision. This time, there were three judges in the Court of Appeal. He won, all three judges agreeing with him and dismissing the government’s appeal.

This March, Daniel found himself in the Supreme Court. The DWP had appealed again, not accepting the loss. Now he must wait months to discover if, finally, he will emerge from a struggle which has dominated the past half-decade of his life.

Why is the DWP fighting so hard to win back £4,300?

Read the full story here.

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London homelessness centre forced to turn young people away due to 'unprecedented demand'

London’s only day centre for young people facing homelessness has had to close its services for new clients as a result of “impossibly high numbers” needing help.

New Horizon Youth Centre has supported young people aged 18 to 24 who are unsafe or homeless in the capital for more than 60 years, providing “vital” drop-in help to those with nowhere else to turn.

It helps thousands of young Londoners every year, supporting them to secure long or short term accommodation, providing them with life skills and helping them access health support.

But with the charity facing “unprecedented” demand, it will now have to turn young people away.

Read the full story and find out how to help and get help here.