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Tom Royston

@tomroyston.bsky.social

320 followers 210 following 37 posts

Social security law and its neighbours. Barrister at Garden Court North Chambers https://gcnchambers.co.uk/barrister/tom-royston/

gcnchambers.co.uk

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Garden Court North Chambers @gcnchambers.bsky.social · 14d

In the Upper Tribunal next week, GCN's @tomroyston.bsky.social is representing ex-England football captain David Watson in his legal fight for Alzheimer's and CTE to be recognised as industrial diseases.

www.leighday.co.uk/news/news/20...

Ex-England captain's legal fight for toll on his health

Former England football captain David Watson is fighting to have his neurological condition recognised as the result of head injuries during his career.

www.leighday.co.uk

Reposted by Tom Royston

Garden Court North Chambers @gcnchambers.bsky.social · 19d

Garden Court North's @tomroyston.bsky.social represented the two women, who earlier today won their High Court judicial review against Trafford Council's unlawful and discriminatory tax reduction scheme, which left them and many other residents with massive bills.

gcnchambers.co.uk/trafford-cou...

Trafford Council’s tax reduction scheme quashed following High Court legal challenge - Garden Court North Chambers

Two women have today won their judicial review against Trafford Council's unlawful tax reduction scheme in the High Court.

gcnchambers.co.uk

Tom Royston @tomroyston.bsky.social · 19d

The two claimants LL and AU have done a service to many others in their position by persisting in hard fought litigation - and great job in a complex case by all team at @leigh-day.bsky.social

Tom Royston @tomroyston.bsky.social · 19d

(This also appears to be first case from a senior court holding s.19A EA 2010 breached.)

Tom Royston @tomroyston.bsky.social · 19d

Trafford will have to revisit all 2025 council tax reduction decisions. Other councils will need to consider how they approach scheme creation. All public authorities will need to consider the lessons on the pitfalls of introducing automated decision making

Tom Royston @tomroyston.bsky.social · 19d

Scheme was attempting to facilitate more automatic decision making, but effect was council didn’t understand sufficiently how it worked, and may have let 'tail wag dog' – fitting scheme to computer rather than other way round.

Tom Royston @tomroyston.bsky.social · 19d

- Ultra vires because the full council didn’t vote on it – scheme adoption unlawfully delegated

- Irrational and discriminatory because its rules double-counted some income, particularly disability related income

- Breached PSED because council didn’t understand or evaluate disability impact

Tom Royston @tomroyston.bsky.social · 19d

The decision is R (LL and AU) v Trafford Council [2025] EWHC 2380 (Admin) (19 September 2025). Read it here: files.gcnchambers.co.uk/wp-content/u...

files.gcnchambers.co.uk

Tom Royston @tomroyston.bsky.social · 19d

Really important High Court decision today, quashing a local authority’s council tax reduction scheme. The judgment contains many lessons about these schemes. Trafford's scheme was ultra vires, irrational, and unlawfully discriminatory, and breached the PSED @rightsnet.org.uk @nawra.bsky.social

Judgment header of R (LL and AU) v Trafford Council [2025] EWHC 2380 (Admin) (19 September 2025)

Tom Royston @tomroyston.bsky.social · 19d

I once worked in a CAB which had a bath upstairs. But we escaped tough questions from the media about it.

Tom Royston @tomroyston.bsky.social · 22d

The Court of Appeal gave permission to appeal in this case on 15 September 2025. Full hearing probably later this year/early next.

Tom Royston @tomroyston.bsky.social · Jul 18

High Court today dismisses judicial review challenge to operation of the 'rape clause' in the two child limit. Exempting non-consensually conceived children if they are born third or later, but not if they are born first or second, is lawful. Claimants seeking permission to appeal.

Tom Royston @tomroyston.bsky.social · Sep 3

For the latest news and ideas from the front line in social welfare law, Garden Court North Chambers is now on Bluesky @gcnchambers.bsky.social - follow now, while stocks last!

Tom Royston @tomroyston.bsky.social · Aug 12

Nov 2025: www.doughtystreet.co.uk/news/united-...

United Nations Special Rapporteur granted permission to intervene in Palestine Action judicial review against terrorism proscription decision

Professor Ben Saul’s mandate as the UN Special Rapporteur on Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights has been granted permission to intervene in the case of R (Ammori) v Secretary of State for Home

www.doughtystreet.co.uk

Tom Royston @tomroyston.bsky.social · Jul 18

@cpaguk.bsky.social @rightsnet.org.uk @nawra.bsky.social

Tom Royston @tomroyston.bsky.social · Jul 18

Judgment here: www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/u...

www.judiciary.uk

Tom Royston @tomroyston.bsky.social · Jul 18

High Court today dismisses judicial review challenge to operation of the 'rape clause' in the two child limit. Exempting non-consensually conceived children if they are born third or later, but not if they are born first or second, is lawful. Claimants seeking permission to appeal.

Tom Royston @tomroyston.bsky.social · Jul 12

The AAC hear appeals against decisions of the Disclosure and Barring Service, eg to stop people from working as care workers. If you look for cases where the DBS is respondent you will see there are quite a lot www.gov.uk/administrati...

Administrative appeals tribunal decisions

Find decisions on appeals to the Upper Tribunal (Administrative Appeals Chamber), including social security and child support appeals.

Tom Royston @tomroyston.bsky.social · Jul 12

They are all subject matter descriptors (in social security cases, you see suffixes like ‘PIP’ or ‘UC’ which are both probably self explanatory to you). I *think* the two you ask about will be ‘Health and Social Care’ and ‘Vetting’

Tom Royston @tomroyston.bsky.social · May 29

Proposed disability benefit changes would decrease number of people exempted from benefit cap. End of two child limit, if it happens (+any annual benefit rate increases) would increase number affected by benefit cap. In combination, could make benefit cap a *lot* more significant in years to come

amateurfoi.bsky.social @amateurfoi.bsky.social · May 29

Benefit cap could see countless PIP claimants left homeless after cuts, but DWP has no idea how many www.disabilitynewsservice.com/benefit-cap-... via @johnpring.bsky.social

Benefit cap could see countless PIP claimants left homeless after cuts, but DWP has no idea how many

Thousands of disabled people could lose out on thousands of pounds a year in housing benefit – and face eviction – because of the government’s cuts to disability benefits, but ministers have no ide…

www.disabilitynewsservice.com

Reposted by Tom Royston

the3million @the3million.bsky.social · May 14

We're in the Court of Appeal today - defending EU citizens' rights to live with dignity.
👩🏾‍⚖️ This case is about achieving equal welfare access for people with pre-settled status - with no unfair barriers.

www.crowdjustice.com/case/eu-citi...

Help us defend EU citizens’ rights to live with dignity

the3million is the largest grassroots organisation for EU citizens in the UK, formed after the 2016 referendum to protect the rights of people who have made the UK their home.

www.crowdjustice.com

Reposted by Tom Royston

Alice Welsh @awelsh.bsky.social · May 6

Are the EU free movement rules wildly out of step with the new realities of work? My new book, the MARKET CITIZENSHIP ILLUSION answers this by looking at the law in action – and it is available now to *everyone for free*! www.bloomsburycollections.com/monograph?do...
🧵on key arguments... (1/10)

The author holding a copy of the book

Reposted by Tom Royston

Alan Markey @alancov.bsky.social · May 2

Come and join us for our 50th anniversary summit and celebration. Link below.

National Association of Welfare Rights Advisers (NAWRA) @nawra.bsky.social · May 2

www.nawra.org.uk/2025/03/nawr...

Tom Royston @tomroyston.bsky.social · Apr 16

The 0.5m difference between those figures presumably represents DWP's guesses about (i) behavioural change, and (ii) background trends. The expectations about behavioural change must therefore be enormous: DWP expect the background trend to be growth not contraction. @rightsnet.org.uk

Tom Royston @tomroyston.bsky.social · Apr 16

So 1.34m current claimants would not meet the proposed new requirement. But DWP's projection of the real world impact is in contrast only 0.8m: Impact Assessment, Table A4: assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67e667...

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk

Tom Royston @tomroyston.bsky.social · Apr 16

DWP's wording is unhelpful, but I think actually the stats being provided re the 'all' and the 'any' FOIs are the same: if you sum 13% of 1.6m (standard DL) and 87% of 1.3m (enhanced DL) you get an overall 46% of the 2.9m total DL awards excluded.