Social security

Garden Court North Chambers is proud to play a leading role in advancing and protecting social security claimants’ rights through the law. Our barristers have appeared in a very high proportion of the leading social security test cases in the higher courts in recent years, as well as helping people with more day-to-day benefit problems.

We are committed to supporting claimants’ access to justice. We are absolutely committed to legal aid work, and will also consider pro bono arrangements where appropriate and necessary. We can also work in cases funded by unions or insurers, and under conditional fee agreements.

Our social security team can help individuals and organisations with any aspect of a social security problem, for example:

• public law challenges in tribunals or courts to discriminatory legislation
• judicial review challenges to poor administration, such as delays in processing claims
• expert advice on benefit entitlement
• the practicalities of obtaining legal aid funding for upper tribunal appeals
• disputes over housing benefit entitlement for supported or temporary accommodation

We have a particular interest in social security cases involving issues of human rights law, especially concerning discrimination.

Members act regularly in tribunals, the High Court, the Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court, the European Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights concerning welfare benefits matters. We are also experienced at representing claimants in benefits related discrimination claims in the county court.

Our team stand out for their empathy and practical experience, as well as specialist expertise: many of us have previously worked in front line advice agencies, because we are all committed to social rights. We understand the practical challenges of litigating benefits problems for clients, solicitors and advice workers.

Chambers is also aware that social security issues often overlap with other areas of specialisation and we can offer complementary expertise in housing, Court of Protection work, community care and immigration law. Our team members are experienced in conducting cases in these areas of law.

Chambers is in Manchester, and our members frequently travel to courts and tribunals across England and Wales.

We love to visit advice centres, so if your agency would like a friendly social security barrister to come and talk about how to use the law to help your clients more effectively, please get in touch.

If you would like to know more about our social security work please contact the Practice Management Team on 0161 817 6377 or at gcn@gcnchambers.co.uk