Whether the under-occupancy penalty unlawfully discriminates against women or people with disabilities under Article 14 ECHR.
Held
No. The measure is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim (reducing housing benefit expenditure and increasing labour mobility).
Exam use
In an exam, introduce R (on the application of SG) v. Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with the citation only if you can remember it accurately; otherwise use the case name and court, then focus on the rule and application. A strong answer should say what R (on the application of SG) v. Secretary of State for Work and Pensions decided, why the facts mattered, and how the authority helps resolve the new facts. Avoid treating the case as a decorative reference. Use it to prove a doctrinal step in Housing benefit; under-occupancy penalty (bedroom tax); discrimination, then move quickly to analysis.
Summary
R (on the application of SG) v. Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is included in the Poverty Law case database because it gives students a concrete authority for Housing benefit; under-occupancy penalty (bedroom tax); discrimination. The reported citation is [2015] UKSC 16, and the decision is associated with UK Supreme Court. In revision, treat the case as a way to connect the legal issue to a real dispute rather than as an abstract rule. The key exam move is to state the holding, identify the fact pattern that made the rule matter, and then decide whether a new problem question should apply, distinguish, or limit the authority.
Facts
The material factual signal for R (on the application of SG) v. Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is: Social housing tenants with a spare bedroom had their housing benefit reduced by 14% (or 25% for two spare rooms), heavily impacting single mothers and disabled persons. Students should read the linked source and turn that signal into a short fact table: parties, transaction or public-law setting, procedural posture, conduct in dispute, and the fact the court treated as decisive. This prevents vague case-dropping. In an answer on Poverty Law, use the facts to explain why Housing benefit; under-occupancy penalty (bedroom tax); discrimination was live, then compare the problem facts against the facts in the case before stating any conclusion.
Procedural History
R (on the application of SG) v. Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is reported as a decision of UK Supreme Court. The procedural route should be checked against the linked source before formal citation. For study notes, record whether the decision was an appeal, judicial review, trial judgment, tribunal ruling, or constitutional/application proceeding, because that posture affects how confidently the rule can be used.
Issue
Whether the under-occupancy penalty unlawfully discriminates against women or people with disabilities under Article 14 ECHR.
Held
No. The measure is a proportionate means of achieving a legitimate aim (reducing housing benefit expenditure and increasing labour mobility).
Ratio Decidendi
Welfare reductions that have a disproportionately adverse effect on a protected group may be lawful if the government demonstrates a rational and proportionate justification.
Obiter Dicta
Check the linked source for concurring, dissenting, or obiter observations before quoting this case. If the case includes non-binding reasoning, use it as persuasive support rather than as the core rule.
Reasoning
For reasoning, start with the ratio: Welfare reductions that have a disproportionately adverse effect on a protected group may be lawful if the government demonstrates a rational and proportionate justification. Then read the source and separate three things: the legal test, the facts used to apply that test, and any policy or institutional reason the court gave. This structure makes R (on the application of SG) v. Secretary of State for Work and Pensions easier to use in essays and problem questions. In Poverty Law, the case should be compared with related authorities on Housing benefit; under-occupancy penalty (bedroom tax); discrimination; if the jurisdiction, statute, or procedural posture differs from the exam problem, explain that limit explicitly instead of treating the authority as automatic.
Plain-English Explanation
Plainly, R (on the application of SG) v. Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is a case to use when a Poverty Law answer needs an authority on Housing benefit; under-occupancy penalty (bedroom tax); discrimination. Do not just list it. Explain the problem the court had to solve, the rule or holding it used, and the fact that made the result persuasive. That turns the case from a memorised name into evidence for your legal analysis.
Essay-Ready Explanation Generator
Version 1 of 4
Reference to R (on the application of SG) v. Secretary of State for Work and Pensions ([2015] UKSC 16) strengthens a Poverty Law answer because the case reflects the principle that Welfare reductions that have a disproportionately adverse effect on a protected group may be lawful if the government demonstrates a rational and proportionate justification. Applied to a problem question, the case should be used after identifying the issue as Whether the under-occupancy penalty unlawfully discriminates against women or people with disabilities under Article 14 ECHR. The stronger essay move is to connect the material facts to the court's holding, then explain whether the present facts support the same conclusion or justify distinguishing the authority.
Verify exact wording in the linked source before quoting.
Significance
R (on the application of SG) v. Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is significant for LawConquer users because it supplies a named authority for Housing benefit; under-occupancy penalty (bedroom tax); discrimination in Poverty Law. The case can anchor a paragraph, support a rule statement, or provide a contrast point when another authority points the other way. Its practical value is strongest when the student links the holding to the material facts and then explains whether the present problem is analogous or distinguishable.
Related Cases
No related cases listed.
Exam Tips
In an exam, introduce R (on the application of SG) v. Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with the citation only if you can remember it accurately; otherwise use the case name and court, then focus on the rule and application. A strong answer should say what R (on the application of SG) v. Secretary of State for Work and Pensions decided, why the facts mattered, and how the authority helps resolve the new facts. Avoid treating the case as a decorative reference. Use it to prove a doctrinal step in Housing benefit; under-occupancy penalty (bedroom tax); discrimination, then move quickly to analysis.
Revision Checklist
Name the issue before discussing facts so the marker sees the legal question immediately.
State the holding in one sentence, then use the ratio to explain why the court reached that result.
Use the citation and jurisdiction to show why this authority matters for the problem you are answering.
Pair this case with one supporting or contrasting authority if the question tests limits, policy, or exceptions.
Problem Question Use
Use R (on the application of SG) v. Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in a problem question by matching the factual trigger to the new scenario. If the fact pattern aligns with Social housing tenants with a spare bedroom had their housing benefit reduced by 14% (or 25% for two spare rooms), heavily impacting single mothers and disabled persons., apply the ratio and explain the likely result. If a crucial fact, jurisdiction, statute, or procedural posture differs, distinguish the case and use it as a boundary rather than a controlling answer.