Benefits administration
This page highlights some of the current parliamentary material available on the administration of Social Security benefits. This includes select committee reports, briefing papers on current legislation and other subjects produced by the parliamentary research services, and the latest Early Day Motions put down by MPs.
Standard Notes
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 31.07.2013 | Universal Credit: proposals for a seven day 'waiting period' for claims |
| In Spending Round 2013 on 26 June, the Chancellor announced that new Universal Credit claimants subject to work-related conditionality who have not had a UC claim in the previous six months will have to wait seven days before becoming eligible for support. The measure is expected to be introduced from April 2015, and ultimately yield savings of around £260 million a year. | |
| 12.07.2013 | Short Term Benefit Advances and Budgeting Advances |
| From 1 April 2013, a new advance of benefit facility administered by DWP replaced Social Fund Budgeting Loans, interim payments of benefits and "alignment payments". This note gives details of the new system of Short Term Benefit Advances and Budgeting Advances. | |
| 24.06.2013 | Localising support for Council Tax - background |
| This note provides background to the introduction of Council Tax Reduction Schemes and the abolition of Council Tax Benefit. | |
| 04.06.2013 | Food Banks and Food Poverty |
| The number of food banks in the UK has increased substantially in recent years. This note explains how food banks work, examines their growth and discusses possible contributing factors. | |
| 22.03.2013 | Jobseekers (Back to Work Schemes) Bill 2012-13 |
| On 12 February 2013 the Court of Appeal ruled that regulations underpinning some of the Government's back to work schemes were unlawful and must be quashed. The Bill - which has retrospective effect - would remove the ability for individuals sanctioned for not participating in one of the schemes to challenge the sanction decision on the grounds that the regulations were invalid, or notices given to them were inadequate. |
Research Papers
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 08.06.2011 | Welfare Reform Bill: Committee Stage Report |
| This is an account of the House of Commons Committee Stage of the Welfare Reform Bill. It complements Research Papers 11/23 and 11/24, prepared for the Commons Second Reading debate. | |
| 04.03.2011 | Welfare Reform Bill: reform of disability benefits, Housing Benefit, and other measures |
| This paper has been prepared for the Second Reading debate in the House of Commons. For information on the provision in the Bill relating to the introduction of Universal Credit, please see the complementary Library Research Paper, 11/24. Besides Universal Credit, the Bill proposes a number of other significant welfare reforms, including replacement of the current Disability Living Allowance, restriction of Housing Benefit entitlement to social housing tenants whose accommodation is larger than they need, time-limiting the payment of contributory Employment and Support Allowance to twelve months, and capping the total amount of benefit that can be claimed. |
Select Committee Reports
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 02.03.2011 | Reducing errors in the benefits system. |
| Public Accounts Committee report [Commons] | |
| 29.03.2010 | Decision making and appeals in the benefits system. |
| Government response. Work and Pensions Select Committee; Department for Work and Pensions report [Commons] | |
| 08.03.2010 | Department for Work and Pensions: Management of Benefit Overpayment Debt. |
| Public Accounts Committee report [Commons] | |
| 27.01.2010 | Decision-making and appeals in the benefits system. |
| Work and Pensions Select Committee report [Commons] |
Early Day Motions
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 31.03.2011 | NATIONAL AUTISM SOCIETY AND CHANGES TO DISABILITY LIVING ALLOWANCE |
| That this House is aware of the Government's decision to reduce by at least 1 billion the annual spend on disability living allowancebenefits;notes the concerns of the National Autism ... | |
| 03.03.2011 | BENEFITS FOR BLIND AND PARTIALLY SIGHTED PEOPLE |
| That this House supports the historic change made to the Welfare Reform Act in 2009 that means blind people will receive the higher rate mobility component of the Disability Living ... | |
| 02.03.2011 | DISABILITY LIVING ALLOWANCE FOR CHILDREN IN HOSPITAL |
| That this House expresses its concern at the suspension of disability living allowances (DLA) for children spending more than 84 days in hospital; congratulates the Contact a Family ... | |
| 14.09.2010 | REVENUE AND CUSTOMS (S.I., 2010, No. 1879) |
| That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty, praying that the Taxes and Duties (Interest Rate) Regulations 2010 (S.I., 2010,No. 1879), dated 21 July 2010, a copy of which was ... | |
| 26.07.2010 | HM REVENUE AND CUSTOMS |
| That this House calls on the Government urgently to halt its programme of job cuts and office closures in Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC); is concerned that the Department ... |
POST Papers
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| 11.07.2012 | Assessing Capacity for Work |
| This briefing discusses the role of the Work Capability Assessment and its suitability as a gateway to benefit. |
