The UK Government’s Welfare Reform Bill, which is currently going through Parliament, would introduce major changes in the benefits system in this country.

If it passes into law, the introduction of a new Universal Credit will go ahead for new claimants from October 2013, taking 10 years to implement fully.

In the meantime, however, the government is making severe cuts to the benefits system. These include

Freezing Child Benefit for three years from 2011 until 2014

Severe cuts to benefits for disabled people

Major changes to the rules on housing benefit and a cap on the amount paid

Working Tax Credits meant to be an incentive to work are now cut much faster as income rises

The government claims that no-one will lose out with the introduction of the Universal Credit. However, the cuts will already have been made by the point at which the Government claims there will be ‘no cash losers’, which is obviously very worrying for anyone who relies on these benefits.

You can find more information on the introduction of Universal Credit here.

There is a real need for reform of the benefit system but the concern is that the changes are being driven by the desire to cut spending.
 
The best way to put in place lasting reform is through dialogue not just with other political parties but also with voluntary organisations that work with the people that will be affected. 

Benefits for disabled people

Some of the most controversial changes to the benefit system affect disabled people. You can find more information on those below as well as a separate summary of the changes here.

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Since the beginning of January there has been fierce debate in the House of Lords on controversial aspects of the Bill, with strong opposition from the Labour party but also Conservative and Independent Members of the House of Lords as well as leading voluntary organisations.

At the start of February the Bill came back to the Commons and again there was strong opposition to some parts of the Bill.

Mark highlights flaws in new fitness to work tests

Mark spoke in a debate on Wednesday, 1st February, on the new Work Capability Assessments. He voiced the concerns of constituents who are visually impaired or who have mental health problems that the tests are poorly designed to assess their conditions.

You can read what he said in full here 

Debate on the Welfare Reform Bill – 1st February 2012

Later that day, the House of Commons debated Amendments to the Bill passed by the House of Lords but these were all overturned by the Government.

The Government has justified its changes by saying that the welfare budget has grown too large and that it has to reduced in order to tackle the deficit. It also claims that it will ensure that it always pays to work and that many people opt to live on benefits as a ‘life-style choice’.

This is extremely harsh on a disabled person who relies on benefit for a secure source of income in order to live independently or a divorced parent who may have to move because they have a spare room to accommodate a child who lives with them part of the time.

Many disabled people desperately want to work but are unable to do so either because of their disability or because they are unable to find work – although attitudes have changed employers are often more reluctant to take on somebody who is disabled.

Just follow the links below for a quick round-up of the current position on the most controversial recent issues:

Employment and Support Allowance [ESA]

Housing Benefit – the ‘spare room’ clause

Cuts and changes to Disability Living Allowance (DLA)

Charge for single parents to use the Child Support Agency (CSA) to pursue the other parent for child maintenance

Benefit cap