Philip Loft

This House of Commons Library Briefing Paper provides information on the implementation of local Council Tax Reduction Schemes since 1 April 2013. These local support schemes have replaced the national scheme of Council Tax Benefit.

This Library Briefing sets out policies on NHS hospital parking charges in the UK.

This House of Commons Library briefing note sets out the rules on variations under the “2012 scheme” administered by the Child Maintenance Service (CMS). From a policy standpoint, it compares the current variation rules to those for the legacy “2003 scheme”, and notes criticism of the changes and parliamentary debate of them. This Briefing was last updated in March 2019.

This Commons Library research briefing provides information about changes to the treatment of earnings (for child maintenance purposes) from certain "special occupations", including reserve or territorial force members and local authority councillors. This Briefing was last updated in March 2017.

This House of Commons Library briefing paper sets out how the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) uses, collects and reviews the income of the non-resident parent under the 2012 statutory child maintenance scheme. This Briefing was last updated in December 2018.

This House of Commons Library briefing sets out how the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) calculates the amount of child maintenance payable under the 2012 statutory child maintenance scheme.

This briefing paper explains the funding position and considers evidence on how Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) are allocated by local authorities. DHPs are applied to help with shortfalls between Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit and the rent due in certain circumstances.

This briefing was last updated in August 2018.

This briefing was last updated in January 2017.

This paper describes what steps the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) may take when a Non-Resident Parent (also known as a “Paying Parent”) fails to pay child maintenance on time or in full. It also provides information on the application, collection and enforcement fees charged by the CMS, and briefly summarises analysis on the effectiveness of the CMS’s enforcement and collection system. This paper relates primary to Great Britain: Section 6 describes Northern Ireland’s system.

This briefing paper sets out how the child maintenance system operates where a Person with Care, Non-Resident Parent or a Qualifying Child, lives overseas.

University Technical Colleges (UTCs) are schools introduced by the Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition Government, originally for 14-19 year olds, that work alongside employers and universities to deliver technical education and core curriculum subjects. This briefing sets out their conception, introduction, performance, and future direction.

This briefing paper considers the current law relating to legal gender recognition; the medical diagnosis of gender dysphoria; the current protections from discrimination; gender recognition and minors; the consultations on reform of the GRA; and the self-identification debate.