Welfare Reform Bill 2010-12: amendments at the Lords Committee and Report stages

The Welfare Reform Bill 2010-12 was introduced in the House of Lords on 16 June 2011 and had its Second Reading on 13 September. There were 17 sittings in Grand Committee between 4 October and 28 November, and six days in Report between 12 December and 25 January 2012. The Lords Third Reading is scheduled for 31 January, and the Commons is due to consider Lords amendments on 1 February.

In addition to Government amendments agreed by the Lords, the Government suffered a defeat at Report Stage on 14 December on an amendment tabled by the Crossbench Member Lord Best on under-occupation of social housing. There were further Government defeats at Report Stage on 12 January on amendments relating to the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). On 23 January the Government suffered a further defeat on an amendment moved by the Bishop of Ripon and Leeds to exclude Child Benefit payments from counting towards the household benefit cap, and again on 25 January on an amendment tabled by Lord MacKay of Clashfern to limit the impact of fees on parents with care applying to the new child maintenance scheme.