Debate Pack
Universal Credit and Debt
On 5 June 2019 there will be a Westminster Hall debate regarding universal credit and debt. The debate will be led by Ruth George MP.
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Research Briefing
2019 Benefits Uprating
2019/20 is the final year of the four-year freeze, which keeps most working-age benefits and tax credits at their 2015/16 cash values. Non-frozen benefits, mainly those aimed at disabled people and carers, rise in line with CPI inflation (+2.4%). The triple lock delivers a 2.6% increase to the new State Pension (£168.60 in 2019/20) and the Basic State Pension (£129.20).
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Research Briefing
What if there’s no Brexit deal?
What could happen if the EU and UK negotiators don't agree a withdrawal agreement in time and the UK has to leave the EU on 29 March 2019 without one - and with no framework for future relations either? This paper looks at how such a situation might come about, the constitutional implications for the UK and in some cases for the devolved administrations, and what the impact might be in a range of policy areas.
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Research Briefing
The Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill 2017-19
The Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill 2017-19 was published on 20 December 2018 and its First Reading in the House of Commons took place that day. MPs will next consider the Bill at Second Reading, which will take place on Wednesday 16 January 2019.
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Debate Pack
Two child limit in Universal Credit and child tax credits
This House of Commons Library landing page has been published in advance of a debate entitled "Two child limit in Universal Credit and child tax credits". This will be led by Alison Thewliss MP and will take place in Westminster Hall on Tuesday 27th November 2018, starting at 2.30pm.
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Research Briefing
Universal Credit: why are sanction rates higher?
Sanction rates are higher under Universal Credit, the Government's flagship welfare reform, than under the benefits it is replacing. In December 2017 around 0.3% of JSA claimants were currently under a sanction compared to 8.2% of Universal Credit claimants required to search for work though, in the case of UC, this rate has since fallen to 5.3% as of May. This higher rate of sanctioning, the DWP argues and our new analysis corroborates, is due to the way DWP deals with claimants who miss a work-search interview without good reason under Universal Credit compared to under JSA (one of UC's predecessors). Despite this analysis, however, there are still a number of questions relating to sanctions under Universal Credit that we cannot yet answer.
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Research Briefing
Brexit Unknowns (update)
What do we still not know about the Brexit process or the withdrawal agreement with the EU that is currently being negotiated? This paper looks at some of the main unknowns.
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Research Briefing
Universal Credit roll-out: 2018-19
Universal Credit roll-out was around 11% complete across Great Britain as of December 2017, in terms of the number of households on UC. However, progress varies considerably between constituencies. Almost half of jobseekers are now on UC rather than "legacy" benefits. The majority of households receiving support for rent, children or incapacity are yet to move onto UC. This briefing provides a guide to roll-out of the Full Service in 2018/19 and original HC Library estimates for the progress or UC roll-out by constituency, region and across Great Britain.
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Research Briefing
Universal Credit: roll out
Universal Credit (UC) is the Government’s new working-age benefit. The Government is currently rolling out the UC full service, the service all areas will eventually use, across Great Britain. Our UC roll out tool shows when the UC full service launched, or is scheduled to launch, at jobcentres in and around your constituency.
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Research Briefing
Brexit: the draft withdrawal agreement
The Commission published a draft legal text of the withdrawal agreement in February 2018 and an updated draft on 15 March. On 19 March a third text was published which showed where there is full agreement between the EU and the UK, where there is agreement in principle and where there is no agreement. This paper looks at the recent draft, making reference to earlier drafts where relevant.
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Debate Pack
Strengthening Families
This House of Commons Library debate pack briefing has been prepared in advance of a debate entitled ”Strengthening Families”. This will take place in Westminster Hall on 8 February 2018 at 1:30pm and will be led by Fiona Bruce MP.
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Research Briefing
Autumn Budget 2017: Background briefing
The briefing sets out the background to Autumn Budget 2017 which will take place on Wednesday 22 November 2017. The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) will publish revised forecasts for the economy and public finances on the same day.
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Research Briefing
Universal Credit roll-out: Autumn/Winter 2017
Universal Credit aims to replace six working-age benefits. The Government is now rolling out the Full Service, under which everyone eligible can claim UC no matter their circumstances. Once the Full Service is launched in an area both the number and range of people claiming UC is likely to grow quickly. At the end of September 2017 there were 101 jobcentres running the Full Service. Between October 2017 and January 2018, 134 more jobcentres will launch the Full Service. That will add 150,000 more people to the UC caseload – a 25% increase, and an overall rise from 8% to 10% of the final 7 million people expected to be eligible.
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Research Briefing
The two child limit in tax credits and Universal Credit
This Commons Library briefing looks at the two child limit in Child Tax Credit and in Universal Credit introduced for new claims and births from 6 April 2017. There are limited exceptions to the two child rule, including where a child was conceived as a result of a "non-consensual sexual act."
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Research Briefing
Statistics on Migrants and Benefits
Data on migrants and benefits is incomplete and fragmented, not routinely available from a single source. This is because the nationality of benefit claimants is not routinely gathered by either DWP or HMRC when administering benefits or tax credits. This paper brings together the main available data sources – including DWP data on National Insurance Number registrations, departmental ad-hoc releases and responses to Freedom of Information requests – to analyse rates of benefit and tax credits receipt among migrants living in the UK.
Total results (page 3 of 7)