Family benefits Archives

Research Briefing

Welfare Reform Bill 2010-12: Commons Report Stage and Third Reading

Friday, 26 August, 2011

The Commons Report Stage and Third Reading of the Welfare Reform Bill took place on 13 and 15 June. Amendments relating to the Universal Credit, housing support, the Social Fund and the Personal Independence Payment were debated, but other groups of amendments –including those on Employment and Support Allowance changes and the benefit cap – were not discussed as proceedings on each day reached the deadlines specified in the programme motion before they could be considered.
Research Briefing

The Habitual Residence Test

Wednesday, 18 May, 2011

The Habitual Residence Test is applied to people (unless they are exempt categories) who have recently arrived in the country and who make a claim for certain means-tested social security benefits, or seek housing assistance from a local authority.
Research Briefing

Welfare Reform and the Universal Credit

Thursday, 17 February, 2011

On 11 November 2010 the Government set out plans for a 'Universal Credit' to replace most in work and out of work benefits for people of working age. This note gives an overview of the main features of the Universal Credit and looks at some of the issues raised by the proposals.
Research Briefing

Restriction of the Sure Start Maternity Grant

Thursday, 10 February, 2011

The June 2010 Budget announced that from April 2011 the Sure Start Maternity Grant would be restricted to the first child only in a family, saving around £73 million a year. The Social Security Advisory Committee believes that the measure "lacks a coherently argued rationale", and the House of Lords Merits of Statutory Instruments Committee has suggested that the Government needs to set out more clearly the rationale for the change and its anticipated impact. A particular concern is that changes to the Social Fund Budgeting Loans scheme to mitigate the impact on families will not come into effect until early 2012.
Research Briefing

Cold Weather Payments for winter 2010/2011

Thursday, 23 December, 2010

Cold Weather Payments are made to certain claimants of means-tested benefits during periods of very cold weather. To trigger the £25 payments, the average temperature in an area must be recorded as, or forecast to be, 0Â°C or below for seven consecutive days.
Research Briefing

Child Benefit for higher rate taxpayers

Wednesday, 03 November, 2010

At the Conservative Party Conference in October 2010 the Chancellor announced that from January 2013 Child Benefit would be withdrawn from families with a higher rate taxpayer. This note looks at the background to the announcement and at reactions to it. Revised proposals for a “High Income Child Benefit Charge” were presented in Budget 2012 under which Child Benefit would instead be clawed back from families where the highest earner had an income in excess of £50,000. Further details can be found in Library briefing SN06299, Child Benefit for higher income families.
Research Briefing

Lone parents and Jobseeker’s Allowance

Thursday, 20 May, 2010

By April 2011 most lone parents with a youngest child aged seven or over will no longer be able to claim Income Support but will instead have to claim Jobseeker's Allowance and be available for and seek paid work.
Research Briefing

Lone parents with younger children: the Progression to Work pathfinders

Thursday, 20 May, 2010

The Welfare Reform Act 2009 includes provisions to enable piloting of mandatory 'work-related activity' for lone parents on Income Support and partners of benefit claimants with a youngest child aged 3-6. The Labour Government announced proposals to run 'pathfinders' in four Jobcentre Plus districts in England from October 2010.
Research Briefing

Support for domestic energy users

Monday, 25 January, 2010

This note sets out financial support available to domestic energy consumers, including grants for central heating, insulation, microgeneration equipment and social security measures. It also explains how to seek advice or information about gas and electricity problems from Consumer Direct and the Energy Ombudsman.
Research Briefing

Maternity pay and leave

Wednesday, 13 January, 2010

This note gives a brief account of statutory maternity pay and leave entitlements. It also sets out some proposed changes to this from the UK Government and European Commission
Research Briefing

Child Poverty Bill: Committee Stage Report. Bill 10 2009-10.

Thursday, 03 December, 2009

The Bill fulfils the Government’s commitment made in September 2008 to enshrine the 2020 child poverty target in legislation. It establishes four separate child poverty targets to be met by 2020/21, requires the UK Government to publish a regular UK child poverty strategy, requires the Scottish and Northern Irish Ministers to publish child poverty strategies, establishes a Child Poverty Commission to provide advice, requires the UK Government to publish annual progress reports, and places new duties on local authorities and other “delivery partners”’ in England to work together to tackle child poverty.
Research Briefing

Welfare Reform Bill: Lords amendments

Friday, 06 November, 2009
Research Briefing

Child Poverty Bill. Bill 112 of 2008-09

Tuesday, 30 June, 2009

This briefing on the Child Poverty Bill has been prepared for the Second Reading debate on the Bill in the House of Commons.
Research Briefing

Health and Social Care Bill, Bill 9 of 2007-08

Friday, 23 November, 2007

Health and Social Care Bill. (Bill 9 of 2007/08). House of Commons Library Research Paper 07/81.
Research Briefing

Child Benefit Bill (Bill 13 of 2004/05)

Wednesday, 05 January, 2005

The Child Benefit Bill (Bill 13 of 2004/05). House of Commons Library Research Paper 05/02.

Total results (page 7 of 8)