Debate Pack
Opposition Day Debate on Tax Credits and Support for Working Families
This page provides background information for the Opposition Day Debate, Tax credits and support for working families, on Wednesday 1 July 2015.
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Debate Pack
Welfare reform and people with disabilities
This page provides background information for the Westminster Hall debate, Welfare reform and people with disabilities, on Tuesday 30 June 2015.
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Research Briefing
Measures to limit migrants’ access to benefits
Following an article by the Prime Minister’s in the Financial Times on 27 November 2013 in which he said he shared concerns about the impact of lifting transitional restrictions on the right of Romanian and Bulgarian right to work in the UK from 1 January 2014, the Government has introduced a raft of measures “to tighten up our EEA migration rules to ensure our welfare system is not taken advantage of.”
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Research Briefing
Scotland Bill: Welfare & Employment Support (Bill 3 of 2015-16)
This briefing provides detailed information on the welfare and employment support provisions in the Scotland Bill. The Bill is scheduled to receive its Second Reading on 8 June 2015. With the exception of a new power to top-up reserved benefits, there are no substantive differences between the welfare and employment provisions in the Bill and the previously published draft clauses.
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Research Briefing
Further proposals to restrict migrants’ access to benefits
In his keynote speech on immigration on 28 November 2014, the Prime Minister set out plans to secure agreement on changes to European law on free movement of persons in order to allow the UK to, among other things, deny EEA migrants in-work benefits for four years and prevent Child Benefit being paid for children living abroad. Proposals to further restrict EEA migrants’ access to benefits have also been put forward by Labour and by the Liberal Democrats.
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Research Briefing
Further devolution of powers to Scotland: devolved benefits and additional discretionary payments
Examines the Smith Commission’s proposals to devolve responsibility to the Scottish Parliament for certain key benefits, such as disability and carers' benefits. It also looks at the Draft Scotland Clauses in this area.
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Research Briefing
Further devolution of powers to Scotland: Universal Credit housing element and payment arrangements
This note explains the Smith Commission’s proposals and the Draft Scotland Clauses in relation to Universal Credit (UC), including the housing costs element (currently Housing Benefit). As it stands, UC will remain a reserved benefit but the Scottish Parliament would be given the power to vary the housing costs element of UC, and powers to vary the manner and frequency of UC payments.
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Research Briefing
2015 Benefit uprating
State pension, benefit and tax credit increases in April 2015 - what the rates are and how are they are calculated.
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Research Briefing
Autumn Statement 2014: a summary
This note provides a summary of the 2014 Autumn Statement, including changes to Stamp Duty, and the Office for Budget Responsibility's (OBR) latest economic and fiscal forecasts.
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Research Briefing
Benefit Entitlement (Restriction) Bill 2014-15
The Benefit Entitlement (Restriction) Bill is a Private Members’ Bill presented by Christopher Chope. The Bill makes provision “to restrict the entitlement of non-UK Citizens from the European Union and the European Economic Area to taxpayer-funded benefits.” The Bill provides that the restrictions on entitlement are “notwithstanding the provisions of the European Communities Act 1972.”
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Research Briefing
Statistics on migrants and benefits
This note collates the main data available on UK benefits paid to migrants or in respect of children living abroad.
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Research Briefing
Votes in Parliament on the under-occupation deduction from Housing Benefit
This note provides information on when divisions (votes) concerning this measure (referred to as the 'bedroom tax' and also the 'spare room subsidy' have taken place in Parliament and on the outcome of those divisions. Details are provided on how the different Parties voted.
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Research Briefing
Cold Weather Payments for winter 2014/2015
Cold Weather Payments are made from the Social Fund to certain recipients of Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit or Pension Credit during periods of very cold weather. The amount is £25 a week for eligible benefit claimants.
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Research Briefing
Impact on the UK of Scottish independence: social security and tax credits
In the event Scotland becoming an independent country, the Scottish and Westminster governments would have to address two main issues with regard to welfare provision: how to deliver benefits and tax credits in the initial transitional period following independence; and how the two countries' systems should relate to each other in the longer term.
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Research Briefing
Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit for children resident in other EEA countries
Domestic legislation provides that both Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit cannot normally be paid in respect of children resident abroad. However, under provisions in EU law on social security coordination within the European Economic Area (EEA), Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit may be payable to EEA migrants in the United Kingdom in respect of their dependent children resident in another Member State.
Total results (page 8 of 12)