The Library briefing provides an overview of the benefits changes introduced since 2010 affecting disabled people and their families, looks at the impact of the changes, and summarises responses from disability organisations and others.
This House of Commons Briefing Paper summarises some key findings arising from research into the impact of the under-occupation deduction from Housing Benefit (also referred to as the 'Removal of the Spare Room Subsidy' or 'bedroom tax').
The Welfare Reform and Work Bill 2015-16 had its Third Reading in the House of Lords on 9 February, and the Commons is due to consider Lords amendments on 23 February.
There will be a debate on work capability assessments in Westminster Hall on Tuesday 9 February 2016 at 2.30pm, initiated by Louise Haigh MP. This Library briefing page provides background to the debate.
There will be a debate entitled, Effect of the roll-out of Universal Credit in the North West, in Westminster Hall on Wednesday 13 January 2016 at 9.30am. Marie Rimmer MP will lead the debate. This page provides a background briefing.
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. To “trigger” the payments, the average temperature at a specified weather station must be recorded as, or forecast to be, 0°C or below for seven consecutive days. The scheme runs from 1 November to 31 March each year.
Benefit sanctions will be debated in Westminster Hall on Wednesday 16 December at 2.30 pm. Dr Eilidh Whiteford will lead the debate. This Library briefing provides an overview of how benefit sanctions work and further background information.
Benefit sanctions will be debated in Westminster Hall on Wednesday 2 December at 4.30-5.30 pm. Neil Gray MP will lead the debate. This Library briefing provides an overview of how benefit sanctions work and further background information.
The Northern Ireland (Welfare Reform) Bill is part of a process to stabilise the political institutions in Northern Ireland. It stems from a package agreed between the UK and Irish Governments and the largest Northern Ireland parties: the Fresh Start agreement. This paper gives a guide to the Bill, and to the agreement.
This note (published 15 October 2015) outlines what tax credits are, the changes announced in the Summer Budget 2015 and how these changes will be implemented. It also estimates what impact these changes will have for families in combination with other measures announced in the Summer Budget 2015, such as introduction of the National Living Wage, the increase to the Personal Allowance and freeze in Child Benefit.
This page was updated on 29 October 2015 to included additional analysis of the impact on affected families (see attached spreadsheet).
This page provides background to the Backbench Business debate, Distributional Effect of Proposed Reforms to Tax Credits, scheduled for Thursday 29 October 2015.