Welfare Reform and Work Bill — House of Commons, 2015-10-27
Topic: Social Welfare
Natascha Engel (Labour, Centre-left): With this it will be convenient to discuss the following: New clause 3—Personal independence payment: timing of payment— ‘(1) Schedule 10 of the Welfare Reform Act 2012 is amended as follows (2) In paragraph 1(1), at start insert "Subject to paragraph ( )," (3) At end of paragraph 1(1), insert the following new paragraph— "( ) Where a person in receipt of disability living allowance meets the requirements of section 82 of the 2012 Act his or her entitlement to disability living allowance shall terminate immediately and entitlement to personal independence payment shall commence on the same day."’ This New Clause aims to enable claimants of DLA who are transferred to PIP due to terminal illness to receive their first PIP payment immediately after being transferred. Currently claimants must wait four weeks from their final DLA payment to be made and then another four weeks to receive their first PIP payment. New clause 4—Review of application of sanctions— ‘(1) The Secretary of State must before the financial year ending 31 March 2016 provide for a full and independent review of the sanctions regimes attached to working-age benefits, including but not limited to Jobseekers Allowance, Employment Support Allowance and Income Support, to determine whether they are effective and proportionate for meeting the Government’s objectives (2) The terms of reference for the review must include consideration of— (a) the application of sanctions to lone parents with dependent children; (b) the application of sanctions to claimants who are disabled; (c) the effectiveness of sanctions in moving claimants into sustained work; and (d) any other matters which the Secretary of State considers relevant." To provide for a full, independent review of the operation of the sanctions regimes attached to out of-work benefits, to determine the effectiveness of sanctions in moving claimants into sustained work as well as any adverse impacts on particular groups. New clause 5—Report on impact of benefit cap reductions— ‘(1) The Secretary of State must publish and lay before Parliament before the end of the financial year ending with 31 March 2017 a report on the impact of the benefit cap reductions introduced by this Bill (2) The report must include an assessment of the impact on each of the measures of child poverty defined in the Child Poverty Act 2010." This new clause requires the Secretary of State to review impact of lower benefit cap after 12months. New clause 7—Changes to the benefit cap— Changes to the Benefit Cap shall not be made until the Secretary of State has carried out an assessment of the impact on its effect on poverty and laid a report before the House of Commons, The Scottish Parliament, The Northern Ireland Assembly and the National Assembly for Wales." New clause 9—Universal credit and carers— Claimants in receipt of universal credit who are responsible carers for children are not subject to work focused interviews or work preparation requirements until their youngest child starts school." New clause 10—Changes to age of eligible claimants of housing benefit— The Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 is amended as follows. After section 130(1) insert— ‘(1A) The Secretary of State shall not make provision about eligibility for housing benefit in respect of the age of a claimant except by primary legislation."." New clause 11—Entitlement to housing costs element of universal credit for 18-21 year olds— ‘(1) Entitlement to the housing cost element of Universal Credit shall not be restricted for those 18 to 21 year olds who fall into the following categories— (a) those who have previously been in work; (b) a person who lives independently; (c) those with a disability or mental health problem receiving Employment Support Allowance or Income Support; (d) those with dependent children; (e) pregnant women; (f) those who are owed a rehousing duty under— (i) section 193 of the Housing Act 1996; (ii) section 9 of the Homelessness etc. (Scotland) Act 2003; (iii) section 73 of the Housing (Wales) Act 2014; (g) those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness who are being assisted by local authority housing teams; (h) those who are living in statutory or voluntary sector homelessness accommodation; (i) those who have formerly been homeless and have been supported by voluntary or statutory agencies into accommodation; (j) those who have formerly been homeless between the ages of 16 and 21; (k) a person without family or whom social services have found that a home environment is not suitable for them to live in; care leavers and (l) those leaving custody (2) Within three months of section [Entitlement to housing costs element of universal credit for 18-21 year olds] of this Act coming into force, the Secretary of State must, by regulation, provide definitions of— "a person who lives independently"; "risk of homelessness" and "a person without family"." New clause 12—Review of application of sanctions— ‘(1) The Secretary of State must on commencement of this bill, commence a full and independent review of the sanctions regimes attached to working-age benefits, including but not limited to Jobseekers Allowance, Employment Support Allowance and Income Support , to measure the impact on— (a) to lone parents with dependent children; (b) claimants who are disabled; (c) moving claimants into continuous work; (d) homeless; (e) protected characteristics; (f) long term health conditions; (g) claimants with mental health disorders and (h) any other matters which the Secretary of State considers relevant." Amendment 35, in clause 6, page 8, line 39, leave out subsection (2) Amendment 36, in clause 7, page 9, line 2, leave out "£23,000 or £15,410" and insert "£26,000 or £18,200" Amendment 37, page 9, line 3, leave out "£20,000 or £13,400" and insert "£26,000 or £18,200" Amendment 38, page 9, line 15, leave out paragraph (a) Amendment 39, page 9, line 17, leave out paragraph (b) Amendment 40, page 9, line 19, leave out paragraph (c) Amendment 41, page 9, line 21, leave out paragraph (d) Amendment 42, page 9, line 27, leave out paragraph (f) Amendment 43, page 9, line 39, leave out paragraph (k) Amendment 44, page 9, line 41, leave out paragraph (l) Amendment 45, page 9, line 44, leave out paragraph (n) Amendment 46, page 9, line 46, leave out paragraph (o) Amendment 47, page 9, line 48, leave out paragraph (p) Amendment 48, page 10, line 1, leave out subsection (6) Amendment 56, page 14, line 15, leave out Clause 13 Amendment 29, in clause 13, page 14, line 26, at end insert— ‘(3A) The Secretary of State may not lay an order under section 31 to bring the provisions of subsections (2) and (3) into force until he has laid before both Houses of Parliament a report giving his estimate of the impact of those provisions on persons who would otherwise be entitled to start claiming the work-related activity component of employment and support allowance (3B) No order bringing subsections (2) and (3) into force shall be made unless a draft of the order has been laid before and approved by a resolution of both Houses of Parliament" Amendment 31, page 14, line 29, at end insert— ‘(5A) The Secretary of State must make provision for additional personalised and specialist employment support in connection with the changes made by subsections (1) to (3) (5B) The Secretary of State must issue guidance on the following— (a) the forms of personalised and specialist employment support; (b) the means by which a diverse market of suppliers for personalised and specialist employment support can be developed in local areas; and (c) information for local authorities seeking to improve local disability employment rates." Amendment 20, page 14, line 39, leave out Clause 14 Amendment 57, page 14, line 39, leave out Clause 14 Amendment 58, page 15, line 1, leave out Clause 15 Amendment 59, in clause 15, page 15, line 4, leave out paragraph (a) Amendment 60, page 15, line 4, leave out paragraphs (a) to (c) and insert— "(a) in section 19(2)(c) for the words "under the age of 1" substitute "who has not yet started primary school"" Amendment 61, page 15, line 9, after "2,", insert "3 or 4" Amendment 62, page 15, line 10, leave out paragraph (c) Amendment 63, page 15, line 13, leave out paragraph (a) Amendment 64, page 15, line 13, leave out paragraphs (a) and (b) and insert— "(a) in regulation 91 (claimants subject to work-focused interview requirement only), for the word "3" substitute "5 or when the child starts primary school"; (b) in regulation 91A (claimants subject to work preparation requirement) for the words "3 or 4" substitute "who has not yet started primary school";" Amendment 65, page 15, line 15, leave out paragraph (b)