The government has published the first of some briefing notes which give more detail about their proposals. Universal Credit policy briefing notes – an introduction Briefing Note 1 – Additions for longer durations on Universal Credit Briefing Note 2 – The payment proposal Briefing Note 3 – Treatment of Capital You can find them at […]

This contains analysis, modelling and examples based on the state of the Bill at the second reading using the benefit rates and rules from April 2011. It forecasts real values of benefits up to 2015 including Universal Credit and current rule sets. It can be downloaded here

As I’m incorporating these changes into the modelling for the future benefits and tax system, its worth pointing out that the 2012 Income Tax personal allowance increase will be worth £2.42 a week to those earning £115,000 a year but £0.37p to the poorest workers as it reduces their Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit. […]

One of the work incentive measures that has been emphasised in the Bill is the increase in the amount of earnings that can be kept before any deduction is applied. As can be seen in the table below that is set at £109.62 a week for a couple with one child. Generous indeed! BUT… this […]

Programme: Welfare Reform Bill Committee The provisional programme of witnesses for the Welfare Reform Bill Committee has been agreed by its Programming Sub-Committee. The Committee will hear oral evidence on Tuesday 22 and Thursday 24 March and then consider the Bill every Tuesday and Thursday from that point concluding on Tuesday 24 May. The meetings […]

The committee stage is expected to start on 22 March 2011 and end on 24 May 2011. Written evidence can be submitted from now until 10th May.

The Bill provides that the dwelling size limits for social tenants will be implemented by imposing a percentage cut, linked to the number of additional bedrooms, rather than by the equivalent of a Local Housing Allowance. There is a new term to describe Housing Benefit limits – appropriate maximum housing benefit (“AMHB”)

There will be no clear division between unemployment and employment. People will remain on the same benefit as their hours of work move up and down from zero to what is now considered full-time. Only earnings will matter, hours of work will be irrelevant for most decisions. The traps and rewards attached to certain numbers […]

The bill includes powers to allow for the introduction of an earnings taper, so that ESA and JSA (there will be no Contribution Based or Income Based any more as IB JSA & ESA are abolished) will be reduced at a constant rate as earnings increase in the same way as universal credit. This rate […]

The Welfare Reform Bill was presented to Parliament on 16 February 2011. This is known as First Reading and there was no debate on the Bill at this stage. This Bill will be on the Order Paper for a Second Reading debate on 9 March 2011. The Bill is described as: A Bill to make […]