The pro-cap speakers in Parliament have consistently focused on one argument, why should people out of work be better off than those in work in the same situation? Although others have tried to point out that those in work also get benefits to support them, the point has not seemed to be grasped. I thought […]

Says it all; the Government has succeeded in overturning the increase in the period people can remain on contributory ESA. Not a good omen. -later- …. and indeed all the ESA amendments are overturned. Chris Grayling has also said that the Government will treat the benefits cap measure under financial privilege so that the Lords […]

I’m not very hopeful that the Commons won’t reverse all the Lords’ changes on Wednesday. In fact I’m sure that they will. Nonetheless I thought I’d run our Future Benefits Model (FFBM) to see the effects of leaving Child Benefit (ChB) out of the cap; and here are the results. If we take the capping […]

As Nick Clegg is pushing for an increase in personal tax allowances to £10,000 a year, on the basis that it’s a way of protecting the lowest paid workers, it’s worth pointing out that it’s not. The 2012 Income Tax personal allowance increase that’s already in the pipeline will be worth £2.42 a week to […]

The government had said that they were going to freeze maximum SPC for four years but this year they’ve cut it instead. As there doesn’t seem to have been any formal announcement about this, other than the figure being included, without special note, in the uprating statement in Hansard, I thought it was worth mentioning. […]

Before this afternoon’s consideration of the benefits cap in the Lords, the DWP have published a new impact assessment here which has a couple of puzzling pieces in it. In the new paper it says: Initially the intention is that that cap will be delivered by Local Authorities through Housing Benefit payments. Ultimately it will […]

I’ve created a very short survey for advisers on their opinion of the effects welfare reforms will have on their clients. This is a first step to getting some stats and tracking changes over the next period. Advisers can complete the survey here.

The government lost three votes in the Lords tonight. They were: Overturning the proposal to abolish the ESA in Youth route for young disabled people who are unable to work and therefore meet the contributions condition Extending the time limit for contributory ESA claimants, from the government’s proposal of 1 year to at least 2 […]

The amendments tabled for the next day of the report stage of the Welfare Reform Bill, so far, were published in the ‘Third Marshalled List of Amendments to be moved on Report as at 9 January 2012’. It’s interesting, in the light of speculation about the government’s willingness to soften the cap, to see what […]

Politics Home has a story that ministers are negotiating on the overall benefits cap in order to avoid a defeat in the Lords, like the one they suffered before Xmas on social tenants bedroom limits. They say; The changes, which are still the subject of intense discussion between ministers, officials and peers, could include changes […]