Work and Pensions committee's enquiry into PIP starts today. here
Maria Miller is the chair obviously - so someone to aim letters at.
In the Welfare Reform Bill debates starting today these are the proposed amendments by the lords: details here
Just skimming:
make UC paid more frequently than monthly if nec.
A review after 1 year.
"(ba) any amount of support for disabled children included under section 10 should be no less than the amount that was provided under the benefits and tax credits system prior to the introduction of the universal credit,? YES!!
?Such amounts are to include an amount of earnings to be disregarded where a claimant has regular and substantial caring responsibilities.? (looks good!)
"Regulations may specify that the pension contributions of single, or either of joint claimants, are to be disregarded when calculating either earned or unearned income.?
?(5) The Secretary of State shall conduct a review into the impact of the calculation of universal credit on?
(a) claimants? ability to access childcare, and
(b) the impact on the work incentives for second earners, to conclude one year after the coming into force of this provision, and shall publish a report on the review to both Houses of Parliament.? (interesting 2nd amendment there)
Also, that it can't be put in place until the new computer + delivery system for payments has been proved works.
?(1A) Regulations will make provision so that the amount included for?
(a) the third child is 75 per cent; and
(b) the fourth child is 50 per cent;
of that included for the first child.
(1B) Regulations made under subsection (1A) shall only apply to claimants whose third child is born at least nine months after this section coming into force.? that looks to me like including first 4 dc now, and reduced amounts only for children conceived after UC system starts...
?(3A) In the case of alleged under-occupancy regulations may provide?
(a) in the case of a disabled person, relocation shall not be required nor shall benefit be reduced, where adaptation has occurred and local services are provided, in order to deal with the disability;
(b) in the case of a person capable of work-related activity, reduction of benefit or relocation shall not be proposed unless suitable employment is available within easy access of alternative accommodation.
(3B) Relocations may only proceed on the basis of agreement with the claimants concerned.?
?(3A) In relation to a dwelling of which the landlord is a local housing authority or a registered provider of social housing, regulations under this section shall not permit the housing cost element of the universal credit to be less than the actual amount of the liability in a case where a household has no more than one spare bedroom.? I'm not sure what this is about
?(4A) Regulations shall provide for?
(a) the frequency with which reviews of the relationship between increases in the rental market and the CPI will be conducted;
(b) the circumstances in which increases in the rental market and CPI will be deemed to have diverged;
(c) the circumstances in which there will be considered to be a critical lack of affordable housing;
(d) the circumstances in which this will lead to a change in the method used to uprate the housing component of universal credit.? This looks good on HB front
?(6) Within one year of these regulations coming into force, an independent research review of their impact shall be laid before Parliament, and such a review to include the effects of such measures on the reduced incomes of social housing tenants and their families, the security of the rent roll of their social landlords, the depletion of tenants? savings, levels of arrears, levels of eviction, any increased homelessness and use of temporary accommodation, the reduced prospects of pensioners for rehousing, and the likely availability of housing stock to meet the new underoccupancy standards, and related matters.? it would be nice if they did that now - but forcing them to do it later with real stats is a second best
"The Secretary of State shall, when imposing work-related requirements with which claimants must comply, ensure that claimants have the necessary type and level of personalised support, and access to localised support, to enable them to obtain employment, or to undertake work or work related activity.? this sounds positive
?but a claimant unable to comply with the requirement to attend for interview may provide evidence to the effect from a health care professional as defined by section 16(6)? as does this
looks like cancer suffers will get their exemption too
Page 11, line 34, leave out ?for a period of 13 weeks? and insert ?while the threat of domestic violence exists? again not sure what this refers too, but sounds like a damn good thing to change
Page 12, line 41, leave out ?three years? and insert ?one year? gah where's the original document!
?( ) If the claimant has a long-term health condition or impairment, the Secretary of State must specifically address?
(a) whether the health condition or impairment had an impact on the failure to comply and, as such, should be seen as good cause,
(b) whether reasonable adjustments had been made to the process.?
?( ) Where a person has, within the previous 5 years of the date of the claim, ceased to be entitled to a contributory employment and support allowance by virtue of section 1A(1) of the Welfare Reform Act 2007 and?
(a) has limited capability for work-related activity, and
(b) since he or she last ceased to be entitled to a contributory employment support allowance, has had limited capability for work for the purposes of Part 1 of the Welfare Reform Act,
they shall be entitled to the contributory allowance.?
Insert the following new Clause?
?Further entitlement after time-limiting
(1) After section 1A of the Welfare Reform Act 2007 (as inserted by section 51 above) there is inserted?
?1B Further entitlement after time-limiting
(1) Where a person?s entitlement to a contributory allowance has ceased as a result of section 1A(1) or (2A) but?
(a) the person has not at any subsequent time ceased to have (or to be treated as having) limited capability for work,
(b) the person satisfies the basic conditions, and
(c) the person has (or is treated as having) limited capability for work-related activity,
the claimant is entitled to an employment and support allowance by virtue of this section.
(2) An employment and support allowance entitlement to which is based on this section is to be regarded as a contributory allowance for the purposes of this Part.?
age 61, line 14, leave out subsection (3) and insert?
?( ) Regulations will prescribe what considerations must be taken into account in deciding whether a fixed term award would be appropriate.?
Page 61, line 15, at end insert?
?( ) Regulations must provide that a fixed term award would not be deemed appropriate where sufficient medical or other expert evidence from a relevant care professional indicates that a claimant has a lifelong condition or disability of a degenerative nature that means that the claimant is likely to continue to meet the requirements of section 76(1) or section 78(1) (or both), as appropriate, indefinitely.?
CB to be excluded
( ) Regulations under this section must provide for an exemption from the application of the benefit cap for individuals or couples owed a duty to be provided with interim or temporary accommodation under section 188, 190, 193 or 200 of the Housing Act 1996.?
anyone?
proposed amendment is that they won't have to comply while they are still under threat (which we all know can go on well after you leave - so sounds reasonable to me)
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