Why is the DWP failing to provide proper explanations alongside its legislation? Lords to ask minister
The House of Lords Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee will next week take oral evidence from Lord Freud, Minister of State for Welfare Reform on the quality of information that the Department for Work and Pensions has provided in support of statutory instruments.
Since the general election the Committee has published three reports criticising DWP for failing to provide sufficient explanation alongside its Statutory Instruments to enable it to gain a clear understanding of the effect of the instrument under consideration. The Committee has therefore invited the Minister to attend and discuss how his department can do a better job in meeting the Committee's information requirements.
The evidence session will start at 12:00pm on Tuesday 22 December in Committee Room 3A of the House of Lords.
Lord Freud is the Minister for Welfare Reform at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and as such may make statutory instruments that set out new or revised legislation on social security benefits.
The instruments that have caused the Committee particular concern were:
- Universal Credit (Waiting Days) (Amendment) Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/1362) (see 3rd, 4th and 5th Reports)
- Social Security (Housing Costs Amendments) Regulations (SI 2015/1647) (see 9th and 11th Reports)
- Housing Benefit (Abolition of the Family Premium and Date of Claim Amendment) Regulations 2015 (SI 2015/1857) (see 17th Report)
