Social Security (Up-rating of Benefits) Bill completes passage through Lords
17 November 2021
The Social Security (Up-rating of Benefits) Bill returned to the Lords for consideration of Commons amendments in ‘ping pong’ on Tuesday 16 November.
The bill was granted Royal Assent on Wednesday 17 November 2021 and is now an Act of Parliament (law).
The Social Security (Up-rating of Benefits) Bill makes provision relating to the uprating of certain social security benefits payable in the 2022-23 tax year.
Consideration of amendments
Members considered Commons reasons for disagreeing with Lords changes (amendments) to the bill.
The proposed changes (PDF) covered subjects including the Office for National Statistics reported earnings figures and the exceptional impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the level of earnings.
Get involved
Watch and read the debate
Catch up on Parliament TV or read a transcript in Lords Hansard.
Explore further information
Read background information on the bill in the House of Lords Library Social Security (Up-rating of Benefits) Bill briefing.
What's happened so far?
Third reading: Monday 8 November
No changes to the wording of the bill were put forward ahead of third reading. Members discussed the progress of the bill through the House at the conclusion of Lords stages.
Catch up on Parliament TV or read a transcript in Lords Hansard.
Report stage: Tuesday 2 November
Proposed changes
Members put forward changes (PDF) (amendments) to consider at report stage and voted on one change to the bill.
Weekly earnings
Amendment 3 retains the earnings link uprating for the state pension triple lock, rather than removing it as the bill proposes, preserving the social security principle of protection for the basic and new state pensions against rises in average earnings (distorted by the pandemic).
Members voted 220 in favour and 178 against, so the change was made.
Catch up on Parliament TV or read a transcript in Lords Hansard.
Committee stage: Tuesday 26 October
Proposed changes
Members speaking at committee stage put forward changes (PDF) (amendments) to the bill to be discussed.
The amendments covered a range of subjects, including reviewing the impact of these changes on pensioners, mixed age couples, people's ability to pay energy bills and the end of the Universal Credit uplift.
Catch up on Parliament TV or read a trasncript in Lords Hansard.
Second reading: Wednesday 13 October
Members discussed the main issues in the bill during the second reading debate.
Members speaking
Baroness Stedman-Scott (Conservative), Minister for Work and Pensions, opened the debate and responded on behalf of the government.
Members speaking in the debate included:
- Baroness Altmann (Conservative), Governor, Pensions Policy Institute
- Lord Davies of Brixton (Labour), former pensions officer at the Trades Union Congress
- Baroness Greengross (Crossbench), President, Pensions Policy Institute
- Baroness Janke (Liberal Democrat) Liberal Democrat spokesperson for work and pensions
Catch up on Parliament TV or read a Lords Hansard transcript.
Image: Parliamentary copyright 2021 / Roger Harris