Welfare Reform Bill: Report stage day three

Members of the House of Lords voted to protect cancer patients and disabled people from restrictions on employment and support allowance (ESA).

The Lords voted 260 to 216 to protect disabled people from cuts to employment support allowance (ESA). They voted 234 to 186 for a minimum two-year limit rather than the Government proposed one-year for people to claim ESA.

The Lords voted 222 to 166 to exempt people receiving cancer treatment from a time limit on receiving ESA.

Catch up on day three (Wednesday 11 January)

• Watch day three on Parliament TV
• Read Lords Hansard transcript from day three
• View Lords division results for the votes made from day three

Catch up on day two (Wednesday 14 December 2011)

The Welfare Reform Bill completed its second day of report stage on Wednesday 14 December. The Lords successfully challenged the housing costs set by the Government with amendments made by Lord Best and backed by organisations like the national Housing Federation and Shelter.

• Watch day two on Parliament TV
• Read Lords Hansard transcript from day two

Catch up on day one (Monday 12 December 2011)

The first day of report stage was completed on Monday 12 December.

• Watch the debate on Parliament TV
• Read the Lords Hansard transcript
  

Welfare Reform Bill: Key areas

• The bill introduces Personal Independence Payments to replace the current Disability Living Allowance.
• It restricts Housing Benefit entitlement for social housing tenants whose accommodation is larger than needed.
• It will up-rate Local Housing Allowance rates by the Consumer Price Index.
• It amends the forthcoming statutory child maintenance scheme.
• Payment of contributory Employment and Support Allowance is limited to a 12-month period.
• The total amount of benefit that can be claimed will be capped.
  

Catch up on the Welfare Reform Bill

• Read a summary of the Welfare Reform Bill proposals
• See full list of amendments
• Watch the Welfare Reform Bill Grand Committee on Parliament TV
• The conclusive Grand Committee Day
• Welfare Reform Bill Grand Committee, days nine to 14
• Welfare Reform Bill Grand Committee, days one to eight
• Read the Lords Hansard from the final Committee Day 17
• Welfare Reform Bill Second Reading (Tuesday 13 September)

What is the report stage?

Report stage in the Chamber gives all Members of the Lords further opportunity to consider all amendments (proposals for change) to a bill. It usually starts at least 14 days after committee stage. It can be spread over several days (but usually fewer days than at committee stage).

Before report stage takes place

• The day before report stage starts, amendments are published in a Marshalled List – in which all the amendments are placed in order.
• On the day, amendments on related subjects are grouped together and a list (“groupings of amendments”) is published.

What happens at report stage?

• Detailed line by line examination of the bill continues.
• Votes can take place and any Member can take part.

What happens after report stage?

• If the bill is amended it is reprinted to include all the agreed amendments.
• The bill moves to third reading for the final chance for the Lords to debate and amend the bill.

More about the report stage.

Further information

Detailed line by line examination of the separate parts (clauses and schedules) of a bill takes place during report stage.

• Passage of a Bill: report stage
  

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