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Welfare Reform and Work Bill: Consideration of Commons amendments

4 March 2016

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The Welfare Reform and Work Bill returned to the House of Lords on Monday 7 March for consideration of Commons amendments in 'ping pong'.

Members of the Lords are discussed MPs' amendments on universal credit and access to employment and support allowance.

 

The bill now awaits Royal Assent.

Lords consideration of Commons amendments: Monday 29 February

Lords members discussed MPs' amendments relating to rental payments, the Employment and Support Allowance, and the obligation to report child poverty.

Lords third reading: Tuesday 9 February

Members discussed subjects including the benefit cap, the Social Security Advisory Committee and social housing rents.

The bill will now return to the Commons for consideration of Lords amendments in 'ping pong'.

Lords report stage day two: Wednesday 27 January.

There were three votes in the chamber on subjects including employment and support allowance and universal credit.

Lords report stage day one: Monday 25 January

Members of the Lords discussed subjects including the disability employment gap, child poverty, and social housing.

There were two votes in the chamber, the first, on an amendment proposing that the secretary of state should provide an annual report to Parliament on child poverty, went to a vote with 290 for and 197 against, so the change was made to the bill.

The second vote was on an amendment to include data on the health and well-being of children living in workless households, and long-term workless households, in England in an annual report by the secretary of state. 110 voted for and 184 against so the change was not made.

Lords committee stage day five: Tuesday 12 January

Members of the Lords discussed social housing rents, including plans to offset the impact of lower social rents on housing associations and local government, and the flexibility for registered providers to increase social rents.

Report stage, further line by line examination of the bill, is scheduled for Monday 25 January.

Committee stage day four: Monday 21 December

Members of the Lords discussed benefit cap thresholds, how these applied to people in receipt of carer’s allowance or disability benefits, and how benefits for carers could be protected. They also considered whether certain working-age benefits should be frozen for a period of four years.

Committee stage day three: Monday 14 December

Members of the Lords discussed subjects including ways to safeguard vulnerable welfare claimants, the effects of proposed changes to universal credit, who should be entitled to housing benefit, and children’s entitlement to the mobility component of disability living allowance.

Committee stage day two: Wednesday 9 December

Members of the Lords discussed subjects including universal credit, the cost of rented housing and ways to fight child poverty.

A third day of committee stage is scheduled to take place on 14 December.

Committee stage day one: Monday 7 December

Members of the Lords discussed the changes to child tax credits outlined in the bill, including how kinship carers are affected by the proposals, and whether there should be exemptions to proposed restrictions on child tax credits.

Committee stage continues on 9 December when further amendments will be discussed. 

Second reading: Tuesday 17 November

The debate covered many of the proposals within the bill designed to reform the welfare system. 

Lord Lansley (Conservative), Lord Lupton (Conservative), Lord Polak (Conservative) and Baroness Stroud (Conservative) made their maiden speeches during the debate.

Committee stage, the chance for line by line scrutiny in the Lords, is yet to be scheduled.  

About the Welfare Reform and Work Bill

The bill includes measures on issues including:

  • progress towards full employment and the apprenticeships target
  • the effect of certain support for troubled families
  • social mobility
  • the benefit cap
  • social security and tax credits
  • loans for mortgage interest
  • social housing rents.

Further information

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