Research Briefing
Government support for childcare and childcare reform under the Coalition Government
This note provides an overview of Government childcare policies since 2010.
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Research Briefing
Social security benefits and tax credits for people under 25
In his speech on welfare on welfare given at Bluewater, Kent on 25 June 2012, the Prime Minister put forward a number of ideas including removing access to Housing Benefit for people aged 16-24, and preventing school leavers from claiming benefits straight away. This note outlines the ways in which the tax benefit system already treats young people aged 18-24 differently, and the reaons why
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Research Briefing
Historical Rates of Social Security benefits
This note sets out the historical rates for the major social security benefits since the introduction of the modern welfare state in 1948.
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Research Briefing
Delivering Universal Credit
For Ministers and civil servants alike, the recent National Audit Office and Public Accounts Committee (PAC) reports on progress implementing Universal Credit (UC) will have made uncomfortable reading. The PAC described management of the UC programme as “extraordinarily poor”, pointing to a “shocking absence of financial and other internal controls.”
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Research Briefing
Winter Fuel Payments: people in residential care
People in residential care who receive Pension Credit do not qualify for the Winter Fuel Payment. Other care home residents receive half the full rate (£100, or £150 for people aged 80 or over). This note describes the rules as they apply to people in care homes, and explains the rationale behind them.
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Research Briefing
Cold Weather Payments for winter 2013/2014
Cold Weather Payments are made from the Social Fund to certain recipients of Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit or Pension Credit during periods of very cold weather.
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Research Briefing
Bereavement benefits
Information on the current system of bereavement benefits (Bereavement Payment, Bereavement Allowance and Widowed Parent’s Allowance) and on the Government's proposals for a new Bereavement Support Payment.
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Research Briefing
Universal Credit: proposals for a seven day “waiting period” for claims
In Spending Round 2013 on 26 June, the Chancellor announced that new Universal Credit claimants subject to work-related conditionality who have not had a UC claim in the previous six months will have to wait seven days before becoming eligible for support. The measure is expected to be introduced from April 2015, and ultimately yield savings of around £260 million a year.
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Research Briefing
Short Term Benefit Advances and Budgeting Advances
From 1 April 2013, a new advance of benefit facility administered by DWP replaced Social Fund Budgeting Loans, interim payments of benefits and "alignment payments". This note gives details of the new system of Short Term Benefit Advances and Budgeting Advances.
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Research Briefing
Localising support for Council Tax – background
This note provides background to the introduction of Council Tax Reduction Schemes and the abolition of Council Tax Benefit.
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Research Briefing
Jobseekers (Back to Work Schemes) Bill 2012-13
On 12 February 2013 the Court of Appeal ruled that regulations underpinning some of the Government’s back to work schemes were unlawful and must be quashed. The Bill - which has retrospective effect - would remove the ability for individuals sanctioned for not participating in one of the schemes to challenge the sanction decision on the grounds that the regulations were invalid, or notices given to them were inadequate.
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Research Briefing
Draft Universal Credit Regulations 2013
Starting in selected “Pathfinder” areas from April 2013, Universal Credit (UC) will begin to replace a range of means-tested benefits and tax credits for working age families. The Draft Universal Credit Regulations set out the detailed rules for the new benefit.
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Research Briefing
Draft Social Security (Personal Independence Payment) Regulations 2013
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is to replace Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for people of working age, starting from April 2013. Part 4 of the Welfare Reform Act 2012 provides the framework for PIP, but the detailed rules for the new benefit – including the assessment criteria – are to be set out in regulations.
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Research Briefing
Constituency casework: tax credits
This is an archived Commons Library briefing on constituency casework: tax credits, from 2013.
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Research Briefing
Welfare Benefits Uprating Bill
Social security legislation requires the Secretary of State to review benefit levels each year to determine whether they have retained their value relative to prices. For most benefits annual uprating is not mandatory, but historically governments have exercised their discretion by increasing the principal means-tested working-age benefits each April in line with prices. In his 2012 Autumn Statement, the Chancellor announced that increases in most working-age benefits would be limited to 1% a year for three years from 2013-14, as part of a package to deliver additional welfare savings of £3.7 billion a year by 2015-16. The Bill amends primary legislation to enable the decisions on uprating in 2014-15 and 2015-16 to be implemented.
Total results (page 17 of 22)