House of Commons Amendments

Session 2010 - 11
Internet Publications
Other Bills before Parliament

53

House of Commons

Tuesday 5 April 2011

Public Bill Committee

New Amendments handed in are marked thus

Amendments which will comply with the required notice period at their next appearance

Welfare Reform Bill

Note

The Amendments have been arranged in accordance with the Order of the

Committee [22 March].

Mr Liam Byrne

Stephen Timms

Ms Karen Buck

Margaret Curran

45

Clause  11,  page  5,  line  23,  at end insert—

‘(4A)
Regulations under subsection (4) shall provide that determinations of housing

costs for the purpose of this section shall have regard to—

(a)
rents and occupation charges within the locality in which the relevant

property is situated; and

(b)
the nature of the tenancy or occupation contract under which the liability

arises, including any statutory protection of the letting in question.

(4B)
For the purposes of subsection (4A), the “locality” means such area as may be

defined in accordance with the regulations.’.

Mr Liam Byrne

Stephen Timms

Ms Karen Buck

Margaret Curran

24

Clause  11,  page  5,  line  29,  at end add—

‘(6)
Before implementing the regulations in subsections (3), (4) and (5), the Secretary

of State shall publish a report on his method for uprating awards for housing

costs, covering the effect of differences between actual rent and the amount on

which the award is based.’.

Public Bill Committee: 5 April 2011
54

Welfare Reform Bill, continued

Mr Liam Byrne

Stephen Timms

Ms Karen Buck

Margaret Curran

25

Clause  11,  page  5,  line  29,  at end add—

‘(c)
provide for payments made under this Clause to be paid direct to a

landlord.’.

Mr Liam Byrne

Stephen Timms

Ms Karen Buck

Margaret Curran

26

Clause  12,  page  5,  line  32,  leave out ‘such’ and insert ‘childcare costs in prescribed

circumstances (up to a maximum of not less than 80 per cent. of the prescribed allowable

amount) and such other.’.

Mr Liam Byrne

Stephen Timms

Ms Karen Buck

Margaret Curran

27

Clause  12,  page  5,  line  33,  leave out ‘may’ and insert ‘shall’.

Mr Liam Byrne

Stephen Timms

Ms Karen Buck

Margaret Curran

28

Clause  12,  page  5,  line  38,  at end insert—

‘(d)
the fact that a claimant has children in receipt of school meals.’.

Mr Liam Byrne

Stephen Timms

Ms Karen Buck

Margaret Curran

29

Clause  12,  page  5,  line  38,  at end insert—

‘(d)
the fact that a claimant is a severely disabled person.’.

Mr Liam Byrne

Stephen Timms

Ms Karen Buck

Margaret Curran

20

Clause  12,  page  5,  line  40,  at end insert ‘and arrangements for its annual uprating.’.

Public Bill Committee: 5 April 2011
55

Welfare Reform Bill, continued

Anas Sarwar

43

Clause  13,  page  6,  line  8,  at end insert—

‘(1A)
The Secretary of State shall, when imposing work-related requirements with

which claimants must comply, ensure that claimants have the necessary type and

level of personalised support, and access to localised support, to enable them to

obtain employment, or to undertake work or work related activity.’.

Kate Green

Yvonne Fovargue

68

Clause  13,  page  6,  line  20,  at end insert—

‘(4)
A decision by the Secretary of State as to which of the work-related groups the

claimant falls into is a decision of the Secretary of State as to which of the work-

related groups the claimant falls into is a decision of the Secretary of State for the

purposes of the Social Security Act 1998, in particular sections 8, 9, 10 and 12 of

that Act.’.

Kate Green

1

Clause  14,  page  6,  line  23,  at end insert ‘and a statement of the responsibilities of

the Secretary of State with regards to that claimant.’.

Kate Green

64

Clause  14,  page  6,  line  24,  leave out from ‘State’ to end of line 25 and insert ‘in

consultation with the claimant and may be reviewed and updated by the Secretary of State

on a change of circumstances or on a request by the claimant for it to be revised.’.

Yvonne Fovargue

60

Clause  14,  page  6,  line  24,  after ‘State’, insert ‘in conjunction with the claimant’.

Yvonne Fovargue

61

Clause  14,  page  6,  line  25,  at end insert ‘or at the request of the claimant’.

Kate Green

65

Clause  14,  page  6,  leave out line 26 and insert—

‘(3)
A claimant commitment will be in a form prescribed by the Secretary of State.

(3A)
Regulations made for the purposes of subsection (3) make provision for a

claimant to appeal the content of a commitment where—

(a)
the claimant could not be reasonably expected to comply with the

requirements of the commitment,

(b)
complying with the commitment could not be reasonably expected to

make it more likely that the claimants would obtain or remain in work.’.

Public Bill Committee: 5 April 2011
56

Welfare Reform Bill, continued

Kate Green

2

Clause  14,  page  6,  leave out lines 32 and 33 and insert—

‘(c)
a statement of the responsibilities of the Secretary of State with regard to

that claimant,

(d)
details of how the claimant may appeal the contents of the claimant

commitment,

(e)
any other information the Secretary of State considers it appropriate to

include.’.

Kate Green

66

Clause  14,  page  6,  line  36,  at end insert—

‘(6)
A claimant who appeals the contents of a claimant commitment under the

provisions of subsection (3A) shall be deemed to have complied with the

commitment pending a decision on the appeal.’.

Mr Liam Byrne

Stephen Timms

Ms Karen Buck

Margaret Curran

71

Clause  16,  page  7,  leave out line 28.

Mr Liam Byrne

Stephen Timms

Ms Karen Buck

Margaret Curran

72

Clause  17,  page  8,  leave out line 22.

Mr Liam Byrne

Stephen Timms

Ms Karen Buck

Margaret Curran

73

Clause  17,  page  8,  line  29,  after ‘locations’, insert ‘, which shall include

consideration of the length and expense of the claimant’s travel’.

Public Bill Committee: 5 April 2011
57

Welfare Reform Bill, continued

Mr Liam Byrne

Stephen Timms

Ms Karen Buck

Margaret Curran

30

Clause  18,  page  8,  line  37,  leave out ‘(or more paid work or better-paid work)’.

Mr Liam Byrne

Stephen Timms

Ms Karen Buck

Margaret Curran

74

Clause  18,  page  9,  line  1,  after ‘locations’, insert ‘, which shall include

consideration of the length and expense of the claimant’s travel’.

Anas Sarwar

38

Clause  18,  page  9,  line  3,  at end insert—

‘(e)
the Claimant having guaranteed and predictable access to high quality,

flexible and affordable child care acceptable to the parent and child or

children.’.

Kate Green

Yvonne Fovargue

67

Clause  19,  page  9,  line  15,  leave out ‘under the age of one’ and insert ‘under such

age as may be prescribed’.

Mr Liam Byrne

Stephen Timms

Margaret Curran

Ms Karen Buck

36

Clause  19,  page  9,  line  16,  at end insert ‘, which shall include that the claimant is

either receiving, recovering from, or expected within 6 months to receive treatment with

chemotherapy or radiotherapy’.

George Hollingbery

32

Clause  19,  page  9,  line  16,  at end insert—

‘(e)
the claimant is receiving chemotherapy or radiotherapy, is recovering

from that treatment or is likely to receive such treatment within 6

months.’.

Public Bill Committee: 5 April 2011
58

Welfare Reform Bill, continued

Kate Green

Yvonne Fovargue

59

Clause  22,  page  10,  line  32,  at end add—

‘(4)
The Secretary of State must, except in prescribed circumstances, provide a

claimant with access to personally tailored work-related support.

(5)
Regulations are to specify, or provide for, minimum standards for provision of

personally tailored work-related support.’.

Mr Liam Byrne

Stephen Timms

Ms Karen Buck

Margaret Curran

49

Clause  24,  page  11,  line  21,  at end insert—

‘(1A)
When imposing requirements under this Part, the Secretary of State must provide

the claimant with a written statement detailing how the requirement is intended

to assist the claimant in securing employment.’.

Mr Liam Byrne

Stephen Timms

Ms Karen Buck

Margaret Curran

50

Clause  24,  page  11,  line  44,  at end insert—

‘(7)
Regulations must make provision to secure that in prescribed circumstances

where a claimant has been volunteering, the Secretary of State must not impose

prescribed requirements under this Part.’.

Mr Liam Byrne

Stephen Timms

Ms Karen Buck

Margaret Curran

51

Clause  24,  page  11,  line  44,  at end insert—

‘(8)
Regulations must make provision to secure that in prescribed circumstances

where a claimant has been in education, the Secretary of State must not impose

prescribed requirements under this Part.’.

Mr Liam Byrne

Stephen Timms

Ms Karen Buck

Margaret Curran

52

Clause  24,  page  11,  line  44,  at end insert—

‘(9)
Regulations must make provision to secure that in prescribed circumstances

where a claimant has caring responsibilities for children under the age of 16, the

Secretary of State must not impose requirements under this Part which would

significantly interfere with the claimant’s ability to discharge those

responsibilities. No regulations in this Part shall supersede the provisions set out

in The Jobseeker’s Allowance (Lone Parents) (Availability for Work)

Public Bill Committee: 5 April 2011
59

Welfare Reform Bill, continued

Regulations 2010 or The Social Security (Lone Parents and Miscellaneous

Amendments) Regulations 2008, Clause 11.’.

Kate Green

Yvonne Fovargue

62

Clause  25,  page  12,  line  4,  leave out ‘complied with or not complied’ and insert

‘engaged with or not engaged’.

Kate Green

Yvonne Fovargue

63

Clause  25,  page  12,  line  6,  leave out ‘specified by’ and insert ‘agreed with’.

Anas Sarwar

39

Clause  26,  page  12,  line  12,  at end insert—

‘(1A)
The Secretary of State shall, before exercising their powers under subsection (1)

above, advise the Claimant of their right of appeal in relation to any decision to

impose a sanction under section 26 or section 27.’.

Anas Sarwar

41

Clause  26,  page  12,  line  12,  at end insert—

‘(1A)
It is not a failure sanctionable under this section if a Claimant falling within

section 22 does not have guaranteed and predictable access to high quality,

flexible and affordable child care acceptable to the parent and child or children.’.

Mr Liam Byrne

Stephen Timms

Ms Karen Buck

Margaret Curran

79

Clause  26,  page  12,  line  12,  at end insert—

‘(1A)
Any reduction under this section must affect only the standard allowance

component of an award of universal credit.’.

Mr Liam Byrne

Stephen Timms

Ms Karen Buck

Margaret Curran

53

Clause  26,  page  12,  line  12,  at end insert—

‘(2)
With respect to claimants who have disabilities, the Secretary of State shall not

impose any sanctions without first consulting a Disability Employment Adviser.’.



© Parliamentary copyright	Revised 5 April 2011