Welfare Benefits Up-rating Bill — Third Reading — Capping Increase of Specified Benefits at 1% — 21 Jan 2013 at 22:00

The majority of MPs voted to cap any increase in specified benefits payments and tax credits at 1% rather than allow them to increase by 2.2% in line with prices.

MPs were considering the Welfare Benefits Up-rating Bill; this vote was on if to give the Bill its Third reading and pass it. This was the last opportunity for MPs to vote on the Bill before it became law.

The explanatory notes to the bill^[2] explain its purpose:

• In the Autumn Statement, it was announced that in light of the national economic situation, certain working-age social security benefits and payments, and certain elements of tax credits, would be up-rated by 1 percent, rather than prices (as measured by the Consumer Prices Index (‘CPI’), 2.2 per cent), for the tax year 2013-14.
• The working-age social security benefits and payments in question are:
• The main rates of Income Support, Jobseeker’s Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance and Housing Benefit; and the work-related activity group component of Employment and Support Allowance Maternity Allowance; and Statutory Adoption, Maternity, Paternity and Sick Pay .

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• [1] Welfare Benefits Up-rating Bill as introduced on 20 December 2012
• [2] Explanatory Notes to the Bill dated 20 December 2012
• [3] Parliament's webpage on the Welfare Benefits Up-rating Bill (Now the Welfare Benefits Up-rating Act 2013)

Debate in Parliament | Source |