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Welfare Reform Bill

I thank the Minister for reading carefully into the record how he sees the system working in future, but I am afraid that, carefully as I listened, I could not hear an answer to my questions. Unless we can have an answer now, I am afraid that these amendments will not remain probing. It sounded ominous when he said that there would be resource implications if backdating into the assessment phase was pursued. It sounded as though they are trying to save money and as though people will have to wait longer than they do at the moment to go on to the higher rate of benefit by waiting through an assessment period that is not fully backdated. If I am wrong, can he say so? Despite making the points pretty clearly and giving the views of the Disability Benefits Consortium and the CPAG, I do not believe that I got a straight answer. Are these expert people just getting it wrong?