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Welfare Reform Bill

There is a lot of concern among a lot of people, not just the TUC, that it would be invidious if benefit claimants were working full time, for more than a week or two, alongside a person who was doing exactly the same job but receiving a proper wage. Under the Bill, the claimant could potentially be working alongside that fully waged person for up to six months. It is worth saying that in the other place, the honourable Member who is the successor to my noble friend as chairman of the Work and Pensions Select Committee thought that these people could be working for six weeks. That was what was said during the Report stage in the Commons—but it is up to six months. I should be very interested to hear what the Minister says.