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Welfare Reform Bill

I want to speak about Lords amendments 29 and 51. I join my right hon. Friend the Minister in paying tribute to the Royal British Legion and its work on changing the name of council tax benefit to council tax rebate. I, too, praise the work of Baroness Turner in the other place. I welcome the Government's clear commitment today to rename council tax benefit council tax rebate. I heard what was said about cross-party support—and there has been such support—but without the Government's willingness to act and to accept the amendment, the Secretary of State's willingness to meet Chris Simpkins, director general of the Royal British Legion, and me, and the work of former Ministers, we would not be in this position today. I therefore thank the Government for their action today. In the past year, I have worked with the Royal British Legion to get more veterans help with their council tax bills. We are considering dignity and respect in old age. We found that pensioners, especially many of our veterans, did not want to claim something called "benefit." They fought for their country, they have worked all their lives and they have paid their taxes, but now many forgo money that is rightly theirs simply because of the word "benefit." Words matter, and I am glad that the Minister acknowledges and understands that so well. It is not a subsidy, handout or benefit, but a rebate, and we needed to change the name. I am delighted that the Government have given a clear commitment to changing the name of council tax "benefit" to council tax "rebate". That may sound like a small change, but it will make a big difference to tens of thousands of veterans and hundreds of thousands of pensioners. In my constituency alone, as many as 3,000 pensioners could be up to £600 a year better off—£12 a week. That may not sound like a fortune, but for someone living on £130 a week, another £12 makes a big difference. We need to do all we can to ensure that our veterans and our pensioners get the extra help as soon as possible. I therefore hope that my right hon. Friend the Minister will say a few words at the end of the debate about when we can expect the change to come into force. The Government's commitment is crucial and welcome, but I would like a clear indication of when they will implement it. If we agree that changing a "benefit" to a "rebate" is important, surely we also agree that it is important to effect that as soon as possible. Having asked for that information, I thank the Minister again for the commitment that he has given us today.