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Proceeding contribution from Lord Freud (Conservative) in the House of Lords on Thursday, 3 November 2011. It occurred during Debate on bill and Committee proceeding on Welfare Reform Bill.


Welfare Reform Bill

It is clear that a lot of changes are going on and I am not surprised that people do not understand them all. One of the things that we have done means that claimants in the support group can volunteer to go straight on to the work programme, where there is substantial help for them to get back into work. That is one way in which we are helping people who may find themselves in the worst possible position to get into work. We have made a very straightforward mechanism. I pick up the point of the noble Lord, Lord McKenzie. We are instigating a process whereby people, if they are in the WRAG with a prognosis, are asked by work providers whether they would like to come in at any point—I think at six months. They are then encouraged to volunteer for the process early. They do not move from the WRAG to JSA until there is another WCA. We are talking about a process here; it is a dial for these people, as the noble Lord said, but it has to be understood in the context of how the work programme operates as well as how the WCA operates.


Secondary information

Type
Proceeding contribution
Reference
731 c498GC 
Session
2010-12
Chamber / Committee
House of Lords Grand Committee
Subjects
Complaints Disability Disclosure of information Devolved matters Childcare Appeals Costs Housing benefit Employment Jobseeker's allowance Earnings rules Medical examinations Mental illness Pension credit Pilot schemes Personal income Pensions Scotland Social security benefits Welfare tax credits Standards Working hours Wales Research Work capability assessment Universal credit
Legislation
Welfare Reform Bill 2010-12
Link
View this Proceeding contribution on www.publications.parliament.uk