Select committee: Welsh Affairs Committee
Conclusion 1
Fourth Report - The Benefits System in Wales
Published 17 Mar 2022
Paragraph 42
Addressed to Wales Office
Welsh Affairs Committee The Benefits System in Wales All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
The demographic, economic and geographic challenges we have highlighted set the context for the benefits system in Wales. While it is a reserved competence, that does not mean the environment in which it operates is identical to that elsewhere in Great Britain. While the evidence shows that the key challenges for the benefits system in Wales are broadly similar to those in the other nations and regions of the UK, there are some important demographic differences that mean that some of the challenges facing the benefits system are more prominent in Wales. There are pressures here which underline the need for the UK Government to be conscious of the Welsh context when deciding welfare policy.
From: Welsh Affairs Committee, Fourth Report - The Benefits System in Wales (HC 337), paragraph 42, 17 March 2022
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 6 July 2022 (deadline 17 May 2022).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The UK Government rejects several of the Committee's main recommendations, including reinstating the £20 uplift, changing benefit up-rating and devolving social security, while describing existing action on others.
- On the £20 uplift and up-rating, the Government "rejects" both recommendations, saying the uplift "was always intended to be temporary" and that annual up-rating follows the Consumer Prices Index in the year to September.
- On Statutory Sick Pay, it is "keeping the system under review", says any changes "will be announced to Parliament", and will not provide a further update to the Committee.
- It "rejects" the proposed UK-Welsh government Inter-ministerial Advisory Board on Social Security, citing existing ministerial engagement channels, and has "no intention to devolve social security" to the Welsh Government.
- On Universal Credit consent, it says "to pause to run a formal consultation exercise at this stage" would delay work, while welcoming input through ongoing stakeholder discussions.