Select committee: Welsh Affairs Committee
Recommendation 9
Fourth Report - The Benefits System in Wales
Published 17 Mar 2022
Paragraph 85
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 ↗
Recommendation (the committee's words)
However, in light of concerns about the rising costs of living, there is a need for a discussion about how to ensure benefits are adequate, affordable and sustainable. On the basis of the evidence presented there is a need for an urgent review of: ending the £20 UC uplift; the 5 week wait for UC; the benefit cap and the two-child limit; bedroom tax; shared accommodation rate (of Universal Credit) for under 35s; freeze of LHA rate at March 2020 levels.
From: Welsh Affairs Committee, Fourth Report - The Benefits System in Wales (HC 337), paragraph 85, 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.