Select committee: Welsh Affairs Committee
Conclusion 16
Fourth Report - The Benefits System in Wales
Published 17 Mar 2022
Paragraph 116
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)
We welcome the extent of joint working between ministers throughout the pandemic, including meetings between the Secretary of State for Wales and the First Minister and other Welsh Government Ministers, as well as multilateral meetings chaired by various UK Ministers. This reflected not only the gravity of the situation but also the value of regular meetings at ministerial level. However, we would welcome information from the Wales Office about how it intends to facilitate the working relationship between the DWP and the Welsh Government going forward.
From: Welsh Affairs Committee, Fourth Report - The Benefits System in Wales (HC 337), paragraph 116, 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.