Concerns have been raised about the impact on young people of many of the measures taken to control the spread of coronavirus. This article explores the potential impact on education, health and poverty levels, and what the Government are doing to mitigate these concerns. It has been prepared in advance of a House of Lords debate scheduled for 17 June 2021.
Catch up on social affairs with a selection of articles you may have missed. Articles this month ask whether it is time for a new Beveridge report, and how best to make healthy food widely available.
This In Focus looks at possible announcements in the Queen’s Speech relating to pensions and benefits. It includes developments connected to universal credit payments and the Government’s proposed national disability strategy, and highlights the possible next steps in pensions legislation following the passing of the Pension Schemes Act 2021.
In Focus
Mesothelioma and pneumoconiosis are diseases primarily affecting industrial and construction workers. Sufferers are eligible for government compensation schemes if they cannot claim civil damages against their employers. Two sets of regulations would increase the amounts payable by 0.5 percent from 1 April 2021, in line with inflation and the uprating being applied to other disability benefits.
In Focus
The draft Tax Credits, Child Benefit and Guardian’s Allowance Uprating Regulations 2021 would set the annual rates of child tax credit and working tax credits from 6 April 2021, and the weekly rates of child benefit and guardian’s allowance from 12 April 2021. The draft regulations must be approved by Parliament before becoming law. The House of Lords is scheduled to debate the regulations on 8 February 2021.
In Focus
New regulations have come into force which provide for claimants in receipt of the severe disability premium in legacy benefits to make new universal credit claims. However, there are fears this will leave some of those individuals worse off.
In Focus
The draft Social Security (Contributions) (Rates, Limits and Thresholds Amendments and National Insurance Funds Payments) Regulations 2021 would set the national insurance contributions rates, limits and thresholds for the upcoming 2021/22 tax year. They must be approved by both Houses of Parliament before becoming law. The House of Lords is due to debate the regulations on 8 February 2021.
In Focus
The House of Lords will soon debate a report by the former Intergenerational Fairness and Provision Committee. Now dissolved, this special inquiry committee published a report on tackling intergenerational unfairness in April 2019. It alleged that the “action and inaction” of successive governments had risked undermining fairness between generations and called for improvements in six areas to tackle this: accounting for policies and data; housing; education; work; communities; and tax and benefits.
In Focus
These regulations extend the Pension Protection Fund’s rights as a creditor when co-operative and community benefit societies have a moratorium in place to protect them from creditor action. This would give the fund a greater say during restructuring discussions when societies are in financial difficulty. The Pension Protection Fund provides compensation for members of defined benefit pension schemes where their employer becomes insolvent. The regulations also revoke and replace previous regulations due to a drafting error.
In Focus
The Social Security (Up-rating of Benefits) Bill is due to be considered in the House of Lords on 13 October 2020. It allows for particular state pension benefits to be reviewed and potentially increased, despite an expected fall in average earnings due to the coronavirus pandemic. The bill received cross-party support in the House of Commons, where it passed all its stages on 1 October 2020.
In Focus
The Jobseekers (Back to Work Schemes) Act 2013 (Remedial) Order 2019 makes changes to the Jobseekers (Back to Work Schemes) Act 2013. These changes are the result of decisions made in the courts on the act’s compatibility with the European Convention on Human Rights. This article looks at the court cases which led to the remedial order, ahead of its debate in the House of Lords on 3 September 2020.
In Focus
This article looks at how much is known about the relationship between coronavirus and human trafficking, and what actions the Government has taken so far to provide support during the pandemic.
In Focus
A range of data is available to measure child poverty. This article looks at official statistics on children in low income households with someone in work. It then considers Government policy in the area, and also discusses the possible impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Child poverty in working households is the subject of an oral question in the House of Lords on 15 July 2020.
Research Briefing
Amongst its provisions, the Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill would give effect to the Government’s policy of ending freedom of movement once the transition phase ends at the end of December 2020. It would also confirm the continued right of Irish citizens to come to and work in the UK after the ending of freedom of movement and it would provide a power to amend, via regulations, retained EU law governing social security coordination.
In Focus
A universal basic income (or UBI) is a periodic cash payment unconditionally delivered to all on an individual basis, without a means-test or work requirement. This article examines arguments for and against introducing a UBI, particularly in light of the economic impacts of the coronavirus outbreak.
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