{"longTitle":"A Bill to make provision for universal credit and personal independence payment; to make other provision about social security and tax credits; to make provision about the functions of the registration service, child support maintenance and the use of jobcentres; and for connected purposes.","summary":"<p>The Bill provides for the introduction of a 'Universal Credit' to replace a range of existing means-tested benefits and tax credits for people of working age, starting from 2013. The Bill follows the November 2010 White Paper, 'Universal Credit: welfare that works', which set out the Coalition Government&rsquo;s proposals for reforming welfare to improve work incentives, simplify the benefits system and tackle administrative complexity.</p><p>Besides introducing Universal Credit and related measures, the Bill makes other significant changes to the benefits system. </p><p><strong>Key areas</strong></p><ul><li>introduces Personal Independence Payments to replace the current Disability Living Allowance</li><li>restricts Housing Benefit entitlement for social housing tenants whose accommodation is larger than they need</li><li>up-rates Local Housing Allowance rates by the Consumer Price Index</li><li>amends the forthcoming statutory child maintenance scheme</li><li>limits the payment of contributory Employment and Support Allowance to a 12-month period</li><li>caps the total amount of benefit that can be claimed.</li></ul><p>During the Committee Stage, the Government amended the Bill to provide for the establishment of a Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission.</p>","sponsors":[{"member":{"memberId":152,"name":"Mr Iain Duncan Smith","party":"Conservative","partyColour":"0063ba","house":"Commons","memberPhoto":"https://members-api.parliament.uk/api/Members/152/Thumbnail","memberPage":"https://members.parliament.uk/member/152/contact","memberFrom":"Chingford and Woodford Green"},"organisation":{"name":"Department for Work and Pensions","url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions"},"sortOrder":1},{"member":{"memberId":3893,"name":"Lord Freud","party":"Conservative","partyColour":"0063ba","house":"Lords","memberPhoto":"https://members-api.parliament.uk/api/Members/3893/Thumbnail","memberPage":"https://members.parliament.uk/member/3893/contact","memberFrom":"Life peer"},"organisation":{"name":"Department for Work and Pensions","url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions"},"sortOrder":2}],"promoters":[],"petitioningPeriod":null,"petitionInformation":null,"agent":null,"billId":671,"shortTitle":"Welfare Reform Act 2012","formerShortTitle":null,"currentHouse":"Unassigned","originatingHouse":"Commons","lastUpdate":"2012-03-09T09:46:34","billWithdrawn":null,"isDefeated":false,"billTypeId":1,"introducedSessionId":24,"includedSessionIds":[24],"isAct":true,"currentStage":{"id":4832,"stageId":11,"sessionId":24,"description":"Royal Assent","abbreviation":"RA","house":"Unassigned","stageSittings":[{"id":4594,"stageId":11,"billStageId":4832,"billId":671,"date":"2012-03-08T00:00:00"}],"sortOrder":19}}