Clause 27
Welfare Reform Bill
3:00 pm
Anne McGuire (Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Disabled People), Department for Work and Pensions; Stirling, Labour)
I was going to come to that later, but I will deal with it now. The assessment of the income and the tapers will remain the same as under the housing benefit system. In that respect, it replicates the current scheme. Recent research suggests that the taper is not the main barrier preventing people from moving into work. Sometimes the barrier is that people lack knowledge as to whether they can retain their housing benefit and move into work. However, in the next stage of the reform programme we intend to consider the relationship between all the elements, including the tax credit system, which the hon. Gentleman mentioned, and housing benefit. Interaction is an issue, but the research indicates that the taper, although important, as the hon. Gentleman said, is not the main barrier preventing people from moving into work.