Welfare Reform Bill

As an amendment to Motion G, at end insert ““but do propose Amendments 47C to 47H as amendments in lieu”” 47C: Page 62, line 40, at end insert— ““( ) Regulations may provide for the benefit cap to be applied to the welfare benefits to which a single person or a couple is entitled according to the local area in which they are ordinarily resident.”” 47D: Page 63, line 1, leave out ““reference to estimated average earnings”” and insert ““the Secretary of State upon receipt of recommendations from the Independent Body on the Benefit Cap”” 47E: Page 63, line 3, leave out subsections (7) and (8) 47F: Page 63, line 8, at end insert— ““(7) Before making the first regulations under subsection (5), the Secretary of State shall refer the matters specified in subsection (8) to the Independent Body on the Benefit Cap for their consideration. (8) Those matters shall include— (a) the need to safeguard against homelessness; (b) the targets in sections 3 to 6 of the Child Poverty Act 2010; (c) the differences in housing costs between London and the rest of the UK. (9) Where matters are referred to the Independent Body on the Benefit Cap under subsection (7), the Body shall, after considering those matters, make a report to the Secretary of State which shall contain the Body’s recommendations about each of those matters. (10) If, following the report of the Independent Body on the Benefit Cap under subsection (9), the Secretary of State decides— (a) not to make any regulations implementing the Body’s recommendations, or (b) to make regulations implementing only some of the Body’s recommendations, or (c) to prescribe under subsection (5) a relevant amount which is different from the rate recommended by the Body, or (d) to make regulations which in some other respect differ from the recommendations of the Body, or (e) to make regulations which do not relate to a recommendation of the Body, the Secretary of State shall lay a report before each House of Parliament containing a statement of the reasons for the decision. (11) If the Independent Body on the Benefit Cap fail to make their report under subsection (9) within a time to be specified in regulations (which shall be no less than 9 months) any power of the Secretary of State to make regulations under this section shall be exercisable as if subsection (6) had not been enacted.”” 47G: After Clause 93, insert the following new Clause— ““Independent Body on the Benefit Cap (1) There is to be a body called the Independent Body on the Benefit Cap. (2) The functions of the Body are those conferred on it by or under this Act.”” 47H: Clause 94, page 63, line 37, after ““year”” insert ““refer to the Independent Body on the Benefit Cap for””