My Lords, I thank all noble Lords who have spoken very powerfully in support of these incredibly reasonable amendments. My understanding is that what we are all about is seeking that the cap does not apply where it is completely inappropriate and unfair to expect that person to
work. In the case of kinship carers as well as other carers, the impact on the disabled child or relatives is likely to be extremely serious. The impact on the Exchequer or the taxpayer is also likely to be extremely costly.
I thank the Minister for informing the House that Ministers will be returning to the issue of carers, but surely the arguments of the High Court and the judge in relation to carers in general apply equally to kinship carers. I cannot see any possible argument that they do not—they just have to—so I ask the Minister to take away that point and consider the relevance of the High Court judgment and comments on kinship carers, and the need for some consistency. I also ask him to think further about the importance of people who cannot work for whatever reason, whether they have a one year-old child or are disabled to such an extent that they simply will not get better. Those people should be exempt from the cap and I ask the Minister not just to put that issue away and think “Job done”, but to think seriously and say, “Now hang on—surely we should be doing something about this”.
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The Minister said to me when we met to discuss this issue that the trouble is that, if he makes concessions on A, he will have to take some money from B. There is an opportunity to save billions if only the Government would invest in housing on the green belt—green areas within the M25 and areas around other urban conurbations. If the rents and costs of properties were controlled in that way, the housing benefit bill would really drop. Billions could be saved in that way without affecting very poor people. When the Government say that this is “just one of those things” and that it is necessary, I am sorry but I do not accept that. I ask the Minister to convey that point to his ministerial and other colleagues in the housing department, and on that basis I am happy to withdraw the amendment.