Legislation is now being considered by Parliament to extend the right to request flexible working to carers of the sick and disabled.
Individual Budget pilots were announced on 21 November 2005 and will be run in 13 local authority areas, commencing this month in West Sussex. The pilots will increase the choice and control that disabled people and older people have over the support they need and how it is delivered. Individuals will be able to take the budget in the form of cash, provided services, or a combination of the two. The pilots bring together a range of funding streams overseen by the Department of Health, the Department for Work and Pensions and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister [now Department for Communities and Local Government].
All charitable, voluntary and personal injury income payments are already disregarded in pension credit and pension-age housing benefit and council tax benefit. To further simplify the tax and benefit system, the Government will from October 2006 disregard in full all charitable, voluntary and personal injury income payments when assessing eligibility for income support and Jobseeker’s Allowance.
The Government will also from October 2006 provide a 52 week grace period for lump sum personal injury payments when assessing eligibility for income support, Jobseeker’s Allowance, and working-age housing benefit and council tax benefit.
This year the first £4.7 billion of savings identified by the Gershon Review have been achieved. With the Government's target of £3 billion procurement savings exceeded by £1 billion, a year early.
On target, for the reduction of a further 18,500 civil service posts, including over 10,000 from the Department for Work and Pensions and 3,500 from Revenue and Customs.
On target with the relocation of a further 2,000 civil service posts out of London including to Bridgend, Cardiff, Derby, Leeds, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Manchester, Newport and Taunton.
In January 2005 the Government published Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People, a 20-year strategy for supporting disabled people. The Government is now working closely with key stakeholders including disabled people, organisations and advocates, to take forward the report’s recommendations.
A new Office for Disability Issues was launched on 1 December 2005 to oversee implementation, and will publish an annual report charting progress in this area.
Extension of the support offered through the New Deal Plus for lone parents (NDLP+) pilots, in the existing five locations for a further two years, to 2008
Extension of the NDLP+ pilots to two further Jobcentre Plus districts in Scotland and Wales from October 2006
The Government is committed to reducing the risk that lone parents alternate between work and benefits. To ensure that lone parents are helped into sustainable employment, the Government will now explore ways to
“incentivise” Personal Advisers to continue to support lone parents when in work.
Outreach support for people who are neither in work nor on benefit – especially the non-working partners of people in low income families, in groups which face particular barriers to employment, putting into practice a recommendation by the National Employment Panel (NEP);
Introduction of a Commission of Business Leaders to advise on helping the private sector to tackle racial discrimination (building on NEP recommendations);
For the small proportion of claimants over 25 years old who reach six months unemployment, Jobseeker Mandatory Activity pilots will be introduced in twelve areas from April 2006, with mandatory participation in a three-day work course and three additional follow-up interviews.
The Government is also currently examining the scope for strengthening the focus on monitoring and enforcing jobseeking responsibilities.
As announced in Budget 2005, the Government has allocated £80 million over two years to pilot new Learning Agreements. These will be aimed at 16 and 17 year olds who are in work but not receiving accredited training, to improve training options. Building on the existing statutory right to paid time off to train or study for this group, the pilots will test the effectiveness of formal learning agreements, financial incentives and wage compensation in encouraging greater involvement in training by young people and their employers. The pilots will be implemented from April 2006 and will be located in eight Learning and Skills Council areas: Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, East London, Cornwall & Devon, Lancashire, South Yorkshire, Black Country and Southend & Thurrock.
Budget 2005 announced that the Government will from April 2006 allocate £60 million over two years to pilot Activity Agreements and Allowances targeted on the most disadvantaged 16-17 year olds. The pilots will be located in eight Learning and Skills Council areas with the highest numbers of 16-17 year olds not in education, employment or training: Greater Manchester, Greater Merseyside, West Yorkshire, Central London, East London, Kent
& Medway, Cornwall & Devon and Tyne & Wear.
An additional £300 million provided over three years to enable pensioners on pension credit to have central heating systems installed free of charge, and to provide a £300 discount on central heating systems to all other pensioners who do not already have one in their home
Provision of funding to ensure that all local authorities can take steps to reduce housing benefit fraud by reviewing or visiting at least 50 per cent of their claimants each year, in line with best practice
Raising the earnings disregard in housing benefit and council tax benefit in line with inflation to £14.90 in April 2006, ensuring that claimants gain from increases in the rate of working tax credits.
Legislation is now being considered by Parliament to extend paid maternity leave from six to nine months from April 2007, with the aim of 12 months paid maternity leave by the end of the Parliament; to introduce a right for an additional period of paternity leave, some of which can be paid if the mother returns to work. The Government will continue to examine the case for extending it to parents of older children in the future.
In addition, from April 2006 the flat rate of statutory maternity, paternity and adoption pay and maternity allowance will be increased to £108.85 a week.
The Government will provide information on opportunities for financial education to applicants for social fund budgeting loans.
From April 2006 the capital limits for budgeting loans and community care grants will be doubled to £1,000 for people of working age and to £2,000 for pensioners. This will ensure recipients are not penalised for having small amounts of savings.
a tax credits package to provide more certainty around tax credit awards while maintaining the flexibility to respond to falls in income and changes in circumstances. Find out more.
To ensure a greater diversity of new young volunteers, the Government will also by April 2006 publish a rulebook to set out existing rules on volunteering and the benefit system.
An extension of winter fuel payments paid at £200 for households with someone aged 60 or over, rising to £300 for households with someone aged 80 or over, for the rest of this Parliament;
benefits 
