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Berry, Roger
That this House welcomes the intention of the Welfare Reform Act 2007 to provide better support to disabled people looking for work and the commitments previously made by the Secretary of State to pay the Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) above the current rate of long-term incapacity benefit (IB) for the main phase and at a significantly higher amount for the support group; is however concerned that income-based ESA claimants will receive £1.85 per week less than the (IB) equivalent and that many support group claimants will receive over £10 per week less than the IB equivalent; notes that disability organisations have warned that both disability poverty and child poverty could worsen as a result of the proposed ESA rates; further notes that the 18th Report of the House of Lords Merits of Statutory Instruments Committee draws special attention to the ESA regulations laid before Parliament on 27th March 2008 with the recommendation that the Government addresses the concerns of interest groups; and calls on the Government to consider postponing the start date for ESA until such time as outstanding concerns about benefit reductions and further problems identified in the Merits of Statutory Instruments Committee report are addressed.
16 May 2008
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