House of Lords debate - the annulment of employment and support allowance (ESA) regulations
On 22 May 2008 Lord Kirkwood of Kirkhope rose to move,
"That an humble Address be presented to Her Majesty praying that the regulations, laid before the House on 27 March, be annulled (SI 2008/794)."
This was the prelude to a debate which discussed some of the Lord’s misgivings on the new regulations.
These included:
concern that the regulations do not deliver on the promises that people perceive were made to them by Ministers as the Welfare Reform Act 2007 went through all its legislative stages.
that the rates at which the benefits are set, being lower than those that were expected, are causing concern.
that blind and other disabled people will face a reduction in their income, even though they will be expected to take part in work-related activity.
whether the Government really intends to invest some of the savings from the benefit spend and put it back into the training and the ESA support rates and allowances.
whether the Government, at the back of their minds, are thinking more about saving money than anything else.
the likelihood that the number of appeals is estimated to increase by something like one-third as this benefit is introduced.
that the some of the “contentious issues” in the regulations need to be referred back to the Social Security Advisory Committee.
that the regulations stipulate that only students claiming the income-related ESA who also receive disability living allowance will be able to study full time.
You can read the debate at the Hansard link below.
benefits 
