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    NOTES

  • The Welfare Reform Bill 2009 is a government Bill which had its first reading in the House of Commons on 14th January 2009.
  • The Bill had its 3rd reading in the House of Commons on 17th March 2009 and then moved to the House of Lords.
  • 2nd reading of the Welfare Reform Bill in the House of Lords was on 29th April 2009 (see Hansard, HL 29th April 2009,col 261).
  • 3rd reading of the Bill in the House of Lords was on 3rd November 2009. The Bill now goes back to the Commons for approval of amendments made in the Lords.

    STOP PRESS:

  • This Bill received Royal Assent on 13th November 2009 as the Welfare Reform Act 2009. There is an official expalanatory note to the Welfare Reform Act 2009 on the OPSI website
  • The Welfare Reform Act 2009 (Commencement No. 1) Order 2010, SI 2010/45 was made on 7th January 2010
  • The Welfare Reform Act 2009 (Commencement No. 2 and Transitory Provision) Order 2010, SI 2010/293 was made on 3rd February 2010
  • The Welfare Reform Act 2009 (Section 26) (Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2010, SI 2010/424 was made on 22nd February 2010
  • Correction slip of July 2010

    This Bill is separate from a recent Bill of the same name which was enacted as the Welfare Reform Act 2007 in May 2007 (see notes at Acts of Parliament etc/Welfare Reform Act 2007 ).

    The basic, overall, idea is to provide "for a single personalised conditionality and support regime, where virtually everyone claiming benefits and not in work should be looking for or engaging in activity to help them move towards employment".

    The heading to the Bill itself states that it will "Amend the law relating to social security; to make provision enabling disabled people to be given greater control over the way in which certain public services are provided for them; to amend the law relating to child support; to make provision about the registration of births; and for connected purposes"

    Legislative proposals

    Background papers

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    updated November2009