Overview

This bill mandates the UK government to produce a report assessing the potential consequences of removing the benefit cap, a limit on the total amount of welfare benefits a household can receive. The report will analyze the impact on various social indicators and vulnerable groups.

Description

The Benefit Cap (Report on Abolition) Bill requires the Secretary of State to submit a report to Parliament analyzing the likely effects of abolishing the existing benefit cap. This assessment must cover:

• Social and Economic Impacts: Changes in levels of absolute and relative poverty, poor mental health, food bank usage, borrowing from family and friends, evictions, and problem debt.
• Impact on Specific Groups: The report must specifically examine the potential effects on women, lone parents, and people from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds.

The report is required to be submitted to Parliament in 2022. The bill defines "the benefit cap" as any cap set under the Welfare Reform Act 2012.

Government Spending

The bill itself does not directly allocate or change government spending. Instead, it requires a report that could inform future decisions regarding government spending on welfare benefits. No figures on potential spending changes are included in the bill.

Groups Affected

The bill will directly affect:

• The Secretary of State: Responsible for producing the mandated report.
• Parliament: Will receive and consider the report.
• Low-income households potentially affected by the benefit cap: The report will assess how they may be impacted by the removal of the cap.
• Women, lone parents, and people from Black and minority ethnic backgrounds: The bill specifically requests analysis of the impact on these groups.

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