Welfare Reform Bill set to become law

The Welfare Reform Bill is set to become law after peers backed down over Government plans to fine jobless single parents with pre-school age children if they do not prepare for work while receiving benefits.

MPs this week overturned a Lords amendment which would have seen the fines applied only to lone parents whose youngest child is aged five or over.

Lord Freud, for Tories, said he would not push the issue to a vote as it had "become a political game for the Government".

But Work and Pensions minister Lord McKenzie of Luton said fines would be a "last resort" and that a system of "rights and responsibilities" was the best way of getting lone parents to engage with work-related activities.

Lord Freud said: "The Government cannot accept this simple unambiguous proposal because it came from our benches and in my view for no other reason.

"I don't think it is appropriate or seemly to join this particular game. It is Bill that we support and I don't want to endanger it.

"We believe there should be protection for lone parents of pre-school age children and judging by the large number of emails I have received in the last 36 hours there are many lone parents who are utterly dismayed that this amendment has been removed and disbelieving that it is a Labour Government that is doing it."

He said that if the Tories won the next election "lone parents with children under five will not face financial sanctions as a result of the progression to work regime".

But Labour former work and pensions Baroness Hollis of Heigham said she "took exception to any suggestion that the views of the Government bench are part of a political game".

She said Lord Freud, a former Government adviser who became a Tory peer this year, was a "late entrant" to the discussion.

"Those on the Lib Dem benches and the Labour benches have been fighting the corner of lone parent poverty for something like 15 plus years," she said

Referring to Lord Freud's comments she said: "None of us make such aspersions in this House and all of us assume good faith however misguided we may think the import of any such amendment may be."

She said the Tory policy would drive a "coach and horses through the concept of trying to ensure all lone parents are engaged in work preparation" when their youngest child was aged between three and five.

Lord McKenzie told peers: "Work-related activity is not intended to be an onerous requirement.

"There will be no daily or even weekly requirement to undertake activity but a minimum of one activity to be undertaken between work-focused interview or every three months."

He added: "We would want as a last resort the ability to impose a sanction until they comply."

The Commons rejection of the Lords amendment was accepted without a vote and Bill has now been sent for Royal Assent.