The House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee agreed its Second Report of Session 2007-08, The best start in life? Alleviating deprivation, improving social mobility and eradicating child poverty, on 20 February 2008. The Report was published on 3 March as House of Commons Paper No. 42. The Government’s Response to this report has been published on 12 June. It can be found at:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmselect/cmworpen/580/580.pdf
Practitioners may like to note the following extract from the new Report.
Work and Pensions Committee recommendation (no. 61 of Paper No. 42.)
We welcome the Government’s recognition that there are problems with take-up of Housing Benefit, and particularly with awareness amongst customers and Jobcentre Plus advisors that it can be claimed in work. However the problem of taper rates as both a disincentive to work and a cause of in-work poverty can not be ignored. It seems perverse that taper rates start substantially before families are lifted out of poverty, and can serve to keep people below the poverty line. We believe that an adjustment to the Marginal Deduction Rates for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit has the potential both to lift children out of poverty and improve incentives to work. (Paragraph 360 of Second Report)
Government Response (para 125 in Response paper).
The Government is aware that taper rates are a concern and will continue to keep them under review as part of wider reforms of the tax and benefit system. As announced in the Budget 2008 statement, there are plans for a joint review of Housing Benefit with HM Treasury, which will look at the fairness of the current system with a particular emphasis on how it promotes work incentives, helps reduce child poverty and supports sustainable working communities.
[The original Work and Pensions Committee report can be found at http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmselect/cmworpen/42/42.pdf]
Copyright © 2025 · All Rights Reserved · Institute of Revenues Rating and Valuation
Warning: Undefined array key "User_id" in /home/irrvnet/public_html/forumalert/inc_footer.php on line 4