Autism: Personal Independence Payments

Lord McKenzie of Luton Excerpts

Monday 12th September 2011 Lords Chamber

[Lord Freud]

Yes, my Lords. I made absolutely clear in that response that I was talking in real terms, so it takes account of inflation.

[Lord McKenzie of Luton]

My Lords, the Minister said that he is in listening mode with the Welfare Reform Bill and is eager to learn lessons. Can he tell me what lessons he will learn from today’s IFS report, which states that when the tax and benefit programme of this Government is analysed the poorest 30 per cent of people are bearing the brunt?

[Lord Freud]

My Lords, this is a serious recession, and the IFS emphasised how it will impact. One thing we will discuss as we go through the Welfare Reform Bill is the way in which we direct a lot of resource precisely to the poorest people. On a like-for-like basis, the universal credit injects something over £4 billion extra a year to the poorest people, against the current benefit system.