Conservative peer calls for MPs to be given chance to make ‘active choice’ on whether to ‘let the universal credit uplift die’

Plans to amend the Social Security Uprating Bill in order to force a vote in the House of Commons outlined in Lords second reading debate

Conservative peer Baroness Stroud has called for MPs to be given the chance to make an ‘active choice' whether to 'let the universal credit uplift die’, in the second reading of the Social Security (Uprating of benefits) Bill in the House of Lords.

In the debate on the Bill - that replaces the earnings link in the triple pensions lock for one year with a requirement to increase rates at least in line with the increase in prices or by 2.5 per cent, whichever is higher - Conservative and opposition party peers took the opportunity to raise concerns about the removal of the £20 universal credit uplift.

In particular, Baroness Stroud expressed concerns about a ‘democratic deficit’ in the process used to bring the uplift to an end -

‘The removal of it was brought about by the sunset clause on secondary legislation, which means that it just died, without a vote in the other place.’

Baroness Stroud went on to call for MPs to be given the opportunity to vote on the issue -

‘If Members of the other place actively want to make this choice to let the £20 uplift die, then this House would respect that, but it should be an active choice because they are the ones answerable to their constituents.’

To achieve this, Baroness Stroud said -

‘… it is my understanding that there are two ways of giving the other place this active choice. One is through an amendment to the Bill, and the other is through an amendment to the process Motion of the Bill … If there is a way to bring forward such an amendment - and I believe that there is - it is my intention to do so in [the Committee stage of the Bill ...]’

NB - former Minister for Welfare Reform, Conservative peer Lord Freud, also said that removing the uplift is ‘the height of foolishness’, as it destroys the positive aspects of universal credit reform 'in the name of a false austerity from a decade ago’, adding that -

‘Many Conservative MPs feel exactly the same way, and, alongside my noble friend Lady Stroud, I will be endeavouring to ensure during the passage of this social security Bill that those MPs have a chance to vote their support for an adequate provision of universal credit.’

The Second Reading debate on the Social Security (Up-rating of Benefits) Bill is available from parliament.uk