Welfare Bill defeat in the House of Lords
The government's plans to reform welfare were badly hit on Wednesday night, when their Welfare Bill suffered three defeats in the House of Lords.
On 11 January 2011 the government's plans to reform welfare and the benefit system were badly hit. Three aspects of the Welfare Bill were defeated in the House of Lords: these included benefits for disabled children and cancer patients, and time limits on employment and support allowance (ESA).
Ministers had planned to place stricter limits on who can claim ESA, which is currently paid to people who are too sick or disabled to work. They also planned to limit to one year the amount of time people could claim ESA without being means tested.
However, by voting for exemptions for cancer patients, young disabled people and an overall extension of the time limit, peers have set back those plans significantly. Attention this week will be firmly focused on further developments.
More information can be found at: BBC website and the Guardian website
