Committee for Employment and Social Security - P.2018/8
The States are asked to decide:
Whether, after consideration of the Policy Letter entitled 'The Implementation of Income Support and Transitional Provisions, dated 22nd January 2018, they are of the opinion:
1. To agree the following rates and allowances, uplifted for indexation from the figures approved by the States on their agreement of the proposals of the Social Welfare Benefits Investigation Committee (SWBIC), in resolution 1 on Article IX of Billet d'État No. VII of 2016, to apply to all claimants on and from the date of implementation in 2018 of the SWBIC proposals-
a) the short term requirement rates for supplementary benefit or income support as set out in table 1 of the Policy Letter;
b) the long term requirement rates for supplementary benefit or income support as set out in table 2 of the Policy Letter;
c) the maximum rent allowances in relation to supplementary benefit or income support as set out in table 3 of the Policy Letter; and
d) the capital allowances for supplementary benefit or income support as set out in table 4 of the Policy Letter.
2. To agree the following additional matters in relation to supplementary benefit or income support to apply from implementation in 2018 of the SWBIC proposals -
a) to set the earnings disregard at £35 per week;
b) to entitle claimants for supplementary benefit or income support who are -
i) of pensionable age; or
ii) disabled and who are deemed incapable of fulfilling a work requirement,
to have their claims assessed under long term requirement rates from the date of their claim,
with no requirement to have been in receipt of supplementary benefit or income support for
a period of 6 months.
c) to entitle claimants for supplementary benefit or income support -
i) whose income and other resources are in excess of their short term requirement rates, but
ii) whose income and other resources are less than their long term requirement rates,
to be paid at the long term rate 6 months after the date of their claim provided that they meet
all relevant requirements that would have to have been met by a claimant who had been paid
short term rates for 6 months.
3. To note the proposed transitional provisions for a reduced rent rebate to be available for those social housing tenants most affected by the transition from rent rebate to supplementary benefit or income support.
4. To direct the preparation of such legislation as may be necessary to give effect to their above decisions.
The above Propositions have been submitted to Her Majesty's Procureur for advice on any legal or constitutional implications in accordance with Rule 4(1) of the Rules of Procedure of the States of Deliberation and their Committees.
