Welfare Reform Act 2012

The changes to the welfare system have been introduced by the Welfare Reform Act 2012, the main elements of which include:

• The introduction of Universal Credit to provide a single payment that will improve incentives to work.
• A stronger approach to reducing fraud and error with tougher penalties for the most serious offences.
• A new ‘claimant commitment’ showing clearly what is expected of claimants while giving protection to those with the greatest needs.
• Reforms to Disability Living Allowance, through the introduction of Personal Independence Payment to meet the needs of disabled people today.
• Creating a fairer approach to Housing Benefit to bring stability to the market and improve incentives to work.
• Preventing abuse of the Social Fund system by giving greater power to local authorities.
• Reforming Employment and Support Allowance to make the benefit fairer and to ensure that help goes to those with the greatest need.
• Changes to support a new system of child support which puts the interest of the child first.