Background and Summary
3.In July 2008 the Government published a consultation paper on proposals for welfare reform No one written off: reforming welfare to reward responsibility (Cm 7363). Over 1,000 consultation responses were received; four national consultation events were held; Ministers and officials participated in regional and local events to allow stakeholders and clients opportunity to voice their views. At the end of the consultation period, and following the publication of an independent review of conditionality in the benefits system by Professor Paul Gregg Realising potential: A vision for personalised conditionality and support, a White Paper Raising expectations and increasing support: reforming welfare for the future (Cm 7506) was published. This sets out the Government’s proposals for the continuing reform of the welfare state. These started with the introduction of Jobcentre Plus and the New Deals, and have progressed most recently to the introduction of the employment and support allowance in October 2008 and new obligations for lone parents with older children in November 2008.
4.Not all of the proposals set out in the White Paper require primary legislation. But this Act gives effect to those proposals that do.
5.This Act also fulfils the commitment made in the White Paper Joint birth registration: recording responsibility (Cm7293) to legislate in order to make joint birth registration by unmarried couples the normal, default position, thereby enabling unmarried fathers to have their names entered on the birth register and to gain parental responsibility by this route. The aim of increasing parental responsibility is also the reason for including further changes to child maintenance legislation, building on the Child Maintenance and Other Payments Act 2008.
6.The Act consists of five Parts:
	Part 1 – Social security
	Part 2 – Disabled people: right to control provision of services
	Part 3 – Child maintenance
	Part 4 – Birth registration
	Part 5 – General
7.The following paragraphs summarise those Parts, and are followed by detailed explanations of the individual sections and Schedules.