§ Earl Russellasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether it remains their policy that no one should be forced to take a job in which they would be financially worse off.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Social Security (Lord Skelmersdale)The Government, through their tax and national insurance reforms, the targeting of benefits and the introduction of Family Credit, have ensured that, in practice, nearly everyone is better off in work than remaining on benefits. Under existing legislation, however, the fact that a benefit claimant would be financially worse off does not of itself enable him to avoid benefit sanctions if he refuses or fails to follow up a job opportunity. Nothing in the current Social Security Bill alters this.