Background to the Act
1.In March 1998, the Government set out its broad welfare reform agenda in the Green Paper entitled New ambitions for our country: A NEW CONTRACT FOR WELFARE (Cm 3805). The central principle espoused in the Green Paper was “work for those who can, and security for those who cannot.”
2.Since then, the Government has legislated for a number of reforms in the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999 and has published two main documents of relevance to this Act, to take forward that broad agenda:
Green Paper A new contract for welfare: PARTNERSHIP IN PENSIONS (Cm 4179), published in December 1998. Some of the proposals for reform have already been taken forward in the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999. These include the introduction of stakeholder pensions and changes to occupational and personal pensions.
White Paper A new contract for welfare: CHILDREN’S RIGHTS AND PARENTS' RESPONSIBILITIES (Cm 4349), published on 1st July 1999.
3.In addition, the Government has reviewed the operation of the National Insurance system, the way in which the appeals system for War Pensions operates, enforcement of community punishments, and the powers held by fraud inspectors.
