text_body: --- DIVISION TITLE ---
  
  Welfare Benefits Up-rating Bill - Second Reading
  
  --- MOTION EFFECT ---
  
  
  
  @ MP voted aye to increase working age benefits and tax credits by 1% in 2014-15 and 2015-16 if prices have risen by 1%. 
  @ MP voted no against increasing working age benefits and tax credits by 1% in 2014-15 and 2015-16 if prices have risen by 1%. 
  
  The majority of MPs voted to increase working age benefits and tax credits by 1% in 2014-15 and 2015-16 if prices have risen by 1%. 
  
  The vote was on the second reading of the Welfare Benefits Up-rating Bill; the majority of MPs voted in favour, supporting the basic principles of the bill and allowing it to progress towards becoming law. 
  
  Minister Iain Duncan Smith summarised the effect of the bill saying:[1]
  
  :The Bill provides that discretionary working age benefits and tax credits will be uprated by 1% for a further two years in the tax years 2014-15 and 2015-16, if prices have risen by at least 1%. The schedule to the Bill sets out the benefit payments and tax credits 
  
  The explanatory notes to the bill[2] list the working-age social security benefits and payments in question as:
  
  * The main rates of Income Support, Jobseekerâs Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance and Housing Benefit; and the work-related activity group component of Employment and Support Allowance;
  
  * Maternity Allowance; and Statutory Adoption, Maternity, Paternity and Sick Pay.
  
  The explanatory notes state the purpose of the bill was to implement a decision announced in the Autumn Statement:
  
  :In the Autumn Statement, it was announced that in light of the national economic situation, certain working-age social security benefits and payments, and certain elements of tax credits, would be up-rated by 1 per cent, rather than prices (as measured by the Consumer Prices Index (âCPIâ), 2.2 per cent), for the tax year 2013-14.
  
  An amendment was proposed suggesting MPs decline a second reading; this was [http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/division.php?date=2013-01-08&number=128 subject of a separate vote].
  
  
  * [1] [http://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=2013-01-08b.188.0#g188.7 Iain Duncan Smith MP (Chingford and Woodford Green, Conservative) House of Commons, 8 January 2013] 
  * [2] [http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2013/16/notes Welfare Benefits Up-rating Act 2013 - Explanatory Notes] 
  
  
  
  
  --- COMMENTS AND NOTES ---
  
  (put thoughts and notes for other researchers here)
  