Disability Benefits (Single Assessment) Bill [Failed Bill 2006/07 session]

Jeremy Hunt (Con, South-West Surrey) introduced the Bill under a ten-minute rule motion.

Introducing the Bill, Hunt stated that the criteria to obtain disability benefits is "complex and convoluted" and that the current system makes it "difficult for them [disabled people] to get back into the world of work."

He stated that his Bill would require the Department for Work and Pensions to get its computer systems to talk to each other, so that, in his own words, "if a disabled person consents to it, they need only supply information about their disability once and that can be used across all the different benefit streams."

Hunt concluded by declaring that "this measure will save money in administration costs, but, more importantly, it will save huge frustration and aggravation for disabled people."

House of Commons

First reading: June 20 2007 [HC Bill 128]

Bill dropped