Spending on Welfare Benefits

Policy description

There have been votes in Parliament on the level of spending on welfare benefits. Specific matters voted on include a cap on the overall amount the state spends on welfare each year, the rate of increase of various benefits, and the operation of specific benefits.

View policy details.

Analysis for Kerry McCarthy

Kerry McCarthy almost always voted against (6% aligned) a reduction in spending on welfare benefits.

Comparable Labour MPs almost always voted against (6% aligned).

Scoring Divisions

Scoring divisions are used to calculate the headline alignment between a person and a policy.

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Guide to columns

  • person vote: the vote cast by the person

  • party alignment: how aligned this vote was with other members of the person’s party. Higher numbers indicate less difference from the average vote of the party.

  • policy direction: if an aye vote is aligned or against the overall policy.

  • policy alignment: if this MP’s vote was aligned with the policy.

motion date person vote party alignment policy direction policy aligned
Welfare Reform Bill — Decline Second Reading 2011-03-09 aye 100% against not aligned
Welfare Reform Bill — Second Reading 2011-03-09 absent na agree na
Welfare Reform Bill — New Clause 2 — Childcare Element in Universal Credit 2011-06-13 aye 100% against not aligned
Welfare Reform Bill — Clause 5 — Exclusion of Up to Fifty Thousand Pounds in an ISA from Capital Used to Determine Universal Credit Eligibility 2011-06-13 aye 100% against not aligned
Welfare Reform Bill — Third Reading 2011-06-15 no 100% agree not aligned
Local Government Finance Bill — Clause 8 — Move from Council Tax Benefit to Council Tax Reduction Schemes 2012-01-31 no 100% agree not aligned
Welfare Reform Bill — Clause 51 — Period of Entitlement to Contributory Employment and Support Allowance 2012-02-01 no 100% agree not aligned
Welfare Reform Bill — Clause 51 — Employment and Support Allowance for Those With Cancer 2012-02-01 no 100% agree not aligned
Welfare Reform Bill — Clause 93 — Exclusion of Child Benefit from Benefit Cap 2012-02-01 no 100% agree not aligned
Welfare Reform Bill — Clause 10 — Universal Credit Payments In Relation to Disabled Children and Young People 2012-02-01 no 100% agree not aligned
Welfare Reform Bill — Clause 11 — Housing costs — Exemptions from Benefit Reductions Due to Excess Bedrooms 2012-02-21 no 100% agree not aligned
Draft Housing Benefit (Amendment) Regulations 2012 — Under Occupation Critera — Local Housing Allowance Rates 2012-10-24 no 100% agree not aligned
Draft Benefit Cap (Housing Benefit) Regulations 2012 — Individual Benefits Cap 2012-11-21 no 100% agree not aligned
Welfare Benefits Up-rating Bill — Second Reading — Capping Increase of Specified Benefits at 1% 2013-01-08 no 100% agree not aligned
Welfare Benefits Up-rating Bill — Clause 1 — Rate of Increase of Certain Benefits, Payments and Tax Credits 2013-01-21 aye 100% against not aligned
Welfare Benefits Up-rating Bill — Clauses 1 to 3 and Schedule — Capping Increase of Specified Benefits at 1% 2013-01-21 no 100% agree not aligned
Welfare Benefits Up-rating Bill — Third Reading — Capping Increase of Specified Benefits at 1% 2013-01-21 no 100% agree not aligned
Benefit Entitlement (Restriction) Bill 2014-01-17 absent na agree na
Summer Budget 2015 2015-07-14 no 100% agree not aligned
Welfare Reform and Work Bill — Decline Second Reading 2015-07-20 aye 100% against not aligned
Welfare Reform and Work Bill — Second Reading 2015-07-20 absent na agree na
Tax Credits (Income Thresholds and Determination of Rates) (Amendment) Regulations 2015 — Reduction in Rates of Tax Credits 2015-09-15 no 100% agree not aligned
Welfare Reform and Work Bill — New Clause 1 — Repeal of Tax Credits Regulations 2015 2015-10-27 aye 100% against not aligned
Welfare Reform and Work Bill — Clause 13 — Employment and Support Allowance: Work-Related Activity Component 2015-10-27 aye 100% against not aligned
Welfare Reform and Work Bill — Clause 14 — Universal Credit: Limited Capability for Work Element 2015-10-27 aye 100% against not aligned
Welfare Reform and Work Bill — Third Reading 2015-10-27 no 100% agree not aligned
Welfare Reform and Work Bill — Clause 13 — Employment and Support Allowance: Work-Related Activity Component 2016-02-23 no 100% agree not aligned
Welfare Reform and Work Bill — Clause 14 — Universal Credit: Limited Capability for Work Element 2016-02-23 no 100% agree not aligned
Welfare Reform and Work Bill — Removal of Work Related Activity Component from Employment and Support Allowance — Impact Assessment and Parliamentary Approval of Implementation 2016-03-02 no 100% agree not aligned
Welfare Reform and Work Bill — Removal of Limited Capability for Work Component from Universal Credit — Impact Assessment and Parliamentary Approval of Implementation 2016-03-02 no 100% agree not aligned
Welfare Cap 2022-01-10 absent na against na
draft Social Security Up-rating Order 2022 2022-02-07 absent na against na
Draft Tax Credits, Child Benefit and Guardian’s Allowance Up-rating Regulations 2022 2022-03-02 absent na against na

Informative Divisions

Informative votes are thematically related to a policy, but do not count towards the overall score.

motion date person vote party alignment policy direction policy aligned
Housing Benefit 2010-11-09 aye 100% against not aligned
Opposition Day — Education Maintenance Allowance 2011-01-19 aye 100% against not aligned
Opposition Day — Education Maintenance Allowance 2011-01-19 no 100% agree not aligned
Welfare Reform Bill — Clause 51 — Employment and Support Allowance for Those Ill or Disabled Since Their Youth 2012-02-01 no 100% agree not aligned
Welfare Reform Bill — Clause 11 — Housing costs 2012-02-01 no 100% agree not aligned
Welfare Benefits Up-rating Bill — Decline Second Reading — Capping Increase of Specified Benefits at 1% 2013-01-08 aye 100% against not aligned
Opposition Day — Housing Benefit (Under-occupancy Penalty) 2013-02-27 aye 100% against not aligned
Opposition Day — Housing Benefit — Deductions for those deemed to have excess bedrooms 2013-11-12 aye 100% against not aligned
Opposition Day — Housing Benefit — Deductions for Those Deemed to Have Excess Bedrooms 2013-11-12 no 100% agree not aligned
Opposition Day — Halt Further Spending and Welfare Cuts and Investigation Impact of Austerity Measures 2014-02-11 absent na against na
March 2014 Budget 2014-03-25 no 100% agree not aligned
Welfare Cap — Charter for Budget Responsibility 2014-03-26 aye 95% agree aligned
Charter for Budget Responsibility: Autumn Statement 2014 Update 2015-01-13 aye 98% agree aligned
Queen's Speech — Spending Cuts, Welfare Changes and Trident 2015-06-04 absent na against na
Charter for Budget Responsibility — Aiming for Budget Surplus — Cap on Welfare Spending 2015-10-14 no 100% agree not aligned
Opposition Day — Tax Credits 2015-10-20 aye 100% against not aligned
Welfare Reform and Work Bill — New Clause 8 — Tax Credit Reductions — Transitional Protection 2015-10-27 aye 100% against not aligned
Opposition Day — The Economy — Tax Credits — Investment in Science, Technology and Green Jobs 2015-11-18 aye 100% against not aligned
Opposition Day — Universal Credit Work Allowance — Decision to Cut 2016-01-06 aye 100% against not aligned
Opposition Day — Application of Housing Benefit Cuts to Supported Housing 2016-01-27 aye 100% against not aligned
Queen's Speech — Human Rights — Steel Industry — Budget Setting Principle 2016-05-26 aye 100% against not aligned
Benefit Cuts for Disabled and Ill People Required to Participate in Activities Intended to Increase Their Chances of Obtaining Work 2016-06-08 aye 100% against not aligned
Housing Benefit Cuts — Supported Housing 2016-07-20 aye 100% against not aligned
Charter for Budget Responsibility — Reducing Public Borrowing — Cap on Welfare Spending 2016-07-20 aye 100% against not aligned
Universal Credit and Employment and Support Allowance — Analysis of Impact of Changes on Those with Different Incomes 2016-11-16 aye 100% against not aligned
Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit 2021-01-18 aye 100% against not aligned
Government's Management of the Economy 2021-02-23 aye 100% against not aligned
Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit 2021-09-15 aye 100% against not aligned
Working People’s Finances: Government Policy 2021-09-21 aye 100% against not aligned
Charter for Budget Responsibility 2022-01-10 no 100% agree not aligned
Cost of Living Increases — Income — Poverty — Universal Credit — Energy Payment — Child Payments 2022-01-24 absent na against na
Programme for Government — Workers' Rights — Cost of Living — Climate — Benefits — Windfall Tax — Devolution — Human Rights 2022-05-18 absent na against na