To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security for what reasons the time period for claims for social security benefits is being reduced to one month; and if she will make a statement. [30176]

The proposed changes to the backdating arrangements will create a single aligned time limit which will be simpler for people to understand and easier for staff to administer. It also underlines customers' responsibility to claim on time. The change will also help us to stay within the spending limits which we inherited. We have had to make hard choices and we believe it is reasonable to make payment of benefit to meet current entitlement a priority.