Social Welfare, Civil Registration and Charities (Amendment) Bill 2026

Public bill · Government · Presented

The legislation would update social welfare rules, including removing the outdated pre-retirement allowance, ending the temporary loss of jobseeker’s benefit after certain redundancy payments, expanding appeals, and allowing people to choose whether to put their date of birth on a Public Services Card. It would modernise civil registration by creating a register of lived identity, improving access to records linked to illegal birth registrations, simplifying death notifications, and allowing online birth and stillbirth registration. It would also update Charity Appeals Tribunal procedures, including its membership, deputy chairing arrangements and witness protections.

Formal long title

Bill entitled an Act to amend and extend the Social Welfare Acts; to amend the Civil Registration Act 2004; to amend the Charities Act 2009; and to provide for related matters.

Last updated 23 September 2026