The Welfare Reform Act, from its first reading to royal assent, has taken just over 12 months, but the implications for local authorities will be felt much longer.

At Lambeth, we have set up appropriate officer groups to work with members to look into the implications of the Act on our residents, given the breadth of change. One of those changes is the introduction of a localised council tax support scheme to replace council tax benefit. We have until January to get a scheme in place, and the speed of this requirement highlights a lack of understanding about how local government works in some areas of central government.