Starmer faces discontent over welfare system shake-up
Sir Keir Starmer faced dissatisfaction when the government was preparing to announce changes to the welfare system.
Work and Pension Minister Liz Kendall will develop a reform plan on Tuesday to bring more people back to work and cut spending costs.
Ministers have been studying eligibility criteria around Individual Payments (PIPs) that are designed to provide additional cost of living for people with long-term health conditions and disabilities.
Health Minister Wes Street told BBC and Laura Kuenssberg Sunday There is one “Overdiagnosis” of mental health status Too many people are “deregistered”.
Speech Westminster Hours of BBC Radio 4The Citizen Advisory CEO said the government is “quick and easy leverage” by “taking money out of the system.”
Mrs. Dame Clare Moriarty also accused the government of “not doing all the work to ensure people can really get support”.
Asked about the advice she would give her job and pension secretary, Mrs. Claire said: “If I talk to Liz Kendall now, I would say their way is inconsistent with the government that really wants to improve living standards, address child poverty, to address child poverty, and end the massive dependence on emergency food.
“They do need to consider the consequences of taking this short-term action.”
Several back seat racks were also frustrated by the lack of communication from ministers.
A Labour MP described the “participation meeting” held at No. 10 as a “tick box exercise” while addressing the PA news agency, and another said many colleagues have made it clear that they will vote against such suggestions.
Initial reports suggest that PIP does not fit inflation for a year, but ministers are now considering abandoning these plans amid strong opposition from many generally loyal working MPs.
After attending a private meeting of MPs of Workforce last week, one MP told the BBC that freezing PIP would be “hard to release”.
“Some people have very complex disabilities. Part of the social contract is supported,” they said.
Another MP, a regular supporter of the Prime Minister, told the BBC: “Most of us agree that there are many people who don’t work, but there should be no problems and no problems.
“However, it is unacceptable to punish people with particularly vulnerable and severe disabilities.”
Write era Labor’s Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham urged “cautious” welfare changes on Monday.
“This will put too many people in poverty. To be clear: under any circumstances, there is no situation that reduces support for people with disabilities who cannot work,” he said.
During a Sunday appearance between the BBC and Laura Kuenssberg, the streets were asked whether he agreed with experts, warning of overdiagnosing mental health.
The Health Minister said he wanted to “follow the evidence and I agree with the viewpoint on overdiagnosis”.
“It’s another thing, mental well-being, disease, it’s a spectrum, I think there’s definitely overdiagnosis, but there’s too many people getting written off,” he said.
The comments from the Minister of Health prompted the mental health charity to warn that the language of diagnosis is very cautious to avoid stigmatizing people.
Total expenditure on health and disability benefits is expected to increase from £64.7 billion in 2023-24 to £100.7 billion in 2029-30.
According to the Office of Budget Responsibility, the biggest contribution of this increase is from welfare expenditure expenditures.
PIP is the second largest element of the Working Age Benefits Act, and spending is expected to nearly double to £3.4 billion by 2029-30.
Shadow Education Minister Laura Trott accused the government of “everywhere” in welfare reform.
When asked if the Conservatives would support the welfare changes, she said her party supports the “welfare reform principles” but “we are not clear about the plan.”
SNP urges Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to cut “cuts to people with disabilities”.
The party’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn said the Labor government “integrated as it pleases the Conservative austerity rules of public spending.”
