UK minister urges Labour to back major changes to benefits for young people
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden has urged Labour MPs to support welfare reforms aimed at helping more young people into work. His comments come before reviews of benefits for young people and disability support, after the government previously withdrew proposed disability cuts following opposition from Labour MPs.
Work and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden has urged Labour MPs to support major changes to the welfare system, describing efforts to help more young people move into work as a moral responsibility. His comments came as the government prepared for two reviews expected this autumn: one on young people led by Alan Milburn and another on a key disability benefit led by the Timms panel. Mr.
McFadden said Labour needed to renew the welfare system associated with the Clement Attlee government and later developed under New Labour. He said the party would have to make decisions about building a system focused on opportunity and changing people’s lives. The speech indicated that the government was again preparing welfare reforms after reversing a proposed £5bn-a-year programme of disability-benefit cuts last year.
The reversal followed opposition from Labour backbenchers, who warned that the plans would push hundreds of thousands of disabled people into poverty. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said he will pursue changes in a “Labour way” to help people return to work rather than set an overall savings target. Disability charities remain concerned about possible reductions after previous cuts, according to the source material.
The government is expected to design a new system and assessment process after the Timms and Milburn reviews. This is likely to require new legislation and would focus particularly on jobs and training for younger people. The debate follows a rise in young people claiming disability benefits.
The source material says about one million young people are out of work, employment and training, while working-age disability-benefit spending is forecast to increase from £14bn in 2019 to £34bn in 2030. Mr. McFadden said both the financial and human costs of the current system were too high.
Alan Milburn’s interim report said young people with lifelong complex needs who cannot work must remain protected, while suggesting that benefits for some people with less severe conditions could be reduced.
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