A political commentator has warned that Labour’s latest welfare reform plans risk becoming another failed attempt at cutting benefits, comparing it to “Groundhog Day”.
Speaking on GB News, Kevin Schofield expressed skepticism about the government’s proposals to reduce long-term sickness benefits by up to £5,000 per year.
“Every government always says ‘we’re going to have a crackdown on benefits. We’re going to cut the welfare bill. We’re going to force the long-term sick back to work’,” he said, in a discussion you can watch in full above.
“It never seems to work,” Schofield added.
Kevin Schofield reacted to DWP plans to crack down on benefits
PA / GB NEWS
Under plans being considered by Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall, hundreds of thousands of benefit claimants could see their payments reduced.
The reforms would introduce tougher conditions for those on long-term sickness benefits, with most claimants currently not required to seek work.
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Ministers are considering eliminating the universal credit category for “limited capability for work or work-related activity”, which could result in affected claimants losing around £5,000 annually.
The work capability assessment system may also be aligned more closely with personal independence payment assessments.
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The scale of the welfare challenge is significant, with a near-record 2.8 million people currently claiming long-term sickness benefits.
The most common reasons for claims are mental health and back problems, with the incapacity and disability benefits bill having risen sharply since the pandemic.
The matter was discussed on GB News
GB NEWS
The government now spends £65 billion annually on sickness benefits, exceeding both the £60 billion defence budget and the £20 billion police budget.
The annual cost of support payments for people with disabilities and health conditions is forecast to increase by 60 per cent to £35 billion by 2029.
A government source defended the reforms, telling The Times: “The Tories failed on welfare because they failed on work.”
“This Labour Government recognises that many sick and disabled people want to work, given the right support, but are unfairly shut out,” the source added.
The Department for Work and Pensions said: “We’ve inherited a broken welfare system in desperate need of reform.”
The DWP spokesman added they would work closely with disabled people to ensure their voices shape any proposals.
Schofield highlighted the growing pressure on government finances, noting “Rachel Reeves needs to try and make her sums add up” with the ballooning benefits bill.
The political commentator remained doubtful about the success of the latest reforms, despite acknowledging the worsening situation since the pandemic.
“There’s going to be great incentives to get them back to work, but we’ll see,” he said.
“We’ve heard it so many times we’ll just have to wait and see if it works,” Schofield concluded.
