Labour ministers tread carefully as welfare reform looms
Labour ministers tread carefully as welfare reform looms
The government is not just looking at reforming the benefits system - it is preparing to put it at the heart of its economic agenda.
How does an agenda for "growth" meld with welfare reform?
- fewer people on benefits
- more people working
Right?
"It's high up the agenda for us because of the cost implications but also the broader economic problem of having so many people economically inactive," a Treasury source said.
Apparently so.
They're right to be cautious because this where they'll burn a huge amount of support. There's certainly stuff they could do around unemployment so that there aren't situations where the economics of the situation encourage you to not work. Then create jobs and the system should then work.
Everything else (e.g. disability), if it's not a positive change I think they need to steer clear.