Andy Burnham, widely tipped as the next Prime Minister after his Labour victory in the Makerfield by-election last week, has ruled out “crude” short-term cuts to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) but signalled support for linking Personal Independence Payment (PIP) to employment.
Burnham's Stance on Welfare Reform
In an interview with The Times, Burnham endorsed Alan Milburn’s latest welfare report, which highlights that for every £25 spent on welfare, only £1 goes to employment support. Burnham agreed that this imbalance is wrong and called for long-term investments to help people into work.
“I am not squeamish about saying that the plan would be to reduce the welfare bill. Not at all,” Burnham said. However, he added: “It is not the traditional Westminster way of just crude cuts, short-term cuts that then create a backlash and create more political turbulence. It is actually going to do things that will reduce the benefits bill, moving towards a more preventative state that makes the right investments to support people into work.”
Concerns from Disability Groups
Despite Burnham’s assurances, disability forum Benefits and Work expressed concern that his remarks failed to address the issue of linking PIP to work. The group warned that such a link could pressure disabled people into unsuitable employment.
The Milburn report states: “At no point in a young person’s application or journey on PIP are they asked about, or supported to, work. This is not an accident of delivery. It is how PIP is designed.” Milburn also emphasised that the state must provide a financial safety net for those who “may have extra costs or never be able to work”.
Burnham's Vision for a Preventative State
Burnham argued that the current system is reactive, dealing with crises rather than preventing them. “We do not have a preventative, productive, growth-enabling state. We are doing the opposite. We end up dealing with crises and spending huge amounts of money supporting people in a crisis situation rather than into much earlier intervention to a more positive outcome,” he said.
Instead of cash cuts, the former Mayor of Greater Manchester pointed to long-term plans to “support people into work”, aiming to reduce the welfare bill through investment rather than austerity.
