Andy Burnham has delivered a hint on how he will handle any changes to benefits should he become Prime Minister. A major review over the future of Personal Independence Payments (PIP), the UK's main disability benefit, is currently ongoing.
Uncertainty Over PIP Review
The resignation of Keir Starmer as PM, and likely removal of Rachel Reeves as Chancellor, creates uncertainty over what will now happen with PIP and wider welfare policy. As it stands, the PIP review is due to report back to ministers in the autumn before a decision over how to proceed.
Under plans by Starmer and Reeves, some households faced cuts to their benefits, while it was set to become harder for new people to claim. Burnham, strong favourite to take over in Number 10, has delivered clues to his thinking on benefits.
Burnham's Stance on Welfare Cuts
The former Greater Manchester Mayor accepts the welfare bill has to come down but appeared to rule out any "crude" major cuts to benefits early on. He suggested he was keen to avoid any skirmishes with Labour backbenchers or backlashes from the public over benefits. This is partly why Keir Starmer's premiership began to unravel so early.
Burnham told the Times: "I am not squeamish about saying that the plan would be to reduce the welfare bill. Not at all." But 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."
Preventative State Approach
Burnham emphasised the need for a preventative approach: "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, much earlier intervention to a more positive outcome."
The review's outcome remains uncertain, but Burnham's comments signal a potential shift away from the previous administration's approach to disability benefits.
