Andy Burnham has been warned that his Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) reforms must exclude and protect disabled claimants, as Labour welfare rebels and disability campaigners urge against using cuts to fill a £4.7bn black hole left by Sir Keir Starmer's defence spending plan.
Rebels demand protection for disabled people
Several Labour welfare rebels told The Independent last week that Burnham, the new Labour MP for Makerfield, must rule out welfare cuts targeting disabled people. Rachael Maskell, a key figure of last year's backbench rebellion, said: “Ensuring financial security for disabled people and people who are on poverty pay must remain the principle of our social security system, and while it is right that Labour does everything possible to help people into work to cut the demands on the DWP, cuts will simply displace the expenditure.”
Scope urges alternative funding
James Taylor, director of strategy at disability equality charity Scope, said: “A new PM will have many different options and ways of investing in defence. We don’t need to – and should not – balance the books on the backs of disabled people. The benefits system needs reform, but reform cannot become code for cutting support. Life costs more if you are disabled, and everyday living costs remain stubbornly high.”
Burnham's commitment to reform
Burnham has committed to changing the DWP welfare system but reassured people he won't make “cruel cuts”. He has been backed to make cuts to address the £4.7bn shortfall from Starmer's defence spending plan. Last week, Burnham said he wanted more in-work mental health support for young people, which he suggested would cut benefit spending. He also argued that building more council homes would reduce the housing benefits bill.
Milburn's perspective on welfare
Alan Milburn said: “I think the right way to frame it is what we try to do in this review, which is to say: look, you’ve got a huge welfare problem now... The best and most sustainable way of doing it is to ensure that those young people get the opportunity to work so that they can be at work, they can pay their taxes and they become less dependent on benefits.”
