Welfare improvement is next, but the Labor Minister is spreading carefully

When Sir Kir Stmper was preparing to run for labor leadership in 2020, his campaign director told the future Prime Minister what the party matters.

Morgan Makswini emphasized that whatever his groups, labor members shared some main principles – and the list had a commitment to deal with top poverty and defend the welfare state.

This is the reason that in view of welfare reforms, any labor politician takes care of carefully.

This government, however, is not only looking for improvement in welfare – it is preparing to keep it at the center of its economic agenda.

In a big speech by Rhel Reeves on this week’s development, he swear that to achieve the “fundamental” improvement of the welfare system, the government will look at areas which “like the rising cost of health and disability benefits” too long ” Time is saved from ducks “.

What did this mean?

This question is currently being addressed between Treasury and Pension Department of Affairs (DWP).

Work and Pension Secretary, Liz Kendal, will present one “green Paper” – Or policy proposal – On welfare improvement in only one month, it is designed to demonstrate how serious the government is about finding ways to use more people – and to save money from the welfare budget.

This dual purpose explains why it is considered to be such an important issue on top of the government.

The minister is worried about the situation in which the quantity of people receiving some benefits has increased. Meanwhile, the treasury needs to ensure that it is not on the course To break your own fiscal rules,

A source in the Treasury said, “This cost is an agenda for us due to implications, but there is also a comprehensive economic problem for so many people being financially inactive.”

And in 10 Downing Street, colleagues say that dealing with the issue would be the most obvious indication that Sir Kire is actually serious about improving public services.

Last year, government Spend £ 65bn on the benefit of the disease – 25% increase from the year before epidemic. This figure is estimated to increase to about £ 100bn before the next general election.

Some of these are Kovid’s legacy. But the Chancellor has made his view clear that another reason for this bounce is “deformed encouragement” which is wired in the system.

Repeatedly, ministers and officials complain of a system where on universal credit require to show evidence to those who have applied for jobs, or have to face restrictions – but out of work People who qualify for the disease, both get more money and do not necessarily require work.

Ministers believe that it encourages some people for “system games”. Some labor advisors are afraid that the issue is being extended, especially among young people, by video on tickets and other platforms, who describe the contenders for the contenders to get the questionnaire to get disease benefits.

An alternative officer is investigating what should happen – as in the past – a third way that requires some people to work to search for the disease – but without risk that they lose the benefits of their illness.

A senior government source said, “Many people tell us that they are afraid of going to work, if it does not work and they cannot then go back to the security trap,” a senior government source said.

Some people of the government say that this may require more frequent assessment of the health of the contenders, but the people involved in the discussions admit that DWP needs to be necessary to explain their situation often “painful”, “derogatory” And can be “terrible” for weak contenders.

Better training and coaching can help, but the amount of money included in it cannot sit well with a treasure that is in savings mode.

It is complicated enough – and before you get for finance and politics.

On finance, this phase of welfare reform is designed to generate savings, which can be “scored”, in other words, the office is responsible for the budget responsibility (OBR) in the next budget in the autumn by the office.

But the people involved in the previous budget take precautions that the savings will actually be “basically impossible” to explain to OBR.

And then there is politics.

As Mcsweney, now the Chief of Staff of Sir Keir, found – Labor party is deeply committed to the welfare state and is deeply concerned about anything that looks like a safety trap.

This is not only true about party members, but also MPs. In the huge 2024 intake of Labor MPs, one of their most common reasons for joining labor party was opposed to conservative penance and welfare cuts.

This means that even some of them are expressing significant concerns about the direction of traveling personally for Star and Reeves.

Some of these stresses have started spreading in public views.

But PMQs Debbi Abraham this weekThe Labor Chair of the Kama and Pension Select Committee said that “speculation” about the savings of billions of pounds found from the social security budget was left out “many weak contenders (Bhavna)”.

He warned the Prime Minister that “language matters”.

Senior labor figures involved in the discussions are adamant that these are Reeves and Starrs that are in line with the public’s opinion, not the concerned Labor MP.

One complained: “If you ask Labor MPs whether they will be in favor of the public or in favor of a lot of labor movement and outspoken disability campaigners – it’s a marginal call for some of them.”

Others take precautions about public opinion on this issue: “The public feels that they support the welfare cuts until they hear a story about anyone who they feel sympathetic to lose money They do not do it then. “

Some old hands warns how soon the government can be left by step with its base. Party’s decision to stay on a conservative welfare bill in July 2015,

The anger of such labor members was the measure that the cuts in orthodox welfare were not being opposed, it is seen by many as the main reason that Jeremy Corbin’s longshot leadership campaign flew away.

John Ashworth, a former shadow cabinet minister, who is still close to the top figures of the party, urged the government to “transfer people to good, well paid jobs for improvement. Help in “.

He said: “Currently designed as well -designed people are excluded from work and actively deny people who want to help real, real.”

These political views are not new areas for Reeves. She was the shadow work and pension secretary for two years before the 2015 general election.

His fast is that labor “will be harder than tors on the benefits” made him deep controversial with the party’s ground level for years. Talking to The New Statesman in 2021, Reeves admitted that he might have made his point “badly”, but insisted that “spending more on benefits was not always a sign of success. And in fact the profit bill increases when society fails Is.”

These dilemmas may not be new to Reeves, but they are feeling the best of some of their colleagues.

“Of course I am worried about this politics,” a minister said.

“Anyone with the brain will worry about it.”