The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is preparing to scrap some of the most severe sanctions previously considered under Conservative leadership. Liz Kendall, who has taken over as the new Work and Pensions Secretary, criticised the former government's plans to cut benefits for universal credit and personal independence payment (PIP) claimants if they failed to secure employment within a year.
In her inaugural speech as the DWP chief, Kendall presented her strategy for reforming the welfare system and reshaping sanctions. She emphasised the need to move away from the 'strivers versus scroungers' narrative, reports the Mirror.
Speaking to The Sun, she assured that the DWP would provide "people after 12 months without genuine support" with the necessary assistance. Her commitment is to "get Britain working again".
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Addressing an audience in Barnsley during the unveiling of the Pathways to Work Commission report, Kendall highlighted the shortcomings of the existing welfare framework, describing it as "both too siloed and too centralised". For money-saving tips, sign up to our Money newsletter here
She said: "Their divisive rhetoric about strivers versus scroungers or claiming people just felt 'too bluesy' to work may have grabbed headlines, but it did absolutely nothing to actually get Britain working again. As today's report rightly concludes, people who are economically inactive are not one single group."
"There will be a few who act fraudulently, others who say they can't work but who can. But the vast majority face a complex range of barriers which stop them from getting what both they and policymakers want a pathway into paid employment."
She also set a goal of achieving an 80% employment rate within the next decade. The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal that as of this March, the employment rate for those aged 16 to 64 stands at 75% which is a 1.2 percentage point fall compared to the period from December 2019 to February 2020.
Ms Kendall stated: "They turned Job Centre Plus into a benefit monitoring service not a public employment service, which was its original aim and they didn't give nowhere near enough attention to the wider issue like health skills, childcare, transport, that play such a huge role in determining whether we get work, stay in work and get on in work."
She continued: "The problem with what the Tories proposed was after 12 months to do this. We are not leaving people 12 months without genuine engagement and support."
She emphasised that "there have always been conditions to look for work and consequences. That won't change, but I've got to see a much greater focus on that upfront help and support." Current data shows that approximately 2.8 million individuals are unemployed due to ill health or disability.
In addition, one in eight young people are currently neither employed nor in education. Following her announcement, the Office for Budget Responsibility has forecasted a £30bn rise in spending on disability and sickness benefits over the coming five years.
Ms Kendall also stated that the government will be transferring some powers to local areas, which represents "a fundamental shift in the balance of power and resources". She continued, "My department will support local areas to make a success of this new approach, starting by devolving new powers over employment support to catalyse action and change because the man, or even woman, in Whitehall will never know what's best for Barnsley, Blackpool or Birmingham."
2024-07-26T09:08:53Z dg43tfdfdgfd