UK needs to tackle ‘unaffordable’ benefits system, says employment minister

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The Minister of Employment said that the United Kingdom cannot afford the amount of public funds spent on the benefits related to health, and he undertakes to reform a system that leaves people “on Scrapheap”.

Alison McGfern indicated that the government is ready to tear the current evaluation process, which determines the financial assistance of patients and disabled people. She said, “focusing on what they cannot do in the worst day, and not on what they want to do – or what the support or help they think will need or want.”

In a sign that the Labor Party is planning to radically reformulate the social welfare system, McGOORN said that the WCA assessment (WCA) “does not work with anyone at the present time. People are forced to say how sick they are.”

“I think this is a serious problem,” she added. “First, because the country cannot bear the level of resources, but we cannot also bear the waste of the time and talent of the people it represents. It is destroyed.”

McGfern was talking to FT at the Job Show in Blackpool before the publication of a government green sheet this month aimed at this Make more people at work While finding savings within a health -related benefits system, which is expected to cost up to 100 billion pounds annually by the end of the contract if left without deterrence.

McGavren said there is an estimated 200,000 people across the country on ordinary advantages that they say they want to work immediately.

“The complete goal of the green paper is to reshape the system until we increase the possibility, the opportunity, the possibility of people to move to work,” McGavran added. “We have a lot of people who left on Scrapheap for a long time.”

However, the complete disposal of WCA will be controversial, as it may mean that many people who suffer from serious healthy health conditions have a reduction in their benefits.

People who are currently evaluated get more sick, or prepare for work, and get regular benefits of 5,000 pounds per year – almost double their income compared to someone at the primary rate of unemployed support – and not required to search for a job.

However, they also receive almost any help to find a job if they want a job, and many people fear that they will lose vital income if they try a job that does not succeed.

These perverted financial incentives are widely considered as part of the reason that spending on health benefits has increased in recent years, with the annual cost to a treasury that is already 65 billion pounds.

The ministers have made it clear that they want to stay away from this high dual risk system – which McGOORN described as “very high and very difficult to reach the border.”

“It is really important that our public money be sustainable, and given some numbers. McGarne said:“ We have faced a challenge in this field that we must meet. ”The current system is“ we have put in a bad direction in terms of financial position ”and also represents the loss of“ sudden ”opportunities for the people concerned.

Officials are uniquely believed that the WCA process is dysfunctional – it is largely done via the Internet, and once the claims are approved, very few of the most severe cases are re -evaluated.

One of the options is to end the division between the advantages of the deficit that has been tested-reached through WCA-and the advantages of the deficit, or “personal independence payments”, which aims to cover the additional costs to live with a health condition. There will be one rating with more graduate support, limited time,.

But while the ministers in the Ministry of Labor and pensions want to use some of the resulting savings at least to finance employment support programs, the treasury priority is to reduce costs and create A financial room that affects the need for it In the spring statement March 26.

The shrinkage of the chancellor Rachel Reeves to maneuver since October budget has sparked pressure on ministers to find savings, as officials are increasingly looking at the country’s huge luxury budget.

The budget responsibility office is usually skeptical of the savings that can be generated by reforming social welfare, due to previous failures, and it is unlikely that “it is unlikely to” “”Result policy measures Unless it is produced for the shooting, up to the front savings.

It is necessary to reduce spending by at least 3 billion pounds over the five years that the previous conservative government was aimed at, as this is still in the financial expectations of OBR.

DWP is likely to argue that savings ultimately may be much larger, given enough resources to help a third of ordinary benefits who want to work.

Conservative plans had narrowed the eligibility of normal benefits, with the exception of some people who suffer from mobility problems and less severe mental health conditions, but left the wide form of the system intact.

Instead plans to work government may reduce the level of benefits that some people receive and push people to interact with employment support plans, instead of excluding large groups of support completely.

MCGOORN speaks to FT after the release of data that indicates nearly a million young people Not in employment, education or training At the end of 2024.

“We must make sure that young people get this first opportunity, because if you are out of work when you are young, this is very bad for your professional life.”