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Tensions within the Labor Party developed on Monday while the secretary of work and pensions Liz Kendall was preparing to reveal plans to reduce approximately 5 billion pounds sterling per year thanks to public spending in health -related services.
Kendall Will will define his plans in a green newspaper of the social protection reform on Tuesday, with Downing Street Insisting on the fact that there was a “moral and economical case to repair our broken system”.
Dozens of labor deputies have expressed their concerns concerning the withdrawal or reduction of support for those who need it, and several Ministers have raised objections With Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer at last week’s cabinet meeting.
Andy BurnhamThe mayor of the Grand Manchester, said that he was concerned about the change in support and eligibility for social benefits, saying: “This would trap too many people in poverty”.
The veteran of the work of labor Diane Abbott said on Monday that “reducing money for disabled people was not one thing to do”.
But a Starmer spokesman said that “the system did not work as expected” and highlighted the recent explosion of allegations related to mental health for disease and disability benefits.
“Many evaluation systems were designed more than a decade ago and have not been affected since,” he said. Labor officials said reforms would save around 5 billion pounds sterling per year by the end of Parliament.
Cups will help Chancellor Rachel Reeves repair a hole in public finances caused by slow growth and the increase in loan costs.
According to government officials. The rules indicate that current expenses must be covered by tax revenue by 2029-30.
The government had floated the idea of ​​freezing the level of disabilitycalled personal independence payments. But the ministers moved away from the move after a reaction to fierce work.
Louise Murphy, of the Resolution Foundation, said that a multi-year freeze in PIP prices would have saved 600 million pounds sterling in 2026-7, going to 3.3 billion pounds sterling by 2029-30 as the case of helmet case of the applicants increased.
However, some labor deputies think that freezing of advantages – which would have struck disabled people in serious needs – has never been a serious idea. “It was a classic” bleeding strain “,” said a main deputy. “To give the impression that they have made concessions and the real cuts are not as bad.”
Government representatives insist that the idea was on the table, but was abandoned. “Things were not properly thought out,” said one. “The original idea was to announce the plan last week, but we were not ready and the cabinet ministers felt – correctly – that they were rebounded.”
Health Secretary, Wes Streting, said on Sunday that the United Kingdom was Mental health problems “overdiagnostically” While preparing the ground for reforms that should reduce support for people with psychiatric problems.
Street told the BBC: “Mental well-being, illness is a spectrum and I think there is certainly an overdiagnosis but there is [also] Too many people are struck off.
Downing Street organized a series of briefings with work deputies last week to try to reduce the concerns and frustration of the cuts, but many members are always deeply uncomfortable.
Kendall should also reduce the highest level of inability support – which provides additional £ 416 per month – while increasing the basic support rate for people without work, known as universal credit, according to informed persons.
Experts have long argued that the low level of unemployment benefits has grown more people with underlying health problems to claim additional incapacity and disability benefits.
However, to reach the types of savings, the treasure will also target large cuts to support people with disabilities and patients, in order to increase payments to the greatest number at the basic rate.
Much greater savings could be made by limiting PIP eligibility, a decision that should appear in Kendall’s plan. People claiming handicapped support for mental health problems are likely to be the most affected.
Payments should be refused to around 1 million people, including those suffering from mental health problems and those who have trouble washing, eating and dressing. People who need hearing aid should also fall below the new threshold and may lose payments.
