Families on benefits must face same choices as working mums and dads – so I’ll keep the 2 child benefit cap
SINCE the pandemic, the number of people without a job who have not been looking for work for at least a month has gone up by 850,000.
It’s wiped out a decade of progress under this government. Half of those not working say they have depression or anxiety. And worryingly the biggest proportional increase is among young people.
We cannot have a generation of young Brits in the prime of life, written off in this way. So a future Conservative Government will significantly reform and control welfare.
We will be even more ambitious about helping people back to work – and more honest about the risk of over medicalising the everyday challenges and worries of life.
First, this is morally right. Our welfare safety net should be there for those who genuinely need it.
But all those who can work, should be supported to overcome whatever barriers they might face to work.
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As Sun on Sunday readers know, you don’t get anything in life without hard work. It’s the best way to build a better life for our families and the only way to build a more prosperous country.
Second, it’s economically right. We now spend more on benefits for people of working age with a disability or health condition than we spend on our schools, our transport, or policing.
Spending on Personal Independence Payments alone is forecast to grow by more than half over the next four years.
We cannot place such an irresponsible burden on this and future generations.
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Neither can we bring down migration, without giving more of our own people the skills, incentives, and support to get off welfare and back into work.
Third, it’s about doing what is fair to you. It is your taxes that fund welfare. Every penny must be spent on those who genuinely need it.
Fairness is also why we’ve made sure work pays - from introducing Universal Credit and the National Living Wage, to rolling out 30 hours of free childcare for every family from nine months of age.
And it’s why a Conservative Government would retain the two-child benefit limit.
Working families do not see their incomes rise when they have more children.
Families on benefits should be asked to make the same financial decisions as those supporting themselves solely through work.
There is nothing compassionate about consigning people who could work to a life trapped on benefits. We will change the system so that we are giving people a hand up rather than a hand-out.
The opportunities to work are there – thanks to our economic plan which has created almost one million job vacancies.
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We cannot go back to square one with the something for nothing benefits culture we had under Labour.
We the Conservatives will end the sicknote culture in Britain – and give back to everyone who can, the dignity, purpose and meaning that comes from work.