Among the most contentious aspects of the plan are stricter eligibility criteria for Personal Independence Payments and the potential removal of the health top up in Universal Credit for those under 22.
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00:00Among the most contentious aspects of the plan are stricter eligibility criteria for
00:04personal independence payments and the potential removal of the health top-up and universal
00:08credit for those under 22. While Working Pension Secretary Liz Kendall argues that these changes
00:13will create a poor work system and address a benefits regime that she claims is failing
00:17its intended beneficiaries, there is growing concern that these reforms will impact those
00:21who are already struggling the most.
00:24Martin Gannon, leader of Gateshead Council, expressed his fears, warning that the cuts
00:28could create a ripple effect, increasing pressure on local public services. He argues
00:33you can cut the National Welfare Bill, but you're not actually cutting the costs, you're
00:36just shifting the burden. While acknowledging the government's concern over the rising welfare
00:41bill, Gannon pointed out that local councils are already struggling to manage the rising
00:45costs of adult social care and services for children in care, which are direct consequences
00:50of austerity measures. He added,
00:59If the government is looking to save money on welfare, it cannot simply push the costs
01:04down on local authorities, which are already operating on a shoestring budget.
01:09North East Mayor Kim McGuinness also expressed alarm, calling to scrap the two-child benefit
01:13cap. She highlighted the particular hardship that children with disabled parents could
01:17face under the new welfare changes. In response, Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended the reforms,
01:23claiming they were necessary to fix a welfare system that had been fundamentally broken
01:27by the previous government. He argues that the system was failing not only the people
01:32it was designed to help, but also businesses in need of workers and taxpayers who ultimately
01:37bear the cost. Starmer emphasised the importance of creating a system that encourages young
01:42people to work and live independently.