Kemi Badenoch to call for tougher restrictions on benefits to cut welfare bill
Kemi Badenoch is to call for health benefits to be restricted to people with the most serious conditions as she sets out her plans for welfare.
In a speech on Thursday, the Tory leader will warn of a “ticking time bomb” of welfare dependency, as Government forecasts suggest annual spending on health and disability benefits could reach £70 billion by 2030.
Other projections suggest the figure could go as high as £100 billion, while the Office for Budget Responsibility has warned that failing to cut the rate at which people take up benefits could cost an extra £12 billion.
Benefits
Calling for tougher action on benefits, Mrs Badenoch will say: “We should be backing the makers – rewarding the people getting up every morning, working hard to build our country.
“Our welfare system should look after the most vulnerable in society – not those cheating the system.”
As well as restricting benefits to “more serious conditions”, Mrs Badenoch is expected to reiterate her policy of preventing foreign nationals claiming welfare.
She will say: “It is not fair to spend £1 billion a month on benefits for foreign nationals and on handing out taxpayer-funded cars for conditions like constipation.”
The £1 billion figure refers to benefits paid to households that include at least one foreign national, but may also cover payments to British citizens.
The taxpayer-backed Motability scheme provides vehicles to people who receive the “enhanced” mobility element of personal independence payment, covering those with serious mobility problems, and usually involves exchanging all the allowance and providing an additional upfront payment in exchange for a lease on a vehicle.
Remote assessments
She will also call for an end to remote assessments of benefit claimants, arguing that this had allowed people to “game the system”, and pledge to “get people back to work” through retraining and “early intervention”.
Mrs Badenoch’s speech comes a week after Sir Keir Starmer U-turned on proposals to cut the benefits bill by £5 billion in the face of discontent among his backbenchers.
After the U-turn, economists have warned that the Government’s proposals will now deliver zero savings by 2030.
In her speech, Mrs Badenoch will attack the Labour Government as being “beholden to left-wing MPs” and “completely unprepared for government”.
And she will also take aim at Reform UK, accusing both Nigel Farage’s party and Labour of “turning a blind eye” to the impact of the rising welfare bill.
Mr Farage has vowed to scrap the two-child benefit cap if Reform UK comes to power, something the Conservatives have criticised as unaffordable.
Mrs Badenoch will say: “Nigel Farage pretends to be a Thatcherite Conservative but really, he’s just Jeremy Corbyn with a pint and a cigarette.
“On welfare he shows his true colours – promising unaffordable giveaways with no plan to fix the system.”
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Rather than continually targeting people who are poor and suffering to suck as much out of them as possible – isn’t it time those who can afford private health care and who can ride the cost of living storm are hit instead? We all know that the poor of our society pay more tax, as a percentage, than the rich. It’s amazing what a good accountant can do for you. It’s time the system changed.
Yes but workers who cannot afford private are being taxed and getting less than people on benefits.
How do you define ‘the rich’ Steve? For example the UK has more than 10,000 public sector employees who earn over £100,000: would you agree that they should qualify?
My definition would include someone like you who really defends the rich and hates the poor and blames the less well off for being in their position.
25% of retirees are millionaires yet still get government handouts.
I’d like to inform tinpot Tory Kemi Badenoch that any tougher restrictions to cut the welfare bill should be put on MP expenses first. They are provided by the state and you lazy freeloader benefits. As a MP If you cannot survive on £91k per annum, more so if a leader of a political party or Minister, something’s seriously wrong with your ability to manage your own finances, especially seeing most Westminster politicians have multiple jobs and directorships. I pay for my own petrol to run my car. Don’t have subsidized food. I rent my own home unlike you who… Read more »
Don’t forget that many Tory and Reform MPs are also paid for second jobs. Farage the leader of Reform who is hardly ever seen in his constituency is reported to have had an income of nearly a million pounds from ‘second/third and more jobs’ since the last election.
Kemi not bad enough for Jake Berry so Reform it has to be…who’s surprised…!
Kemi shows her true colours, screw those least well off. Then she slams any push for a wealth tax.
She really is channelling her inner Vance.
They are both awful and full of spite for people that need help. And she yanks the control wires that make Millar jump.