Rachel Reeves refuses to back Government’s PIP crackdown
Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves has refused to back Government efforts to tighten access to disability benefits while criticising Conservative cuts to welfare.
Speaking to i during a campaign visit in West London, Ms Reeves refused to say whether Labour would continue a Government consultation on overhauling personal independence payments (PIP) and also appeared to criticise Tory cuts to âemployment supportâ.
In 2016, the Conservative government cut ÂŁ30 from Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) for claimants who seemed capable of looking for work.
Rishi Sunak has attempted to draw a dividing line with Labour on welfare with a consultation on the PIP system which could see some disabled people having their benefits reduced or removed altogether if it is judged they do not face higher costs as a result of their condition
The pledge came as part of a package of reforms to make Britainâs benefits system âsustainable and fit for the futureâ after a major increase in the number of people signed off work, often on the grounds of poor mental health.
![Labour's shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves during a visit to a branch of Iceland supermarket in Fulham, south west London, to speak to the workforce about the cost of living crisis, while on the General Election campaign trail. Picture date: Saturday May 25, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story POLITICS Election Labour. Photo credit should read: Yui Mok/PA Wire](https://wp.inews.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/SEI_206054494.jpg?w=760)
Photo credit should read: Yui Mok/PA Wire
Asked by i if Labour would look to continue the Government consultation on PIP, Ms Reeves acknowledged a 20 per cent rise in the number of economically âinactiveâ people aged between 16 and 65 who are not seeking work but refused to say whether Labour would continue the consultation.
She instead highlighted the partyâs plans to cut NHS waiting lists and make it easier for workers on benefits to take on additional hours without losing out on payments.
PIP is given to disabled people regardless of their financial situation, including many who are in work, to help with extra living costs if someone has a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability, and has difficulty doing certain everyday tasks.
It comes as more than 400,000 people on separate out of work benefits due to a health condition face having to find work under wider reforms of the system as the Prime Minister looks to end a âsick not cultureâ of people being signed off work ill by doctors.
Speaking on a visit to an Iceland supermarket, Ms Reeves said: âI spoke to one of the workers here today whose wife waited two years to get an operation on the NHS and as a result, heâs the sole earner in his family.
âHis wife wants to work and has not been able to whilst theyâre waited for that hospital procedure.
âSo we want to get those NHS waiting lists down which is why weâve committed that extra money through cutting, cracking down on tax avoidance and ensuring the non doms pay their fair share of tax.
âWeâll also look at reforming the welfare system, including those obstacles that exist for people to take on additional hours because of the way the benefits system works.â
Pressed again on whether Labour would back the kind of crack down on welfare being proposed by the Government, Ms Reeves instead chose to criticise Tory cuts to benefits while highlighting her partyâs plans .
She said: âWeâve got this perverse system at the moment where sometimes it doesnât make sense for people to do additional hours. And of course that costs taxpayers more so we do need to make sure that the benefits system always rewards work.
âAnd also that people have the support that they need to be able to take up work especially when they have disabilities and the majority of people with disabilities want to work and if theyâre able to work they should be supported to do so.
âBut of course that employment support access to work has been cut and many people who want to work and are able to work and are not able to under this Conservative Government.â