Andy Burnham could be set for a clash with Labour backbenchers over his youth sickness benefits reforms, if the historic reaction to a similar proposal is anything to go by.
The Telegraph revealed last night he was plotting a crackdown on youth sickness benefits in order to fund any changes to social care and defence – for which he was left a multi-billion-pound black hole by Sir Keir Starmer, which he will need to fill at his first Budget.
A major Labour backbench rebellion erupted over Government welfare cuts to disability and sickness benefits under Sir Keir Starmer.
Last summer, more than 130 MPs, including 120 Labour MPs, signed an amendment to reject plans to cut disability and sickness-related benefits payments, hoped to save £5billion a year by 2030.
Despite the opposition, Sir Keir Starmer was adamant in “pressing ahead” with the welfare changes at the time.
With details of Andy Burnham’s fresh plans to follow later this week, Foreign Office minister Hamish Falconer believes Labour MPs will support reforms this time around.
He said: “I think the Labour, the PLP, the Parliamentary Labour Party, do recognise that there is an issue that they want to see reform of, and I think they’ll support the Prime Minister in his intent that he set out over the weekend.”
He said Andy Burnham recognised the need to get more young people into work and ensure the personal independence payment system, which enables people to work, “incentivises that as well”.
Andy Burnham could be set for a clash with Labour backbenchers
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Mr Falconer added: “It is vital that we make changes.
“There are far too many people who are currently being failed by the benefits system, because if you’re not in work then you often will live a much less full life than if you are.
“Most people I know who are Neets, not in employment, education or training, do want to work, and the Prime Minister has set out why that’s so important to him at the weekend.”
The Prime Minister will make a speech on Wednesday outlining his plans for adult social care, a system he has wanted to reform since his time as Health Secretary under Gordon Brown.
Andy Burnham was plotting a crackdown on youth sickness benefits in order to fund any changes to social care and defence
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The Prime Minister will stop short of unveiling plans for the new system in his speech.
He is instead expected to speed up the Casey Commission, an independent review which has been considering possible solutions for how to solve Britain’s social care.
He insisted he would not go “straight to blaming” benefits claimants, saying how “there are people in the benefits system, young people in their 20s who have been quite seriously let down because the support wasn’t there for them when it should have been there”.
New analysis revealed teenagers claiming personal independence payment received £100 a week more than part-time workers on minimum wage.
Details of Andy Burnham’s fresh plans will be announced later this week
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The payment is intended to help with everyday tasks for those with a long-term physical disability or mental health condition.
According to analysis from The Times, more than 87,000 16 and 17-year-olds are claiming PIP – more than two thirds for mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions such as anxiety, depression, autism and ADHD.
A 16-year-old on the under-18 minimum wage, working the legal maximum hours, would take home around £94.
The same teenager, receiving Pip with anxiety, can receive more than double the hourly equivalent – without doing any work.