Speech

Prime Minister바카라 사이트檚 speech on welfare: 19 April 2024

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak makes a speech on welfare.

• From: Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street and The Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP
• Published: 19 April 2024

This was published under the 2022 to 2024 Sunak Conservative government

• Location: Centre for Social Justice
• Delivered on: 19 April 2024 (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

Today I바카라 사이트檇 like to talk about the바카라 사이트痝rowing number of people who have become economically inactive since the pandemic바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트�바카라 사이트�and the바카라 사이트痬oral mission of reforming welfare to give everyone who can, the best possible chance of returning to work.

The values of our welfare state are timeless.

They바카라 사이트檙e part of our national character 바카라 사이트� of바카라 사이트� who바카라 사이트痺e are as a country.

We바카라 사이트檙e proud to ensure a safety net that is generous for those who genuinely need it 바카라 사이트� and fair to the taxpayers who fund it.

We know there are some with바카라 사이트痶he바카라 사이트痬ost severe conditions바카라 사이트痺ho will never be able to work.聽

And some who can no longer work because of injury or illness.

And they and their loved ones must always have the peace of mind that comes from knowing they will always be supported.

But we also have a바카라 사이트痩ong-standing and proudly British view바카라 사이트痶hat work is a source of dignity, purpose, of hope.

The role of the welfare state should never be merely to provide financial support바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�as important as that will always be바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트�but to help people overcome whatever barriers바카라 사이트痶hey might face to living an independent, fulfilling life.

Everyone with the potential should be supported바카라 사이트�

And not just to earn, but to contribute and belong.

And we must never tolerate barriers that바카라 사이트痟old people바카라 사이트痓ack바카라 사이트痜rom making their contribution바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�and from sharing in that sense of self-worth that comes from feeling part of being something bigger than ourselves.

That is why this is a moral mission.

And why the value of work is so central to my vision for welfare reform.

And it바카라 사이트檚 fitting to be setting out that vision here, at the Centre for Social Justice.聽

Over your 20-year history, you바카라 사이트檝e inspired far-reaching changes to welfare.聽

I want pay tribute to you and of course your founder, Iain Duncan-Smith바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�who began the journey of reform in 2010바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�a journey carried through so ably today, by Mel Stride.聽

Because when we arrived in office in 2010, people coming off benefits and into work could lose 拢9 for every 拢10 they earned바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트�by far the highest marginal tax rate.聽

That was morally wrong.聽聽

So we created Universal Credit to make sure that work always pays.聽

We introduced the National Living Wage 바카라 사이트� and increased it every year, ending low pay in this country.바카라 사이트�聽

We바카라 사이트檙e rolling out 30 hours of free childcare for every family over 9 months of age.바카라 사이트�聽

We바카라 사이트檝e halved inflation, to make the money you earn worth more.바카라 사이트�聽

And we바카라 사이트檝e cut workers바카라 사이트� National Insurance by a third.

A tax cut worth 拢900 for someone earning the average wage바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�because it is profoundly wrong that income from work is taxed twice바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�when other forms of income are not.聽

For me, it is a fundamental duty of government to make sure that hard work is always rewarded.聽聽

I know - and you know - that you don바카라 사이트檛 get anything in life without hard work.

It바카라 사이트檚 the only way to build a better life for ourselves and our family; and the only way to build a more prosperous country.聽聽

But in the period since the pandemic something has gone wrong.聽聽

The proportion of people who are economically inactive in Britain is still lower than our international peers.聽聽

And lower today than in any year under the last Labour government.聽

But since the pandemic, 850,000 more people have joined this group due to long-term sickness.聽聽

This has wiped out a decade바카라 사이트檚 worth of progress in which the rate had fallen every single year.聽聽

Of those who are economically inactive, fully half say they have depression or anxiety.聽

And most worrying of all바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�the biggest proportional increase in economic inactivity due to long-term sickness came 바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�from young people.聽

Those in the prime of their life, just starting out on work and family - instead parked on welfare.聽聽

Now, we should see it as a sign of progress that people can talk openly about mental health conditions바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�in a way that only a few years ago would바카라 사이트檝e been unthinkable.바카라 사이트�聽

And I will never바카라 사이트痙ismiss or바카라 사이트痙ownplay the illnesses people have.聽

Anyone who has suffered mental ill health or had family or friends who have, knows that these conditions are real and they matter.聽

But just as it would be wrong to dismiss this growing trend바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�so it would be wrong merely to sit back and accept it바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�because it바카라 사이트檚 too hard; or too controversial; or for fear of causing offence.聽

Doing so, would let down many of the people our welfare system was designed to help.聽

Because if you believe as I do, that work gives you the chance not just to earn바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트�but to contribute, to belong, to overcome feelings of loneliness and social isolation바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�and if you believe, as I do, the growing body of evidence that good work can actually improve mental and physical health바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�then it becomes clear: we need to be more ambitious about helping people back to work.바카라 사이트�聽

And more honest about the risk of over-medicalising the everyday challenges and worries of life.聽聽

Fail to address this, and we risk not only letting those people down.바카라 사이트�聽

But creating a deep sense of unfairness amongst those whose taxes fund our social safety net바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�in a way that risks undermining trust and consent in that very system.聽

We can바카라 사이트檛 stand for that.바카라 사이트�聽

And of course, the situation as it is, is economically바카라 사이트痷nsustainable.聽

We can바카라 사이트檛 lose so many people from our workforce whose contributions could help to drive growth.

And there바카라 사이트檚 no sustainable way to achieve our goal of bringing down migration levels, which are just too high바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트�without giving more of our own people the skills, incentives, and support, to get off welfare and back into work.

And we can바카라 사이트檛 afford such바카라 사이트痑 spiralling increase in the welfare bill바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�and the irresponsible burden that would place on this and future generations of taxpayers.

We now spend 拢69bn on benefits for people of working age with a disability or health condition.聽

That바카라 사이트檚 more than our entire schools budget; more than our transport budget; more than our policing.聽

And spending on Personal Independence Payments alone is forecast to increase by more than 50 per cent over the next four years.聽聽

Let me just repeat that: if we do not change, it will increase by more than 50% in just four years.聽聽

That바카라 사이트檚 not right; it바카라 사이트檚 not sustainable and it바카라 사이트檚 not fair on the taxpayers who fund it.

So in the next Parliament, a Conservative government will significantly reform and control welfare.聽聽

This is not about making our safety net less generous.聽

Or imposing a blanket freeze on all benefits, as some have suggested.바카라 사이트�聽

I바카라 사이트檓 not prepared to balance the books on the backs of the most vulnerable.聽

Instead, the critical questions are about eligibility바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�about who should be entitled to support바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트�and what kind of support best matches their needs.聽

And to answer these questions, I want to set out today five Conservative reforms for a new welfare settlement for Britain.聽

First, we must be more ambitious in assessing people바카라 사이트檚 potential for work.바카라 사이트�聽

Right now, the gateway to ill health benefits is writing too many off바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�leaving them on the wrong type of support바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�and with no expectation of trying to find a job, with all the advantages that brings.聽

In 2011, twenty percent of those doing a Work Capability Assessment바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�were deemed unfit to work.聽

But the latest figure now stands at 65 per cent.聽

That바카라 사이트檚 wrong.聽

People are not three times sicker than they were a decade ago.聽

And the world of work has changed dramatically.聽

Of course, those with serious debilitating conditions should never be expected to work.聽聽

But if you have a low-level mobility issue, your employer could make reasonable adjustments바카라 사이트�바카라 사이트�聽

바카라 사이트�perhaps including adaptations to enable you to work from home.聽

And if you are feeling anxious or depressed, then of course you should get the support and treatment you need to manage your condition.聽

But that doesn바카라 사이트檛 mean we should assume you can바카라 사이트檛 engage in work.바카라 사이트�聽

That바카라 사이트檚 not going to help you. And it바카라 사이트檚 not fair on everyone else either.바카라 사이트�聽

So we are going to tighten up the Work Capability Assessment바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�such that hundreds of thousands of benefit recipients with less severe conditions바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�will now be expected to engage in the world of work 바카라 사이트� and be supported to do so.

Second, just as we help people move from welfare into work바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�we바카라 사이트檝e got to do more to stop people going from work to welfare.聽

The whole point of replacing the Sick Note with the Fit Note was to stop so many people just being signed off as sick.聽聽

Instead of being told you바카라 사이트檙e not fit for work바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�the Fit Note provided the option to say that you may be fit for work바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�with advice about what you could do; and what adaptions or support would enable you to stay in, or return to work, quickly.聽聽

11 million of these Fit Notes were issued last year alone.바카라 사이트�聽

But what proportion were signed 바카라 사이트渕aybe fit for work바카라 사이트�?聽

6 per cent.바카라 사이트�

That바카라 사이트檚 right 바카라 사이트� a staggering 94 per cent of those signed off sick바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�were simply written off as 바카라 사이트渘ot fit for work.바카라 사이트澛�

Well, this is not right.바카라 사이트疉nd it was never the intention.聽聽

We don바카라 사이트檛 just need to change the sick note 바카라 사이트� we need to change the sick note culture바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�so the default becomes what work you can do 바카라 사이트� not what you can바카라 사이트檛.聽聽

Building on the pilots we바카라 사이트檝e already started..

바카라 사이트�we바카라 사이트檙e going to design a new system바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�where people have easy and rapid access to specialised work and health support바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트�to help them back to work from the very first Fit Note conversation.聽聽

And part of the problem is that it바카라 사이트檚 not reasonable to ask GPs to assess whether their own patients are fit for work.聽

It too often puts them in an impossible situation where they know that refusal to sign someone off바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�will harm their relationship with that patient.聽

So we바카라 사이트檙e also going to test shifting the responsibility for assessment from GPs바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�and giving it to specialist work and health professionals바카라 사이트β犅�

바카라 사이트�who have the dedicated time to provide an objective assessment of someone바카라 사이트檚 ability to work바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트�and the tailored support they need to do so.聽聽

Third, for those who could work with the right support바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�we should have higher expectations of them in return for receiving benefits.바카라 사이트�聽

Because when the taxpayer is supporting you to get back on your feet바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�you have an obligation to put in the hours.聽

And if you do not make that effort, you cannot expect the same level of benefits.聽聽

It used to be that if you worked just nine hours a week, you바카라 사이트檇 get full benefits without needing to look for additional work.聽聽聽

That바카라 사이트檚 not right. Because if you can work more, you should.聽聽

So we바카라 사이트檙e changing the rules.聽聽

Anyone working less than half a full-time week will now have to try and find extra work in return for claiming benefits.聽

And we바카라 사이트檒l accelerate moving people from legacy benefits onto Universal Credit, to give them more access to the world of work.聽 바카라 사이트�聽

One of my other big concerns about the system바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�바카라 사이트�is that the longer you stay on welfare, the harder it can be to go back to work.聽

More than 500,000 people have been unemployed for 6 months바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�바카라 사이트�and well over a quarter of a million have been unemployed for 12 months.聽

These are people with no medical conditions that prevent them from working바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�and who will have benefitted from intensive employment support and training programmes.聽

There is no reason those people should not be in work, especially when we have almost 1 million job vacancies.聽

So we will now look at options to strengthen our regime.聽

Anyone who doesn바카라 사이트檛 comply with the conditions set by their Work Coach바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트�such as accepting an available job바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�will, after 12 months, have their claim closed and their benefits removed entirely.

Because unemployment support should be a safety net 바카라 사이트� never a lifestyle choice.

Fourth, we need to match the support people need to the actual conditions they have.聽

And help people live independently and remove the barriers they face.聽

But we need to look again at how we do this through Personal Independence Payments. I worry about it being misused.聽

Now its purpose is to contribute to the extra costs people face as they go about their daily lives.聽

Take for example, those who need money for aids or assistance바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�바카라 사이트�with things like handrails or stairlifts.聽

Often they바카라 사이트檙e already available at low cost, or free from the NHS or Local Authorities.바카라 사이트� 바카라 사이트�聽

And they바카라 사이트檙e one-off costs바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�so it probably isn바카라 사이트檛 right that we바카라 사이트檙e paying an ongoing amount every year.바카라 사이트�聽

We also need to look specifically at the way Personal Independence Payments support those with mental health conditions.바카라 사이트�聽聽

Since 2019, the number of people claiming PIP citing anxiety or depression as their main condition, has doubled바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�with over 5,000 new awards on average every single month.聽

But for all the challenges they face바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트�it is not clear they have the same degree of increased living costs as those with physical conditions.바카라 사이트�聽

And the whole system is undermined by the way people are asked to make subjective and unverifiable claims about their capability.聽

So in the coming days we will publish a consultation on how we move away from that바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�to a more objective and rigorous approach that focuses support on those with the greatest needs and extra costs.聽

We will do that by being more precise about the type and severity of mental health conditions that should be eligible for PIP.聽

We바카라 사이트檒l consider linking that assessment more closely to a person바카라 사이트檚 actual condition바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트�and requiring greater medical evidence to substantiate a claim.聽

All of which will make the system fairer and harder to exploit.聽

And we바카라 사이트檒l also consider whether some people with mental health conditions should get PIP in the same way through cash transfers바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�or whether they바카라 사이트檇 be better supported to lead happier, healthier and more independent lives바카라 사이트�바카라 사이트�聽

바카라 사이트�through access to treatment like talking therapies or respite care.聽

I want to be completely clear about what I바카라 사이트檓 saying here.聽

This is not about making the welfare system less generous to people who face very real extra costs from mental health conditions.聽聽

For those with the greatest needs, we want to make it easier to access with fewer requirements.

And beyond the welfare system, we바카라 사이트檙e delivering the largest expansion in mental health services in a generation바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�with almost 拢5 billion of extra funding over the past 5 years, and a near doubling of mental health training places.聽

But our overall approach is about saying that people with less severe mental health conditions바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�should be expected to engage with the world of work.聽

Fifth, we cannot allow fraudsters to exploit the natural compassion and generosity of the British people. 바카라 사이트�聽

We바카라 사이트檝e already cracked down on thousands of people wrongly claiming Universal Credit바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�including those not reporting self-employed earnings or hiding capital 바카라 사이트�聽

And we바카라 사이트檒l save the taxpayer 拢600 million by legislating to access vital data from third parties like banks.聽

Just this month, DWP secured guilty verdicts against a Bulgarian gang caught making around 6,000 fraudulent claims바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트�including by hiding behind a corner shop in North London.聽

And we바카라 사이트檙e going further.바카라 사이트�聽

We바카라 사이트檙e using all the developments in modern technology, including Artificial Intelligence바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트�to crack down on exploitation in the welfare system that바카라 사이트檚 taking advantage of the hardworking taxpayers who fund it.

We바카라 사이트檙e preparing a new Fraud Bill for the next Parliament which will align DWP with HMRC바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�so we treat benefit fraud like tax fraud바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�with new powers to make seizures and arrests.聽

And we바카라 사이트檒l also enable penalties to be applied to a wider set of fraudsters through a new civil penalty.聽

Because when people see others in their community gaming the system that their taxes pay 바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�it erodes support for the very principle of the welfare state.聽

Now, in conclusion some people will hear this speech and accuse me of lacking compassion.聽聽

Of not understanding the barriers people face in their everyday lives.聽

But the exact opposite is true.聽

There is nothing compassionate about leaving a generation of young people to sit alone in the dark before a flickering screen바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�watching as their dreams slip further from reach every passing day.聽聽

And there is nothing fair about expecting taxpayers to support those who could work but choose not to.聽

It doesn바카라 사이트檛 have to be like this.聽

We can change. We must change.聽

The opportunities to work are there바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�thanks to an economic plan that has created almost a million job vacancies.聽

The rewards for working are there바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�thanks to our tax cuts and increases to the National Living Wage.聽

And now, if we can deliver the vision for welfare I바카라 사이트檝e set out today바카라 사이트β�

바카라 사이트�then we can finally fulfil our moral mission, to restore hope바카라 사이트�

바카라 사이트�and give back to everyone who can, the dignity, purpose and meaning that comes from work.聽聽

Thank you.

Published 19 April 2024