He said: “What I do understand from experience, and I’ve seen this experience borne out under both Conservative and Labour governments, is that when you put in place arbitrary targets to cut welfare without a thought-through plan to do so sustainably and responsibly, the plans fall apart.”
Spending on U.K. health and disability-related benefits has increased sharply since the Covid pandemic, with the bill for working-age disability benefits in England and Wales increasing from £14bn in 2020 to £25bn in 2026.
Former Health Secretary Alan Milburn is leading a report into how to help the estimated one million young people not in employment or education. It is due to be published in November, and the government is also waiting on minister Stephen Timms to make recommendations on disability benefit reform.
A previous bid to reduce welfare under Starmer was scrapped after a revolt among Labour MPs. The row was seen as deeply damaging to Starmer’s authority and a sign that the leadership had lost touch with rank-and-file MPs.
Streeting’s comments came after an extended back-and-forth between ministers and journalists Thursday over whether Burnham’s government will lower welfare spending before the next general election.
Healey was asked by the BBC Thursday whether cuts to the welfare bill would be made before the next election.”There will be a reduction in the benefits bill, we’ll do that in a Labour way,” he said.