Wes Streeting has denied that Labour is “changing into the Tories” with its welfare reforms, amid speculation disability benefits could be cut.
The health secretary told Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips that it is “not a Labour argument to say that we want people consigned to a life of benefit”.
However he refused to be drawn on how the government is planning to get more people into work, saying contrary to media reports of internal divisions the proposals have “not been discussed” in cabinet yet.
Politics Live: NHS ‘addicted to overspending’
Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall is expected to unveil a series of measures to cut welfare spending next week, ahead of Chancellor Rachel Reeves’s spring statement.
The plan was thought to include cancelling an inflation-linked rise to the personal independence payment (PIP) – but this has reportedly been scrapped due to backlash from Labour MPs.
Mr Streeting would not be drawn on the supposed division – saying we will “have to wait and see the proposals” and the issue “hasn’t been discussed in cabinet”.
However he said that what the government is trying to achieve with welfare reform is to make sure the system “does the two things it needs to do”.
“One is to support people who cannot work to make sure they’ve got dignity, independence, and quality of life.
“And secondly, for those who can, to make sure that the welfare system isn’t just a safety net, that it’s a springboard back to work.”
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is money for people who have extra care needs or mobility needs as a result of a disability.
Mr Streeting said one thousand people every day are signing on to PIP and that’s “the size of the city of Manchester” over the course of a year.
