Labour dodges benefits bill pledge as youth scheme gains detail

Summarised from 3 outlets · 4 reports · Updated 15 Nov, 11:26 · Archive

Pat McFadden declined to commit to cutting Britain's welfare spending by the next election, as plans to tackle youth inactivity emerge.

Pat McFadden has declined to commit to reducing overall spending on working-age welfare by the time of the next election. Instead, he said the 'best way' to cut benefits spending was through a 'long-term reset' being proposed by the Government, focused on tackling the almost one million young people not in education, employment or training, known as NEETs.

Former health secretary Alan Milburn is publishing a major review on Tuesday with recommendations for addressing youth inactivity. His proposals include giving young people a legal guarantee of a job, training or employment support, allowing them to keep more wages before losing benefits if they enter work, and removing under-25s from main sickness and disability benefits. Some young people will receive less financial support under the plans, which include moving them onto a new 'youth allowance' at the standard universal credit rate.

Mr Milburn told the BBC that his proposals would require billions of pounds in extra spending initially and would take approximately a decade before generating savings for taxpayers. Mr McFadden urged MPs to view the changes as a 'different proposition' to last year's abandoned welfare cuts, which faced backbench rebellion. Andy Burnham has called the report a 'watershed' moment but stopped short of guaranteeing full acceptance of its recommendations.

How it is being reported

• Benefits will be cut for some, minister confirms ahead of Milburn review on Neets crisisWork and Pensions Secretary Pat McFadden confirmed ‘there will be people in the future who will not get what they would get today’The Independent · 15 Nov, 11:44
• McFadden says some people will lose benefits in future as Neets review loomsThe Work and Pensions Secretary said a ‘fundamental reset’ of the system was needed to help out-of-work under-25s.Evening Standard · 15 Nov, 11:22
• McFadden says some people will lose benefits in future as Neets review loomsThe Work and Pensions Secretary said a ‘fundamental reset’ of the system was needed to help out-of-work under-25s.Evening Standard · 15 Nov, 11:00
• Labour's Pat McFadden fails to say whether Britain's benefits bill will come down by next election - as architect of NEETs plan admits it will take 10 years to make savingsThe Work and Pensions Secretary dodged committing to a reduction in overall spending on working-age welfare by the time the country next goes to the polls.Daily Mail · 15 Nov, 10:49

In this story: Pat McFadden · Alan Milburn · Andy Burnham · Labour · Britain

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log