Downing Street Says » Welfare Reform

» Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Welfare Reform

Asked whether James Purnell’s speech today was a stepping up of the Welfare agenda, the PMS said it was a continuation of the agenda. The PMS added that it was a recognition that the New Deal, when it was originally devised, dealt with the issue of worklessness, but over time as more people had got into work we were now having to address the increasingly harder to reach groups; those who were long-term unemployed and people on long-term sickness benefit. We were continuing to increase both the support we provide to help people get back into work and strengthen the incentives for them to do so.

Put that there was some overlap with the New Deal and was this an admission that the New Deal had not gone far enough in keeping people in employment, the PMS said that he wouldn’t accept that. Over time, the challenges faced would change and policy would have to respond to that.

Asked how much this would cost, the PMS said that DWP had their settlements and whatever they needed to spend would be managed within that settlement.

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