As an action plan to tackle bloated state spending, it could hardly be more ambitious. The spokesperson for the Ministry of Finance of the reform Robert Jenrick‘s declaration that he would cut a huge £50 billion from the benefits bill was a statement of intent far more radical than anything proposed by any other party.
And heaven knows it takes radical thinking. The benefits system’s huge budget already accounts for almost a quarter of all government spending and is expected to exceed £407 billion by 2030.
It is an amount that, far from being a sign of sympathy, points to a country in the grip of political dysfunction. Minor ailments can now be a signal for regular nematodes or even a brand new Motability car.
Just as absurd as healthcare-related payments is the fact that foreigners can claim benefits even though they may have contributed nothing to the British state through taxes or national insurance.
Britain has always been extremely generous to newcomers who want it work hard for a better life and for people fleeing real persecution – but it’s ridiculous to pretend we owe the world a living.
All of this is why we should welcome the sentiment behind Reform’s intention to take the scythe to profits with measures like banning benefits to foreigners and reforming, for everyone of working age, the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) system, which supports people with disabilities.
Among Jenrick’s other measures is an intriguing requirement for claimants who have been unemployed for more than a year to undertake some form of community service, such as cleaning streets or repairing municipal buildings and parks. It will leave Liberals reaching for the scented salts, but certainly deserves attention in a Britain that has created a work-free lifestyle through handouts in recent years.
So reforms are to be admired for their boldness, but the same cannot be said for their practical feasibility.
Robert Jenrick has vowed to cut a huge £50 billion from the benefits bill if Reform UK comes to power
Yesterday it emerged that Jenrick had backed away from a pledge to scrap the PIP scheme, which was originally intended to provide financial support to the seriously disabled but has expanded its scope dramatically in recent years.
A major problem for Reform is that their own supporters have the highest number of PIP claims, so Jenrick’s move would have been deeply unpopular with the faithful.
There are other difficulties. The plan to prevent benefits being granted to EU nationals with settled status would mean reopening the UK’s withdrawal agreement with Brussels.
The idea of a serious renegotiation of Brexit, which could have damaging consequences for our trade and sovereignty, is not really worth thinking about. The consequences for expats living in the EU could also be disastrous if they rely on benefits there.
Social welfare reform is crucial if we want to keep this country from becoming hopelessly bankrupt. We should not forget that 53 percent of the British population are net consumers of the state, and only 47 percent are net contributors.
But reform sometimes seems to be its own worst enemy. Too often, her proposals seem ill-conceived, leading to chaos and reversal. Just this month, the party’s much-vaunted plan to return all small boats with the help of the Royal Navy was declared illegal by France and completely unworkable by naval experts.
In the field of welfare care, it is all the more important that things are in order. Cutting benefits is a terrifyingly difficult task because it involves taking real money away from claimants. At every turn, the status quo is fiercely defended with a barrage of emotional blackmail and fear-mongering.
Despite its large majority, the Labor government found it impossible to implement even the smallest measures, such as withdrawing winter fuel payments for most pensioners.
But at least the reforms are looking in the right direction, unlike so many left-wing campaigners who completely deny the daunting challenge of welfare reform.
