Secretary of State Pat McFadden has warned millions on sickness and disability benefits that the government cannot base its policies on simply handing out cash. During a visit to a jobcentre in south London, McFadden insisted the state "owes people more" than a monthly payment, signalling that ministers are preparing a fresh assault on the welfare bill.
His remarks, reported by the Guardian, come as Whitehall awaits the final findings of two landmark reviews into the benefits system. Alan Milburn's inquiry into youth worklessness and Sir Stephen Timms' probe into disability benefits are expected to report fully this autumn, but interim verdicts have already called for radical reforms. The Timms review delivered a damning assessment of Personal Independence Payment (PIP), branding the system as failing, while the Milburn review called for a "whole system reset" after the number of jobless young people passed one million.
McFadden made clear he did not believe the government fulfilled its duty by simply cutting a cheque, though he stressed that those genuinely unable to ever work would still be supported. For everyone else, he said, ministers had a responsibility to help them change their circumstances. "I don't believe government fulfils its responsibilities simply by writing a cheque," he said.
He revealed that work on the government's formal response was already under way, with talks taking place with the Department for Education and health officials. His task, he said, was to draw up a plan that reframed the entire purpose of the benefits system, shifting the question away from what claimants are entitled to and towards how the state can help them build a fuller life.
Separately, the Department for Work and Pensions confirmed that 100,000 people on the highest tier of health-related benefits are now being supported through the Pathways to Work scheme. Speaking to work coaches and claimants, McFadden argued that investing in support rather than simply signing people off was the way to turn around lives. He said claimants who had previously been "written off" often ended up feeling isolated and unwell as a result.
