Long-term benefits claimants will be made to clean up their local high street or face being stripped of their benefits under new plans unveiled by Reform UK.
The party’s Treasury spokesperson, Robert Jenrick, said the policy would be part of a series of changes to welfare and benefits under a Reform government that would stop some claimants “taking everyone else for mugs”.
The proposal was announced alongside others that Mr Jenrick said would cut £50 billion from the welfare bill.
Welfare shake-up and foreign nationals ban
It includes seeing disability and sickness payments withdrawn or changed, in a move Reform branded the biggest shake-up of the welfare state in a generation.
Under the changes, foreign nationals would also be banned from claiming almost all types of benefits in the UK, including EU nationals.
On Monday, Mr Jenrick and Reform’s deputy leader Richard Tice set up a confrontation with the European Union over the issue, as they said it meant the Brexit deal would have to be renegotiated.
Community work requirements
Speaking at an event in central London, Mr Jenrick said Reform’s “welfare to work” policy would mean that people who are long-term claimants and fit to work would be forced to do 20 hours of work a week in the community.
He said: “They’ll work to clean up high streets and parks, to beautify neglected places, to carry out minor repairs, to staff libraries and community centres, to perform many other tasks from the list that we’ve published today.
“We’ll also embrace local charities and community groups and ask them to help us and take part. If claimants refuse to participate or fail to show up, they’ll face penalties.
“Let me speak very plainly. If people who are capable of work refuse, then they’ll get nothing. That’s fair.”
He said claimants who are taking benefits rather than working are “taking advantage” of their neighbours.
The event heard that the average tax burden for each family to pay for the welfare state will reach £7,000 by 2031.
Exemptions and employer incentives
Under the exemption for foreign nationals from claiming benefits, Mr Jenrick said armed forces veterans would still be able to get them.
If put into place, the changes would put 241,000 British people back into work, he said.
Reform will also cut employers’ national insurance rates to support people on long-term sick leave being brought back into work.
Employees will stay on their employer’s books in their first two years of being signed off as sick. Their payments will be based on welfare rates, Mr Jenrick said, as he said firms would have an incentive to look after workers and help them back into work.
Mr Jenrick said: “There are 6.6 million working-age people in the UK claiming out of work benefits.
“Among their number are many who can work, who should work, but have chosen not to, and the system has allowed that to persist. These people are really taking advantage of their fellow citizens, their friends, their neighbours, their community.”
He added: “What was a source of pride for British people, a marker that we all live in a civilised society, has become viewed by many people as a joke, and in the cold light of day has to be seen, I believe, as both a moral and an economic catastrophe.
“A broken contract which too often takes from those who choose to work, and hands to those who choose not to.”
He continued: “A Reform UK government will fix Britain’s broken welfare schemes to restore fairness to the system, caring for those who are unable to support themselves, helping those who can towards independence, opportunity, and to take full advantage of life, and always keeping sight of that belief, contribution from those who can make it for security for those who can’t.”
In response, shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride said: “I introduced reforms to cut the sprawling welfare budget after the pandemic by reducing the numbers on long-term benefits and radically overhauling Pip.
“Labour called them ‘divisive’ and scrapped all of them, allowing the benefits bill to continue spiralling. Robert Jenrick hailed my reforms for making the system fairer and enabling us to cut taxes responsibly.
“Reform continue to flip flop like they did on the two-child benefit cap, and their fantasy numbers are simply not plausible.
“Meanwhile, Labour are totally failing to tackle the scale of our welfare problem.
“Only the Conservatives have a radical and credible plan to cut the welfare bill and get Britain working again.”
