The Government is working “flat out” to cut the rising costs of welfare spending, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has insisted, after the Chancellor faced questions about the growing expense of benefits in the wake of the Budget.
John Healey was repeatedly pressed by broadcasters about the cost of welfare, after the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) warned that sickness and disability benefits could cost £100 billion a year before the end of the decade.
Treasury officials pushed back against media interpretations of Mr Healey’s responses that suggested he wanted the bill to start falling before the next election.
PM's comments in Derby
The Prime Minister was asked about his timeframe for reducing the benefit bill during a visit to Derby on Thursday.
He told reporters: “We want to get the welfare bill down as quickly as possible, and we’re working flat out to that end.
“Now that we are through the Budget, the big next priority in front of us is the publication of the Milburn report, long awaited, but it’s coming soon.
“We just want to get stuck into supporting people to help people off benefits and into work.
“There’s no delay there.”
Next steps
“We want that to happen as quickly as possible,” he added.
The Milburn report is expected to be published soon, with the Government aiming to support people off benefits and into work.
