00:00Among the most contentious aspects of the plan are stricter eligibility criteria for
00:04personal independence payments and the potential removal of the health top-up and universal
00:08credit for those under 22. While Working Pension Secretary Liz Kendall argues that these changes
00:13will create a poor work system and address a benefits regime that she claims is failing
00:17its intended beneficiaries, there is growing concern that these reforms will impact those
00:21who are already struggling the most.
00:24Martin Gannon, leader of Gateshead Council, expressed his fears, warning that the cuts
00:28could create a ripple effect, increasing pressure on local public services. He argues
00:33you can cut the National Welfare Bill, but you're not actually cutting the costs, you're
00:36just shifting the burden. While acknowledging the government's concern over the rising welfare
00:41bill, Gannon pointed out that local councils are already struggling to manage the rising
00:45costs of adult social care and services for children in care, which are direct consequences
00:50of austerity measures. He added,
00:59If the government is looking to save money on welfare, it cannot simply push the costs
01:04down on local authorities, which are already operating on a shoestring budget.
01:09North East Mayor Kim McGuinness also expressed alarm, calling to scrap the two-child benefit
01:13cap. She highlighted the particular hardship that children with disabled parents could
01:17face under the new welfare changes. In response, Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended the reforms,
01:23claiming they were necessary to fix a welfare system that had been fundamentally broken
01:27by the previous government. He argues that the system was failing not only the people
01:32it was designed to help, but also businesses in need of workers and taxpayers who ultimately
01:37bear the cost. Starmer emphasised the importance of creating a system that encourages young
01:42people to work and live independently.
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