Labour's Plans for Universal Credit and Employment Support

From the parliamentary document "King’s Speech 2024: Welfare and Pensions":

https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/LLN-2024-0042/LLN-2024-0042.pdf

Summary:

The Labour manifesto committed to "reviewing universal credit so that it makes work pay and tackles poverty" but did not detail the scope of the review. It emphasised reforming employment support to drive growth and opportunity, with a system underpinned by rights and responsibilities, indicating that those who can work should work, with consequences for those who do not fulfill their obligations.

When Keir Starmer campaigned to be elected Labour leader in 2020, he pledged to abolish universal credit and end the sanctions regime. However, Labour’s current policy is to reform rather than abolish universal credit. In March 2024, the shadow secretary of state for work and pensions, Liz Kendall, criticised the Department for Work and Pensions' focus on benefits and universal credit, contrasting it with Labour’s investment-focused "back to work plan," which emphasises employment support, mental health services, careers advisers in schools and job centre reforms.

Following the general election, Liz Kendall made her first official visit as secretary of state for work and pensions on 11 July 2024. The DWP press release highlighted the "three pillars" of the government's back to work plan:

- A new national jobs and careers service
- New work, health, and skills plans for the economically inactive
- A youth guarantee for all young people aged 18 to 21

Nice sentiment for those that are still capable, but feel their ultimately thinking in a delusional way. This is a fix for EVERYONE  as they see it, a quick fix for the too low tax receipts' vs benefits bill.

As with many other things, the average person can see and feel already hindered  by their actions. This will fail, and their blame another crowd, or repeatedly blame the sick and disabled for the on going mess the economy is in.