"Labour to ditch ‘blame culture’ over benefits bill, work and pensions minister says"

"Labour to ditch ‘blame culture’ over benefits bill, work and pensions minister says":

https://uk.news.yahoo.com/time-end-blame-culture-over-180006863.html?guccounter=1


"Labour will end the blame culture aimed at people out of work and will not repeat the “salami slicing” of the benefits bill pursued by the Tories, the work and pensions secretary pledges today, as she warns that rising welfare spending is unsustainable.

In her first newspaper interview since taking the role, Liz Kendall told the Observer that a drastic overhaul was required to fix a “broken” back-to-work system, warning that the number of people who are economically inactive was now bigger than the population of London.

Describing her task as “one of the biggest challenges the country faces”, she said that she would be bringing in major reforms to a system that was failing too many of the near record 2.8 million people now out of work due to long-term sickness.

She accused a series of Conservative politicians of using anti-welfare rhetoric against people in need of help. Amid concerns within Labour that welfare will be squeezed as part of chancellor Rachel Reeves’s first budget this autumn, Kendall said she would not make reform “merely about cuts and blame”.

Citing large projected increases in welfare spending, she added: “I do not think it’s sustainable when you’re seeing those levels of increases, but we can do something about it.”

She criticised the previous government’s approach, which she described as “salami slicing cuts and divisive rhetoric that blames people and doesn’t support them.

“We’ve never seen more people written off. The last parliament was the worst for economic inactivity on record. It is for us to put this right. But we will need big reforms and big changes. I know people worry about this, but I want to say, we are on your side. We are not going to write you off and blame you. We take our responsibilities seriously. We’re going to bust a gut to give you the support you need to build a better life.”

Reeves has already made it clear that she will make “tough decisions” on welfare spending in the forthcoming budget, describing spending as “out of control”. Over the next six years, spending on incapacity and disability benefits for working age people is projected to rise to £63bn – a real-terms increase of almost 48%. However, some MPs are wary of any squeeze that would only save money in the short term.

Kendall repeatedly took aim at the rhetoric used by a series of Conservative figures. While former chancellor George Osborne talked about “shirkers”, Rishi Sunak denounced a “sicknote culture”. When he was work and pensions secretary, Mel Stride said some people did not work because they felt “down and bluesy”.

“All of the talk about strivers versus scroungers or shirkers – I think the people who really shirk their responsibility were the people who last sat in this office because they wrote off millions of people who actually want to work,” Kendall said. “It matters deeply for individuals and their ability to have a decent life for themselves. It matters to our economy because it is the major thing holding back growth. But it also matters to the public finances as well.”

Plans to curb welfare spending come with the Tories criticising the government for reaching a series of pay deals designed to end strikes. A backdated pay offer for train drivers was announced last week: it followed the chancellor’s £9bn package to increase public sector pay and a major increase offered to junior doctors.

Stride said his party would “take no lectures from the government, who have failed at the first hurdle to signal that they will get a grip on welfare spending”.

“Labour have made their priorities clear – taxpayer-funded above-inflation pay rises demanded by their union paymasters and scrapping welfare reform that could save the taxpayer £12bn – all while axing winter fuel payments for pensioners. Without taking much-needed action to make the welfare bill sustainable, Labour will once again ramp up taxes.”

In a frank assessment of the challenge she faces, Kendall said she was “under no illusions” about the size of her task. She said the current system “is broken. It’s not working. But I know that our work coaches are full of passion and ideas about doing things differently.”

Kendall suggested there would be serious reforms to jobcentres, freeing them up from monitoring benefits and linking them with the NHS to help those struggling to work for health reasons. “We have got to put jobcentres back to where they were initially meant to be, which is a public employment service,” she said. “That isn’t how they are. Their overwhelming focus is on monitoring, assessing and policing benefits. We’ve got 16,000 work coaches and we want them to do what they say on the tin.”

She also committed to a review of universal credit, new plans to tackle economic inactivity led by local areas and mayors and a “youth guarantee” ensuring every 18-21-year-old could get training, an apprenticeship or support to find work. More details of her plans will be unveiled in a white paper in the autumn.

Kendall would not be drawn on whether she was pushing for the Treasury to end the two-child limit on benefits that most experts believe is a driving force behind child poverty. However, the Leicester West MP said that the government’s child poverty taskforce had met for the first time last week and that the issue was a priority.

“I have got one in three kids in Leicester growing up poor,” she said. “On one of my last visits to one of my primary schools, they’d had to go out to find a young boy who had not been at school. When they found him at home, all he had was a bowl of salad cream for breakfast. I know in my bones how appalling the situation is.

“I will only make a commitment when I know that we can deliver on it. The last Labour government did incredible things to tackle poverty, but it was so easily overturned by the Tories. We are determined that our strategy will not only take immediate action, but this time it will last.”

From how I read the article " ditching Blame Culture".. Seems benefits claimant's are in for more hard times?! Look at the language
"Major reforms", " Economically Inactive" ( still not sure what that means?). I'd add this to 'Tailored Support' lexicon...

Whilst on the topic of Blame Culture, the main culprits, 'work roaches'. Ms Kendall says " ... our work coaches a full of passion and ideas.." 🤨. Has Ms Kendall, ever stepped foot in a jcp . As these are some of the worst offenders, of blame & shame...

So how is the former 'Hogworts' 🪄student Ms Kendall going to 'spell' this out? "Reforms to jobcentres, freeing them up from monitoring benefits and linking them with the NHS..."
So what does this mean? Will there be more medical advice from the JCP, isn't the raisin d'etre of the medical professionals. Or will the be less 'snooping' sorry 'monitoring' of benefit claimants.

One final point, was it when the last Labour party was in power of...."No child in poverty by....". Cause that worked out well.

Kendell will probably be very ignorant about what roaches have been up to for the last 15 years. The roaches have probably charmed her into thinking they are like nurses for the "workless".

But at least her emphasis on getting rid of the "blame" culture indicates that the path she is going down is in the right direction.

I live in hope. What else is there?

Archangel wrote:Kendell will probably be very ignorant about what roaches have been up to for the last 15 years. The roaches have probably charmed her into thinking they are like nurses for the "workless".

But at least her emphasis on getting rid of the "blame" culture indicates that the path she is going down is in the right direction.

I live in hope. What else is there?

Revenge.  When you have no hope of justice, sometimes revenge is the best hope you have.  

I have a roach who really doesn't like me, and the feeling is obviously mutual. It's one thing when they tacitly admit they are unable to slot you into jobs, as they were able to, half a century ago.  The current crop, actually garner a level of sympathy from me; I wouldn't like to be seeing dozens of unemployed weekly, with no good advice to pass on.  

It's quite another when they demand arcane details like, "Who's you're Restart Advisor?", trying to create the impression of busy-ness, or activity for the sake of showing activity, and try to drag ME into that deception.

My policy is this; it's already bad enough you're drawing a salary and not landing people jobs; don't compound it further by hounding me.  It won't end well.

The editorial direction of the media outlet these stories appear in shouldn't be overlooked. I fetch Daddio's Daily Mail 🤮 every day (is that like having a paper round and work under DWP rules??). It's articles on Labour's plans for benefit reform, based on the same statements by politicians, suggest more of the same.

I suspect if the masterplan is to increase the number of people in paid work, they are going to have to get some of those currently on sickness benefits working to meet their targets. On the surface they may seem a bit more cuddly, talking about no more blame culture. Yet they will need to be ruthless with assessments to get the numbers of workers up.

With regards to WC, some of them in my jobcentre could be good under a different regime. It tends to be the longer serving, pre-austerity, pre-UC ones. I have regularly observed them go out of their way to genuinely help people stay on the right side of the rules, usually people who evidently have "issues" and are probably no where near work. Just before lockdown I attended a GIS for the underwhelming opportunity to work for free for a well known supermarket. The WC in charge was clear the older schemes where better because most people got paid employment out of it, but the opposite would be the case here. They didn't like the way work experience is these days anymore than we do. In the interests of balance, my jobcentre also has it's fair share of staff hanging on for their pension and just plain nasty types in case anyone thinks I've gone soft.

I can't help thinking they (the DWP) are going to be 'Wolves in Sheep clothing"... Especially, with the older's leaving, and the new crop of roaches taking over...
I didn't read anything in the article, about the 'private sector' helping out?

I am old enough to remember 'Hugg a Hoodie" phrase... Look how that turned out ..

A strong emphasis is being driven on MH. GP surgeries outsourcing help with mental health. I see that as a prime target to rid the ques of people claiming for LCWRA and PIP on mental health grounds.

There will be many, so will save a fortune. Example, if someone isn't currently under a MH nurse/psychologist or on prescribed medication, could be seen as all good to go etc = no longer classed as 'economically inactive'.  Looking at the economics of the problem and i feel at the same time, could be making things worse. Who will decide someone is no longer economically inactive, if WCA are being stopped? If its a WC, god help us all.

I think you on the right course here Jobber. From the article, there was a focus on Disability and Long term sickness.

🪣 ."....spending on incapacity and disability benefits for working age people is projected to rise...."...

"2.8 million people now out of work due to long-term sickness."


And as you say, its easier to down grade, mental health issues. Until it becomes a criminal matter. Then this penny pinching/cost cutting, actually costs the State more. Look at recently in the media, example Mr Valdo Calocane. And how the safety net failed him and the 3x victims. What happened to "an ounce of prevention, worth a pound of cure"... Will these dwp roach's , be given 2x week course on mental health, and be more helpful than a trained professional. They might be able to prescribe pharmaceutical s, to these people, the chemical cosh, so to speak..

And lets not forget the benefits, of a high pressured, stressful fast pace work ‍environment. On people's mental health! Just cast out some anti suicide netting....








https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cj08qypl438o

How they feel that forcing people already unwell, be that through physical or mental health into low paid, insecure work, additionally with the jobcentre breathing down their necks to get more working hours in 3-4 jobs, i really dont know. Maybe more clear in Octobers budget.

When the Autumn statement arrives, I be playing some "Biscuit Bingo". Ever time you hear on of these phrases, have a biscuit.

Economically Inactive

Tailored Support

Benefits of Employment

Broken system

Improving lives

Envigorating the Economy

Helping the jobless

Aided by the private sector

Encouraging growth and investment

Brighter future

Pintel wrote:When the Autumn statement arrives, I be playing some "Biscuit Bingo". Ever time you hear on of these phrases, have a biscuit.

Economically Inactive

Tailored Support

Benefits of Employment

Broken system

Improving lives

Envigorating the Economy

Helping the jobless

Aided by the private sector

Encouraging growth and investment

Brighter future

I've heard all this bullshit for years, nothing changes same old crap year in year out.

And I, will have a Guiness.

jobberpw wrote:How they feel that forcing people already unwell, be that through physical or mental health into low paid, insecure work, additionally with the jobcentre breathing down their necks to get more working hours in 3-4 jobs, i really dont know. Maybe more clear in Octobers budget.

What worse is your back into paid employment? They say it is not good enough. Look for a better job with better hours and start randomly booking your appointments that clash with your working days. No wonder mental health and anxiety are so high.