Reform announces huge plan for unemployed to clean parks and fix council houses
Up to 330,000 unemployed people would be forced to work for their local council or lose benefits under Reform UK’s plans to slash the welfare bill by £50billion. They would clean up high streets and parks, carry out minor repairs to council houses or work in libraries and community centres. Jobseekers could also be told to assist schools or social service departments in “non-sensitive” roles that do not involve working with children or people receiving care.
The plan was announced by Reform Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick, who said claimants who refused to take part in the scheme would have their benefits cut or stopped entirely. It is part of a package of measures which also involves banning non-British citizens from receiving working-age benefits such as Universal Credit or Jobseeker’s Allowance, and slashing the number of people receiving disability benefits, including Personal Independence Payments (PIP).
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Mr Jenrick said: “There are more than 330,000 adults on Universal Credit capable of work, and who are supposed to be looking for it, which they have been reportedly doing so for more than 12 months.
“That can’t keep going on. If taxpayers must contribute, so must the able recipients of their support who can as well.
“I am therefore announcing that a Reform government will introduce a welfare-to-work scheme.”
Those taking part in the scheme will get an extra £30 a week on top of their usual benefits to cover the cost of transport and meals.
The plan was criticised by think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs. Director-general Daniel Hannan, a former Conservative and now independent member of the House of Lords, said: “Requiring 330,000 people to do community service risks creating a costly new bureaucracy for councils. Welfare reform should save money, not give the state another scheme to administer.”
Sir Mel Stride, Shadow Chancellor, 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.”
Mr Jenrick told a London press conference that the average tax burden for each family to pay for the welfare state will reach £7,000 by 2031.
Reform’s plan to stop foreign nationals receiving benefits would include EU nationals with settled status, who are currently eligible as part of the Brexit deal negotiated with the EU. This stated that people living in the UK before December 31, 2020, the day Brexit took place, would not lose the rights they currently had. Changing this will mean reopening Brexit negotiations with Brussels.
The proposal to limit PIP involves extending the period employers have to provide sickness pay from 28 weeks at present to two years. To compensate for the cost, a Reform government would cut employer National Insurance contributions by 0.2%.