Liz Kendall vows to cut the number of Brits on benefits as she warns the welfare epidemic is “terrible” for the country

LIZ Kendall contiguous promises to chopped the fig of Brits connected benefits - arsenic she warns the jobless epidemic is “terrible” for the country.

People stuck connected payment are poorer, sicker and little happy, the Work and Pensions Secretary said.

She staked her estimation connected slashing the payment measure and getting radical backmost to work.

Speaking to The Sun connected Sunday astatine a occupation centre successful Stratford, eastbound London, Ms Kendall said: “I’ve ne'er been swayed from my content successful the worth of work.

“I judge that the benefits of enactment spell mode beyond a wage slip; that enactment tin bring pride, aforesaid respect and dignity.

“Work is bully for your intelligence health. And arsenic a woman, I judge enactment tin bring you independency and equality.”

Asked if she is staking her estimation connected cutting the fig of radical languishing connected welfare, Ms Kendall said: “Yes.

“I’m not successful authorities to fail. I americium successful authorities to succeed.

“And this volition beryllium 1 of the biggest reforms this authorities does.”

Ms Kendall will this week unveil plans for a extremist shake-up of Britain’s breached benefits strategy to get radical into work.

At the bosom of it is simply a pugnacious caller ultimatum to get young adults disconnected payment and successful jobs.

She volition committedness each Brit aged 21 and nether enactment oregon training. Those who garbage volition person their benefits withdrawn.

Plans to chopped £3 cardinal a twelvemonth from payment by reassessing radical connected agelong word sick and disablement benefits much often volition besides beryllium acceptable out.

Ministers are progressively disquieted that the UK is erstwhile again turning into the sick antheral of Europe.

Britain spent a staggering £150 cardinal connected non pensioner benefits past twelvemonth - and the fig is predicted to transportation connected ballooning.

Four cardinal radical volition beryllium claiming semipermanent sickness benefits by 2030, according to forecasts. This is 60 per cent higher than pre Covid levels.

Shocking stats amusement astir 1 cardinal adults aged 24 and nether are not successful education, employment oregon grooming - known arsenic NEETs.

Hitting retired astatine the payment epidemic blighting Britain’s youth, Ms Kendall said: “That is unspeakable for them.

“It’s unspeakable for businesses, galore of whom are hopeless to recruit, and it’s unspeakable for taxpayers seeing an ever higher benefits bill.

“And I americium determined to bring that down done much and amended opportunities for young radical to work, to get grooming and to get skills.

“And successful instrumentality for that, young radical volition person to instrumentality up those offers.

“If you’re retired of enactment erstwhile you’re young…the consequences tin beryllium lifelong.

“It tin person a agelong word effect connected your occupation prospects, your quality to earn, and your health, due to the fact that we cognize the longer you’re retired of enactment that tin beryllium atrocious for your wellness too, which increases costs connected the taxpayer.

“So my committedness to young radical is this: I worth you. I judge successful you. I volition connection you the chances and choices you deserve.

“But successful instrumentality for that, you person a work to instrumentality them up.”
She added: “I’ve ever believed, if you tin work, you must.”

Ms Kendall is “extremely concerned” astir the increasing fig of young adults successful their 20s disconnected enactment due to the fact that of intelligence wellness problems.

And she is “worried astir the interaction of societal media connected young people”.

Her concerns were echoed by the unit astatine the engaged occupation centre Liz is visiting successful eastbound London.

They are seeing much and much young adults disconnected enactment with things similar slump and anxiety.

The existent strategy of sickness and disablement benefits “isn’t moving astatine the moment”, Ms Kendall said.

“It’s not moving for the radical who trust connected them, and we are seeing the costs rise”, she warned.

Plans to transportation retired much checks connected radical connected sickness benefits are expected to beryllium acceptable retired successful the New Year.

Brits volition besides beryllium fixed much intelligence wellness enactment successful schools and via occupation centres to support them successful grooming oregon work.

The UK has nary prime but to get radical backmost to enactment - the ngo to kickstart economical maturation depends connected it, Ms Kendall said.
“We are the HR section of the maturation mission”, she said.

But Ms Kendall has travel nether occurrence for different welfare cuts announced.

Earlier this week, she admitted cuts to wintertime substance allowance could unit different 100,000 pensioners successful England and Wales into poverty.

The determination to portion the £300 payments from astir 10 cardinal pensioners is hugely unpopular.

It volition lone prevention the authorities astir £1.4 billion.
So, is the chopped worthy it?

“This is not a determination that immoderate of america wanted oregon expected to make”, Ms Kendall said.

“The request to get the nationalist finances sorted, though, is not thing we’re going to duck.

“I recognize however acrophobic radical person been astir it, but erstwhile wealth is tight, we took the determination to absorption connected pensioners successful the top need.”

Britain’s system is stagnating and concern assurance is plummeting.

The Labour authorities says getting radical into enactment and maturation going again is their fig 1 mission.

They volition beryllium judged connected the results.

Ms Kendall whitethorn person the destiny of her enactment successful her hands.