John Healey had said there will be a reduction in the welfare bill before the next election, with a “tough” approach to young people who do not accept support to get a job or training.
asserted
who → say → job
The chancellor was repeatedly pressed on the issue in broadcast interviews after documents from the Office for Budget Responsibility suggested sickness and disability benefits would cost £100bn a year before the end of the decade.
uncertain
benefits → press → decade
Healey delivered a budget on Wednesday with small giveaways for most households such as £100 off energy bills to help ease the cost of living.
asserted
Healey → deliver → living
But he deferred some difficult decisions on how defence spending at 3% of national income will be paid for and did not set out any changes to welfare – both of which are likely to be addressed at the spending review.
asserted
both → defer → review
Speaking after the budget, Healey told BBC Radio 4’s Today: “We have to bring the benefits bill down.”
asserted
We → speak → bill
He echoed the words of Andy Burnham when he said there would be no “crude cuts” after Keir Starmer’s attempts to cut disability benefits were stopped by Labour MPs.
asserted
attempts → echo → MPs
But he said the welfare system was “unsustainable” and that the government would set out changes after two big reports on how it can be overhauled: the Milburn review of young people and work and the Timms review of the disability benefit system.
asserted
it → say → system
Healey added: “We will expect, as we’ve done before, that (young people) take up the offers, take up the offers, and that’s the way that we can bring welfare bills down in the long term.”
asserted
we → add → term
Asked whether there would be a cut to the overall welfare bill before the next election, the chancellor said: “There will be a reduction in the benefits bill.
asserted
chancellor → ask → bill
We’ll do that in a Labour way and we will do that because it is simply not good for Britain or progress to have a bigger and bigger benefits bill.”
asserted
it → do → bill
The chancellor told Good Morning Britain that the model would be based on previous Labour governments having more conditions on welfare payments for young people.
asserted
governments → tell → people
“We did this when the last Labour government was first elected at the end of the 90s.
asserted
government → do → 90s
We had huge youth unemployment then.
asserted
We → have → unemployment
“We did exactly the same there.
asserted
We → do → same
Tough on those who weren’t prepared to take up the offer, but also real support and advice that said to the young people then, as we must do now: ‘You have real potential.’”
asserted
You → take → potential
The Office for Budget Responsibility said total welfare spending would grow from £334bn last year to £431bn by 2030 – with about half of that being spent on pensioners and a quarter on sickness and disability benefits.
asserted
half → say → benefits
The overall forecast spending has risen by £8bn since March.
asserted
spending → rise → March
In his post-budget interviews, Healey explained the choices he had made to give households some “breathing space”, paid for by higher taxes on banks and landlords.
asserted
he → explain → banks
But he said the single best thing for UK economic policy would be peace in the Middle East and Ukraine.
asserted
thing → say → East
Asked by Sky News if he was frustrated by Donald Trump’s international actions, Healey said: “President Trump is probably the one man that can bring those parties together.
asserted
that → ask → parties
“That’s why I will always work with him, if that’s what he’s pursuing.
asserted
he → ’ → what
And I think it’s why the British government now is doing what we can to bring those parties together.
asserted
we → think → parties
We want to reopen the strait of Hormuz, and we absolutely want to see an end to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.”
asserted
we → want → Ukraine
Meanwhile, a leading economic thinktank said Healey had delivered a “scattergun” budget that did little to address Britain’s economic challenges.
asserted
that → lead → challenges
The Resolution Foundation said measures aimed at easing household costs would not prevent energy bills from jumping above levels seen during the last energy shock.
asserted
measures → say → shock
Measures announced in the budget aimed at tackling soaring energy costs include the scrapping of standing charges on gas bills and energy payments of £100 for up to 20m households in council tax bands A to D.
But in its analysis of the budget, the Resolution Foundation said typical annual energy bills were expected to reach £1,750 after government support in 2026-27.
asserted
bills → announce → 2026
That compares with £1,685 paid during the 2022-23 energy price jump after Russia invaded Ukraine.
asserted
Russia → compare → Ukraine
Ruth Curtice, the chief executive of the thinktank, said: “Faced with a tough backdrop amid global economic turmoil, the chancellor delivered a scattergun budget that did little to address the sharp challenges facing Britain.
asserted
that → say → Britain
“Cost of living support is being spread far too thinly and will leave even those families receiving help facing higher energy bills than they did during the last energy price shock.”
asserted
they → spread → shock
The Aporia
