Government pledges help for forgotten millions
THE coalition government yesterday said it would help the “forgotten millions” find a job, after new statistics revealed record numbers of people are now economically inactive.
Although the number of people claiming job seekers’ allowance fell in May, figures from the Office of National Statistics yesterday showed there are almost 5m people claiming at least one out-of-work benefit.
Employment minister Chris Grayling said the figures proved the Tories were right to scrap a planned rise in employer National Insurance contributions, which could have thwarted job creation in the private sector.
He added: “With nearly 5m people on out of work benefits and record numbers of people who are economically inactive, we have to make sure that as the economy grows and jobs are created in the next few years that we learn from the mistakes of the past, and ensure that we provide real help and support for people on benefits so they can take advantage of employment opportunities and make the move into work.”
In a heated session of Prime Minister’s questions, David Cameron blamed the previous government for the rise in the unemployment rate.