Benefits to increase more than expected next April Personal Finance Most state benefits will rise by 3.8 per cent next year in line with September’s rate of inflation, exceeding earlier predictions by the Treasury watchdog. September’s CPI inflation figures are used to calculate the increase to many welfare bills which take effect next April, including universal credit and personal independence payments (Pips). The rise is [...]
Pat McFadden: I will get young people back to work Opinion The secretary of state for work and pensions, Pat McFadden, says Labour will tackle rising unemployment by ensuring young people don’t graduate into a life on benefits Since becoming work and pensions secretary, I’ve seen many brilliant examples of people – particularly the young – being supported towards employment. From partnerships with football clubs helping [...]
Reeves must get ruthless on welfare Opinion Rachel Reeves’ plans for a youth guarantee scheme and lifting the two-child benefit cap are not enough to tackle the spiralling welfare bill, says Jamila Robertson This week, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced her plan to fix the unemployment crisis, which has seen 621,000 under-24s out of work this year. Reeves’ ‘youth guarantee’ scheme would provide [...]
City veteran Lord Rose: UK is ‘at the edge of a crisis’ September 9, 2025 Lord Stuart Rose has launched a scathing attack on the government’s economic strategy, claiming the UK is “at the edge of a crisis.” The City veteran told Times Radio: “I think we should all be worried about the state of Britain today. “Now, I am absolutely an optimist in my life. I’ve been working for [...]
Economy faces ‘midlife crisis’ as benefit claimants hit new high August 10, 2025 The economy faces a “midlife crisis” after a fresh study revealed the number of jobless benefit claimants aged 50 or older has reached nearly two million for the first time. A new report from the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) has shown the number of 50 to 64-year-olds who are out of work and claiming [...]
Ministers ‘pushed ahead too fast’ on welfare reform, says Phillipson July 6, 2025 Ministers “pushed ahead too fast” and “didn’t listen enough” on welfare reform, the education secretary has said. Bridget Phillipson also said that future spending decisions had been made “harder”, when asked about the prospect of the two-child benefit cap being scrapped. Phillipson told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme that she was “not going [...]
Winter fuel payments to return for 9m pensioners in £1.3bn Labour u-turn June 9, 2025 The winter fuel payment will be handed out to 9m pensioners whose income falls below £35,000 a year, the Treasury has revealed, in a £1.25bn blow to Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ chances of keeping her £9.9bn headroom intact.
Spring Statement 2025: Rachel Reeves won’t rule out tax hikes at next Budget March 26, 2025 Rachel Reeves has declined to rule out hiking taxes at her next Budget, amid growing pushback from Labour MPs over welfare cuts in the wake of her Spring Statement. The Chancellor told reporters at a press conference that she was focused on growing the economy, despite speculation she will have to find more revenue to [...]
Spring Statement 2025: Reeves makes further cuts to Universal Credit March 26, 2025 Further cuts will be made to Britain’s welfare bill – but only save the government £3.4bn rather than the £5bn originally thought – Rachel Reeves has announced in the Spring Statement. The Chancellor has confirmed there will be further reductions to the cost of benefits, and to government spending, after the Office for Budget Responsibility [...]
Don’t ask business to ‘shoulder more burden’, CBI chief urges March 19, 2025 The government should not “ask businesses to shoulder any more of a burden”, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) chief has warned in the wake of the welfare cuts. Work and pensions secretary Lilz Kendall announced on Tuesday a raft of welfare measures she said will help bring more working age people back into jobs. [...]