Welfare Reform Bill

Having sat here all afternoon listening to the debate, I see a substantial difference in attitude between the two sides of the House. We have heard the Secretary of State and many speakers talk about the distinction between taxpayers, on the one hand, and claimants, on the other, as though they were two completely different groups of people. They are not. At various times in our lives we may be either or both. It is unproductive to pit these people against each other. There are too many myths and exaggerations in this whole debate. The Prime Minister launched this Bill by saying that the welfare system had put one in four people out of work. His figures were simply wrong. The figure for those of working age who are not working, and not students or carers, is only 14%, so why did he say that it was one in four? It was simply to try to build up a head of steam to justify what are in fact cuts in benefits. Before the universal credit and all the rest of it comes into force, there will have been two years of benefit cuts. That is why the Government are able to say that people will not be worse off. Most of the reductions in benefits will already have happened through housing benefit, and by taking people off incapacity benefit and putting them on much lower levels of benefit. That is why people will not be worse off, and it is quite unsatisfactory.