I have received several emails from Castle Point constituents about welfare – including benefits and pensions. I will always be committed to a fair and affordable welfare system.
The Conservative Party has outlined a detailed plan to get welfare spending under control, bringing value for money to constituents. We have a duty to be responsible about how we manage your money, and the current situation is clearly untenable.
The Conservative Party believes that the benefits system should serve as a safety net, not a lifestyle choice. What we’ve seen in recent years is that a life on benefits can leave you better off than many hardworking taxpayers. This is unacceptable. Work should always pay more than benefits.
Labour refuse to take the tough decisions necessary to bring spending down. Keir Starmer tried to cut just £5bn from an almost £300bn welfare bill, but his fellow Labour MPs shut it down. Only the Conservatives have a plan to get a grip on public finances.
By ending the two-child benefit cap, Labour have shown they don’t care about fiscal responsibility. In the next five years, welfare spending is projected to rise from £333.7bn to almost £409bn. This is unacceptable.
Under Kemi Badenoch, a Conservative Government would:
- Reform welfare and get people back to work saving £23 billion
- Implement our BORDERS plan and end asylum hotels saving £3.5 billion
- Restrict social housing to British nationals saving £3.9 billion
- Issue universal Credit payments via a "Back to Work" card, which can't be used for alcohol, cigarettes, gambling or cash withdrawals
- Ensure that out of work benefits decrease after the first six months, with past workers who have paid into the system getting longer before any cut, saving £500m per year
I will continue to fight for affordable and sustainable welfare spending.