Conservative response to Labour’s calls to end the freeze on benefits
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It's impossible to know just what Labour stands for given they
change their minds from one week to the next. In the past
three months, Labour have been against the benefits freeze, for the
benefits freeze and now they are against it again. It wasn’t
in their manifesto, their Shadow Foreign Secretary said that it
couldn’t be done, and their Shadow Welfare Secretary failed to
answer a question on it five times. But once more
Jeremy Corbyn...Request free trial
It's impossible to know just what Labour stands for given they change their minds from one week to the next.
In the past three months, Labour have been against the benefits freeze, for the benefits freeze and now they are against it again. It wasn’t in their manifesto, their Shadow Foreign Secretary said that it couldn’t be done, and their Shadow Welfare Secretary failed to answer a question on it five times.
But once more Jeremy Corbyn has now once again committed to ending the benefits freeze – but with no plan on how to cover the nearly £13 billion price tag.
Labour have previously estimated the pledge will cost £900 million, but official figures show the rash promise could cost almost £13 billion. Now Corbyn must set out clearly how he will pay for it.
Liz Truss MP, Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said:
“Labour spent their whole election campaign promising the country things they simply couldn’t afford and they’re doing the same thing again.
“Ending this freeze would cost a massive £12.9 billion and leave ordinary, hardworking people footing the bill. If Labour want people to put their hands in their pockets to pay for this they must set out where the money will come from.
“It is clear that Labour’s sums simply don’t add up. Only the Conservatives have the plan to build a stronger economy so that we don’t burden future generations with our debt.”
ENDS
For further information, please contact the Conservative Party Press Office on 020 7984 8121.
Notes to Editors
Jeremy Corbyn: No, what we said is we’ll put two billion into the benefits system per year in order to… JP: No, that’s tax credits. JC: In order to reduce the effects. We will also end the indignity of the … JP: Will you free benefits for three years? JC: Benefits will be paid of course, benefits will be uprated… JP: Of course they’ll be paid. JC: … and will be uprated of course and they will be … (Jeremy Corbyn, Battle for Number 10, 29 May 2017).
Debbie Abrahams: We need to be very clear about this Justin, in the 2016 Welfare Reform Act this Tory government in introduced a freeze until 2020 on all social, no I correct myself, on a large number of social security benefits. What we have said is that we will reverse a number of other measures, you mentioned two there already... [Interrupted]
2. Interviewer: But why not just reverse that freeze? Debbie Abrahams: We decided that there was a different approach, looking at the overall package that we are introducing for example around introducing... [Interrupted]
3. Interviewer: But I'm sorry to interrupt but some of the people I was talking to, hold on a second... [Interrupted] Debbie Abrahams: Let me finish... [Interrupted]
4. Interviewer: For someone who is on these benefits they don't want to hear about overall packages, they just want to know don't they, is it going to be frozen or unfrozen under Labour? Debbie Abrahams: Well what they will want to know, that they will get £10 an hour minimum which is not the, even the Tories in this manifesto have refused to include that. They have refused to have that they will actually increase living standards, really contrary to what they said in 2015 so they will want to know the overall package of measures will make them better off and that's what we are ensuring that we will do.
5. Interviewer: That's interesting though that, I mean I take your point that there are other measures that you are introducing but on this vital question of the welfare freeze where Jeremy Corbyn initially said, he was asked about it on manifesto day wasn't he, he said clearly we are not going to freeze benefits but you are saying to me this morning actually that some of those benefits may well remain frozen. That is going to be noticed by electors isn't it? Debbie Abrahams: We believe that the overall package based on our analysis so far is that there will be a significant improvement for people on low pay income and I also remember in terms of your earlier interview with the small business man as well, the measures that we are going to introduce for small businesses is also something that they can be reassured with you know, I know there have been concerns what this will mean to small businesses where salaries are their biggest cost and we are going to ensure that we reduce the corporation tax rate for them and also have a review of business rates so again they will not be penalised, they are the backbone of the economy and we will be ensuring that they are protected.
(Today Programme, 1st June 2017)
Labour think that ending the benefits freeze will cost £900 million a year…
…However, it would cost £12.9 billion over the course of the parliament according to official statistics.
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