The Government has been leaking over the past weekend its new welfare policy and has finally released them which aim to ensure that those claiming benefits are actually those who need them. With so many claiming benefits for disability without being disabled, and with large numbers just too bone idle to get a job, there is plenty of people to target. The policy sounds pretty good and theres one reason why it does. Because the Conservatives announced the very same policy back in January. The entire policy is lifted almost verbatim from the Conservative policy document "Work for Welfare". Its strange that the Government announces such policies because when the Conservatives published the policy, Labour attacked it as uncosted and unworkable...James Purnell, Secretary for Work and Pensions, is lauded by some analysts to be a potential Prime Minister, though seeing how quickly David Miliband's light was snuffed out when he started making moves, Purnell may not have long to promote himself. The problem is that Labour has a history of stealing Tory policies, then screwing up the implementation.
If all Labour can do is steal Tory policies, then is might as well go and call the next election now. This Labour Government is finished.
2 comments:
Very interesting read James. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.
Economic Inactivity benefits should reside on the present little known Rule 27.
We should change the way we look at benefits.
We should look upon (rule 27 based) doctor's notes as prescriptions for rest cure or physio time off.
It is recognized, for example, how the present system discrimiates against sufferers of COPD. But if, for example, the doctor wanted to prescribe a year of rest cure to enable three physio supervised weightlifting sessions per week ? Quite a bit of science behind doing that is known now.
A year's prescribed rest benefit would be far less than the costs of treating the condition without the physio.
So the thinking of both parties is limited at present.
But at least there is thinking ....
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