York MP Rachael Maskell says colleagues and constituents have expressed “deep, deep concern” over Labour’s planned benefit cuts.
Labour backbencher Rachael Maskell has spoken out about “deep concern” over Labour’s plans to cut billions from the welfare bill.
Maskell said “all she has picked up from [Labour colleagues] is deep deep concern” about the welfare reforms.
She also mentioned receiving a “flurry of emails” from constituents who are “deeply concerned” about the proposed cuts.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Westminster Hour, she said: “We recognise the economic circumstances that we’re in and the hand that we were given and of course it is right that the Chancellor has oversight over all those budgets but not at the expense of pushing disabled people into poverty.”
The MP for York Central said “we’ve got to move to a compassionate system and not taking just draconian cuts”.
The Guardian reported that dozens of Labour MPs are unhappy about the proposed cuts.
Yesterday evening, the Times reported that a group of 36 new MPs has written a letter to the Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall backing the reforms.
Maskell recognised that working is good for wellbeing, but that there are currently 2.4 million people in the UK who can’t work, and 450,000 with limited capability for work.
She said that for some, it will take time for them to move into work, while “for others it just won’t become a possibility”.
Regarding the increased face-to-face assessments and check-ups for those claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Maskell said that for most people with chronic conditions, their conditions do not fluctuate, so being regularly ‘tested’ just puts them under more pressure.
Kendall will make a speech on the planned cuts this week.
The chancellor, Rachel Reeves, is expected to make billions of pounds in cuts in her spring statement at the end of March.
Olivia Barber is a reporter at Left Foot Forward
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