Government must first fix the mess that is DWP – Carmichael responds to welfare reform proposals

Orkney and Shetland MP, Alistair Carmichael, has today responded to the Government’s Green Paper on Welfare reforms, warning that the priority should be fixing health and social care, and the “mess” that is the Department for Work and Pensions. The government aims to reduce annual welfare spending by £5bn through greater restrictions on access to disability and other support payments.

Mr Carmichael said:

“If the Government was serious about cutting welfare spending it would get serious about fixing health and social care and the mess that is the Department for Work and Pensions. It is all very well talking about restricting eligibility for welfare but we all know that DWP is pretty poor at fairly applying the rules that are already in place, let alone new ones.

“It is disappointing to see both our governments’ lack of urgency in fixing the real roots of the problem in health and social care. 

“Until that changes, no meaningful drop in the welfare bill will arrive, and the misery that people are suffering will continue.”