Keir Starmer issues 2025 DWP benefits warning

Keir Starmer has vowed to get more people off sickness benefits and back into work as part of a new benefits crackdown. The Prime Minister insisted too many people were on out-of-work benefits as he unveiled his plan to get more people into jobs.

Ministers insist the welfare bill is currently too high and must be addressed. The PM said Britain "simply isn't working" as he proposed a welfare shake-up heading into 2025.

Plans include an expansion of mental health support and efforts to tackle obesity in a bid to get more people off sickness benefits. The sickness bill has ballooned since the pandemic, sending welfare costs soaring.

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A boost to training and job opportunities for young people is also planned. The proposals form part of the ‘Get Britain Working Again’ white paper which aims to get more than two million people back into work and slash the welfare bill.

Around 2.8 million people are currently out of work due to long-term sickness, on top of 1.5 million unemployed. Unemployed people who refused to engage with job centres will also be hit with benefit sanctions, under plans.

Starmer said: “From the broken NHS, flatlining economy, and the millions of people left unemployed and trapped in an inactivity spiral - this Government inherited a country that simply isn’t working. But today we’ve set out a plan to fix this. Our reforms put an end to the culture of blaming and shaming people who for too long haven’t been getting the support they need to get back to work.”