Press, Welfare to Work

– The Chancellor (finally) signals his support for IDS’s welfare reform plans.

According to the Times and the Financial Times, The Treasury has told Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith that he must find £5 of savings for every £1 he spends simplifying the benefits system.

Iain Duncan Smith has been told to find £10 billion of savings over the next four years. In order to find these savings it is said that Iain Duncan Smith is looking at universal benefits such as Child Benefit and the £2.7 billion of winter fuel payments, for pensioners and parents

According to the FT there have been real tensions between Iain Duncan Smith and chancellor George Osborne.  George Osborne has written a letter outlining that simplification plans should not cost more than £2.5 billion to £3 billion and that £10 billion of savings needs to be identified.

The Telegraph reports that today George Osborne has given his support to proposals for the reform of the welfare system and that he has played down reports of a Cabinet rift between himself and IDS. In an interview with the BBC’s Today Programme, Mr Osborne rejected suggestions that he was at odds with his Cabinet colleague over the plans.

Telegraph

The Times is behind a pay wall so I have not attached a link to it.

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