Information on Loughborough

Loughborough MP Welcomes Welfare Reforms

Posted on 23/07/2008

air ambulance in Loughborough

Andy Reed, the Labour MP for Loughborough, has gone on the record that he backs government proposals for a radical overhaul of the benefits system. The aim of the proposals is to help people on benefits get back to work and bring about a culture where no one is written off as being unable to work ever.

This means changes to the benefit system including the dole and incapacity benefits and looking at ways of helping those who are in the system back into work.

The consultation on the ‘No one Written off’ a government green paper launched yesterday by James Purnell looks at the reform of the benefits system with a public consultation on the document happening until October.

Andy Reed back the new measures announced but stressed that those genuine claimants must still have access to the help they need. The balance between clamping down on benefit abuses and ensuring that we are creating a compassionate society needs to be found.

The Loughborough MP said:

“It is wrong that taxpayer’s money ends up in the pockets of drug dealers or people who are abusing the system. But we must ensure we are building a compassionate society that takes care of people when they need it most.”

“I welcome the proposals and will work here in parliament to ensure that the proposals try and strike the balance so that we can be there to help those who need it most while not letting people abuse the system. We need to ensure a robust welfare system is in place in a compassionate society that offers help to all people.”