DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Labour's shameful welfare milestone as more than four million people are now claiming PIPs
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Another day, another dispiriting reminder of Labour’s ever-expanding benefits culture.
It is a shameful milestone for the Government that more than four million people are claiming personal independence payments (PIPs). That this figure has emerged days after an official report called for a simplified application process to make it easier to claim is a particularly grim irony.
Following a post-Covid surge in cases largely fuelled by anxiety, depression and other mental health issues, around 1,000 new PIP claims are being approved per day. Little wonder that the annual cost is on track to reach £41billion by 2030.
It goes without saying that this would be unacceptable even if the economy was in rude health. But what makes it truly galling is that the people expected to pick up the welfare tab - the same hard-working souls who have always kept this country chugging along - are suffering more than anyone right now.
According to new estimates, food inflation is set to continue for at least two years and energy costs could go up by 25 per cent. Fears are growing of a string of mortgage rate increases after five lenders announced interest hikes. Meanwhile, figures show that pay growth in the private sector is barely keeping pace with rising prices.
Against that backdrop, how can ordinary Britons be expected – morally or financially – to continue bankrolling Andy Burnham’s unswerving commitment to ‘social security’? We are rapidly approaching a scenario where Downing Street officials will have to grab individual taxpayers by the ankles, turn them upside down and shake them until the last remaining coins drop from their pockets.
How can ordinary Britons be expected – morally or financially – to continue bankrolling Andy Burnham ’s unswerving commitment to ‘social security’?
Nothing should surprise us. The growing concern about the fate awaiting pensioners in next month’s Budget springs entirely from Labour’s unscrupulous approach to funding its hand-outs society.
If any further proof was needed that welfare is out of control, an army of four million-plus PIPs recipients provides it in spades. It is worrying enough that the Prime Minister has no strategy for addressing the situation. But it is far more concerning that he clearly has no appetite to do so.
Beyond the norm
With Labour’s disastrous handling of the asylum crisis now so ingrained, there is a danger of the wholly unacceptable becoming normalised.
But there is absolutely nothing normal about hundreds of illegal migrants landing here in small boats on a regular basis. The same applies to villagers in Piddington being forced to stage a referendum to protest at 1,250 male arrivals being dumped into their community. Plans to distribute high-visibility vests to the men in a bid to prevent road accidents only highlight the ludicrous nature of it all.
If the PM goes ahead with his threat to place more migrants in middle-class areas, there will be similar farcical scenes right across the nation.
Speaking yesterday, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds defended the Piddington move and stressed there was ‘no imaginary place these people can go’. But, of course, the Conservatives’ Rwanda blueprint was a workable option until Sir Keir Starmer decided to snuff it out at the first available opportunity.
The asylum crisis isn’t going to disappear. It would be an act of commendable maturity if Mr Burnham was to hold his hands up, admit Labour got it wrong and resolve to give the Rwanda scheme a try. But, as we have said about the PM in other circumstances, we won’t be holding our breath.
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