LEO MCKINSTRY: A bold plan to slash bloated welfare bill, but could Reform ever make it a reality?

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By LEO MCKINSTRY FOR THE DAILY MAIL

Published: 20:38 EDT, 17 August 2026 | Updated: 21:21 EDT, 17 August 2026

As an action plan to tackle bloated state spending, it could hardly be more ambitious. Reform's Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick's declaration that he would slash an enormous £50billion from the benefits bill was a statement of intent far more radical than anything any other party is proposing.

And, goodness knows, radical thinking is needed. The vast budget of the benefits system already accounts for almost a quarter of all government spending and is expected to reach more than £407billion by 2030.

It is a sum that, far from being a badge of compassion, suggests a country in the grip of political dysfunction. Minor ailments can now be a cue for regular handouts or even a brand new Motability car.

Just as absurd as the health-related payments is the fact that foreign nationals can claim welfare, even though they may have contributed nothing to the British state through taxation or National Insurance.

Britain has always been tremendously generous both to newcomers who want to work hard for a better life and to people fleeing genuine persecution – but it is ridiculous to pretend that we owe the world a living.

All of which is why we should welcome the sentiment behind Reform's intention to take the scythe to benefits with measures such as banning foreign nationals from any benefits and reforming, for anyone of working age, the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) scheme that provides support for those with disabilities.

Among Jenrick's other measures is an intriguing requirement for claimants who have been jobless for more than a year to undertake some form of community service, such as cleaning streets or fixing municipal buildings and parks. It will have liberals reaching for the smelling salts, but surely deserves consideration in a Britain which in recent years has created a work-free lifestyle through handouts.

So Reform should be admired for its audacity – yet the same cannot be said for its practicality.

Robert Jenrick has vowed to slash an enormous £50billion from the benefits bill if Reform UK got into power

It emerged yesterday that Jenrick had retreated from a pledge to abolish the PIP scheme, which was originally designed to provide financial support to the severely incapacitated but has been dramatically widened in its scope in recent years.

One great problem for Reform is that their own supporters have the highest rate of PIP claims so Jenrick's move would have been deeply unpopular with the faithful.

There are other difficulties. The plan to bar benefits from being given to EU nationals with settled status would mean Britain's withdrawal agreement with Brussels would have to be opened up again.

The idea of a serious Brexit renegotiation, which could have damaging consequences for our trade and sovereignty, does not really bear thinking about. The fallout for expats living in the EU could also be disastrous if they rely on benefits there.

Welfare reform is vital if this country is not to become hopelessly bankrupt. It should be remembered that 53 per cent of the British population are net takers from the state, and just 47 per cent net contributors.

But Reform sometimes seems to be its own worst enemy. Its proposals can too often appear ill thought-out, leading to chaos and U-turn. Only this month, the party's much- heralded plan to return all small boats using the Royal Navy was declared illegal by France and utterly unworkable by naval experts.

On welfare, it is all the more important to get things right. Cutting benefits is a fearsomely difficult task because it involves taking real money away from claimants. At every turn the status quo is fiercely defended with a barrage of emotional blackmail and scaremongering.

Despite its huge majority, the Labour Government found it impossible to get through even the most minor measures, such as the withdrawal of winter fuel payments for most pensioners.

But at least Reform are looking in the right direction, unlike so many Left-wing campaigners who are in complete denial about the terrifying challenge of welfare reform.