Jeremy Hunt and Mel Stride alert in opposition to advantages ‘lifestyle choice’ | Welfare

The Uk chancellor and the welfare secretary have recommended that also numerous men and women are boasting unemployment benefit as a lifestyle preference right after a rise in joblessness.

Jeremy Hunt and Mel Stride utilized a joint write-up in the Occasions to ramp up the government’s anti-welfare rhetoric in the operate-up to the standard election.

It came a day just after facts from the Business office for Nationwide Figures confirmed unemployment increased by 166,000 in between the last three months of 2023 and the 1st a few months of 2024, pushing up the jobless charge from 3.8% to 4.3%.

Labour seized on the figures to assert that Rishi Sunak’s financial approach was not operating.

In their write-up, Hunt and Stride explained the variety of people out of perform owing to long-term sickness was a “challenge”. But they added: “Unemployment gains ought to only be there as a security net, not a way of living selection.”

They rekindled a common Conservative occasion trope by suggesting these on benefits ended up shirking perform. Hunt and Stride wrote: “With about 900,000 vacancies in the economic climate there are enough chances for people to get on and get in advance in the environment of perform.”

And they insisted the UK’s labour market was balanced: “The headline figures published by the ONS yesterday will of class appeal to notice, but our financial file is sturdy and our labour sector resilient.

“Indeed, the ONS itself has expressed some warning about the info being produced by its surveys around a quantity of months, so it is crucial not to be alarmist.”

They pointed out that the number of people today classed as economically inactive in the Uk was lower than in 2010, and greater than prices in the US, Italy and France. And they claimed hundreds more would be helped back again into employment by the government’s back again-to-get the job done programme.

They extra: “The highway to recovery is never ever completely sleek – there are bumps, twists and turns. But by standing up to the problems of our day, we will increase the financial system and raise living benchmarks for tricky-operating Britons.”

The economic outlook was “better than numerous would have you believe”, they mentioned, including: “For the previous 10 months wages have improved quicker than inflation. Inflation is down from 11% to just 3.2%, and is on track to fall to about 2% this month.

“Since January the UK’s economic climate has developed at the fastest charge in two yrs – speedier than any other G7 region and even speedier than the United States.”

The TUC’s general secretary, Paul Nowak, accused Hunt and Stride of “gaslighting the British community on the condition of the British isles labour market”.

He said: “Unemployment shot up by more than 160,000 in excess of the last quarter and file numbers of persons are getting to be economically inactive because they are too sick to perform.

“Instead of punching down, the Tories need to be tackling our sky-superior ready lists and improving upon access to treatment method. And they must be laser-focused on improving upon the quality of operate in this state.

“People need employment they can make a lifetime on. But under the Conservatives we have viewed an explosion of reduced-paid out and insecure perform that has led to eye-watering ranges of in-function poverty.

“Before handing out lectures, Jeremy Hunt and Mel Stride need to try surviving on a zero-several hours agreement.”