Rachecl Reeves, the shadow work and pensions secretary, has set out what Labour claims it will do if it comes to power next year. This includes:{jcomments on}
"Getting a grip of the Government’s chaotic implementation of the roll out of disability benefits by reforming the Work Capability Assessments and putting a limit on the time that people wait for Personal Independence Payment claims
"And scrapping the cruel, costly and unfair Bedroom Tax that is sending people in Pudsey and across the country to food banks.
"Raising the National Minimum Wage and to ensure it gets closer to average earnings in the next Parliament.
"Tackling the root causes of rising housing benefits spending by making work pay and building 200,000 homes a year by 2020
"Getting young people and the long-term unemployed off benefits and into work through a Compulsory Jobs Guarantee
"Pausing the implementation of Universal Credit and calling in the National Audit Office to conduct a full review of whether the programme can be rescued."
Reeves also attacked the coalition’s record on benefits. On PIP, Reeves claimed that:
"But in February 2014 the National Audit Office said the chaotic rollout of Personal Independence Payment had led to the loss of £140 million to taxpayers. And the backlog of assessments has grown so much that it will take a staggering 42 years to clear at the current rate."
On housing benefits, she said:
"Analysis by the House of Commons library has found the number of working people claiming housing benefit is set to double between 2010 and 2018 costing a staggering £12.9 billion or £488 for every British household."
On universal credit Reeves alleged:
"Iain Duncan Smith promised a million people would be on Universal Credit by April 2014. But the latest figures show less than 6,000 people are claiming.
"At the current rate of progress it will take 1222 years for Universal Credit to be rolled out across the country. That means Universal Credit will finally be rolled out in 3236."
