Therese Coffey, the secretary of state for work and pensions, told the Conservative Party conference today that she will work to improve universal credit, in stark contrast to Labour’s undertaking to abolish the benefit.
Coffey told the conference that:
“Universal Credit provides a safeguard for the most vulnerable in our society. It supports strivers, who are not content living a life on welfare.”
In contrast, she said:
“But Jeremy Corbyn would scrap our benefits system that makes work pay.
“With no alternative – from the Party that only knows how to trap people on benefits.”
Coffey said that her priorities for her department are:
“To continue to improve Universal Credit to ensure people get the money they need in a timely manner, are helped into work, and onto an escalator up to better work.
“To help with the cost of living across the country to ensure that people feel secure in their homes and can support themselves financially.
“To support everyone in society – especially disabled people – so we all can share in the success and prosperity of this county.”
Coffey ended with a promise to help claimants find their ‘dream job’:
“Which is I have today announced a further £4 million package to support people to find not just any job, but that dream job.”
