Welfare Spending

Marsha De Cordova Excerpts

Tuesday 4th November 2025 Commons Chamber

[The Minister for Social Security and Disability (Sir Stephen Timms)]

I enjoyed listening to the shadow Secretary of State’s fierce critique of the state of the benefits system that was left behind after 14 years of Tory government. She made some good points about it. By contrast, this Government are building a welfare system that is proactive and pro-work, has opportunity at its heart, and will change lives for the better—in rather the way she suggested that the system needs. For every person we can help into good work, it will mean a better life for them and better mental health and finances. It will be better for the public purse as well.

Getting people off welfare and into work requires an active approach, and we do have a plan. The system left behind by the last Government of passive benefit processing was simply not up to the job. That is why they left behind, as the shadow Secretary of State said, nearly a million young people not in education, employment or training, and 2.8 million people economically inactive through long-term ill health. We are determined to put those failures right.

[Marsha De Cordova (Battersea) (Lab)]

My right hon. Friend is making a great introduction, because the Conservatives clearly need to be reminded of their failures over 14 years in government. During their time in office, the disability employment gap remained stubbornly at 30%. Does my right hon. Friend agree that it is only this Labour Government who will do all they can to ensure that disabled people have opportunities for work?

[Sir Stephen Timms]

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. The disability employment gap fell steadily under the previous Labour Government, but it has been stuck at about 30% ever since 2010. There was one moment in those 14 long years of Tory rule when it looked as though they planned to do something about it. In the middle of the 2015 general election campaign, David Cameron announced a target of halving the disability employment gap. It was like they suddenly woke up at that moment, but as soon as that election had been safely won, they scrapped the target. They just went back to passive benefit processing again.