36bn Tory welfare cuts: Badenoch lays out plans and defends plans to slash disability benefits | UK politics

Badenoch sets out her argument

Badenoch launched the Conservatives’ Welfare That Works policy document and argued that the system should consider people’s abilities, not only their limitations. She said millions contribute to the economy, their families and their communities despite serious challenges.

She pointed to double amputees who run marathons, people who are housebound and create work at home, and people with autism who lead major technology companies. Badenoch also argued that telling a young person with ADHD they are defective could damage their future.

Safety net and welfare reform

Badenoch acknowledged that some people cannot work because of serious illness or disability, or need time to recover. She said they must have a safety net. She criticised what she described as a system that encourages dependency. The article does not provide details of specific disability-benefit changes or explain how the £36bn figure in the headline is calculated.

Labour challenges Tory record

Labour said the Conservatives could not be trusted to fix welfare problems they had created. It said the welfare bill rose by a record £33bn in the Tories’ final year in government.

Labour said it was addressing the decline in face-to-face assessments, offering personalised employment support to sick and disabled people, and expanding opportunities for young people through the Youth Guarantee. It said further reforms would follow the Milburn and Timms reviews.