Does Reform's plan to cut £50bn in welfare spending add up?
BBC Verify breaks down what the party says it wants to do to cut the benefits bill - and how realistic it is.
Reform UK has proposed a plan to cut £50bn from the UK's welfare spending by 2030. The party believes they can achieve this by making changes to health and disability benefits, including Personal Independence Payments (PIP), and restricting benefits for foreign nationals. However, the realism of this plan is questionable. The Institute for Fiscal Studies, a think tank, has pointed out the lack of detail in Reform's plan.
There are also concerns that stripping foreign nationals of their benefits could lead to retaliation from the EU. Furthermore, the party's proposed measure of inflation to calculate benefit increases could negate some of their savings. Reform also plans to force long-term welfare claimants who are fit to work to do 20 hours of community work a week, a measure that could cost councils money.
While the party claims this could save £2.8bn annually, the feasibility of this measure is unclear. Several prominent Reform MPs have higher numbers of PIP claimants in their constituencies, which could pose a political risk. Despite these challenges, Reform is proposing welfare reform, with the government expected to outline its own reforms later in the year.
Written by urgent.news from BBC Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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