‘Sickness not work has paid far too long’, warns leading thinktank after Labour’s ?5bn benefit reforms
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Leading think tank throws support behind Labour’s ?5bn welfare cuts
- The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) has thrown its support behind Labour's ?5bn welfare reforms aimed at getting more people into work, saying “for too long now it’s been sickness that pays”.
- The cuts will see the threshold for Personal Independence Payments (PIP) raised to curb the growth in disability and long-term sickness benefits.
- The CSJ, while backing the cuts, says it is worried that the reforms don’t adequately address the over-medication of mental health issues.
- A report conducted by the think tank reveals 84 per cent of GPs believe excessive medication is prescribed for mental health problems, particularly depression.
- The CSJ says benefits remain high due to the over-medicalisation of everyday life challenges, citing a lack of a consistent NHS definition for mental illness.