https://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/article/reeves-branded-deluded-disability-campaigners

CHANCELLOR Rachel Reeves was branded “deluded” by disability campaigners today after suggesting an extension to her benefit fraud crackdown will help balance the books in tomorrow’s Budget.

The Labour minister has pledged to extend targeted case reviews, which root out inaccuracies in universal credit claims, with the aim of bringing in an extra £1.2 billion by March 2031.

While she is expected to announce the long-awaited scrapping of the two-child benefit cap at a cost of about £3bn, she is also expected to raise taxes to bridge a multibillion-pound gap in her spending plans.

Disabled People Against Cuts co-founder Linda Burnip told the Morning Star: “I think Rachel Reeves must be even more deluded than we thought if she thinks she is going to raise more money from clamping down on benefit fraud which for PIP has never been more than 0.5 per cent and more recently has been zero. 

“We are already seeing people in receipt of social care having their universal credit claims closed wrongly due to having a separate bank account to pay for their social care which is not their money to spend on other items but which is provided by social services departments to solely fund their care. DWP is a complete shambles and not fit for purpose.

“Reeves also fails to grasp the very basic economic principle that growth of the economy will only happen if people have disposable income to spend.”

Fran Heathcote, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services union which represents job centre staff, added: “A government serious about economic growth should fix the broken social security system and ensure that those with the broadest shoulders contribute more through a fair tax system. 

“There is far more to be gained from going after the billions of tax avoided or evaded by wealthy individuals or large businesses.”

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