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Huge benefits shake-up to get millions back to work and universal credit change in Labour plan – will you be affected?
Watch the Labour manifesto launch live on the video above
LABOUR has promised a huge benefits shake-up to get millions of Brits back to work, including reforming Universal Credit.
Sir Keir Starmer launched his Party's manifesto for the General Election in Manchester today, with benefits reform a key part of his pledges to voters on July 4.
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As part of this manifesto launch, the party chief committed to reviewing Universal Credit "so that it makes work pay and tackles poverty".
However, the document does not give specific details on what exactly will change.
Starmer also pledged to "end mass dependence" on emergency food parcels, which he says is a "moral scar on our society".
The manifesto states: "Last year, a million children experienced destitution.
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"This not only harms children’s lives now, it damages their future prospects and holds back our economic potential as a country."
It says that Labour will develop an "ambitious strategy" to reduce child poverty.
Under new plans, Labour would work with local authorities to get more disabled and sick people back into employment.
It says: "Too many people are out of work or not earning enough. Long waits for treatment of health conditions, particularly mental health, are contributing to the rise in economic inactivity. Labour will reform employment support so it drives growth and opportunity."
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The manifesto also adds that disabled people should have "the confidence to start working without the fear of an immediate benefit reassessment."
And it says there will be consequences for those who don't fulfil their obligations.
Sir Keir's 125-page document also offers "better in-work security" for benefits claimants who have managed to secure a job.
At the Labour manifesto launch, Sir Keir Starmer pledged to…
- Ruled out raising income tax, national insurance, or VAT
- Committed to keeping the pensions triple lock, which increases the state pension each year in line with the highest of inflation, earnings or 2.5%
- Promised a benefits shake-up, working with local authorities to get more disabled and sick people back into employment.
- Said he would cut energy bills and introduce a "warm home grant"
- Pledged to remove the ‘discriminatory’ age bands affecting the National Minimum Wage
- Vowed to ban advertising junk food to children along with the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to under-16
- Promised to hike defence spending to 2.5% of GDP
- Promised to slap VAT on private schools to fund 6,500 new teachers
- Pledged to build 1.5million new homes
WHAT HAVE THE TORIES SAID?
It comes after Rishi Sunak unveiled the Conservative Party manifesto yesterday.
The PM said he would dramatically reform the welfare system by helping working-age Brits on benefits get a job.
Launching the Conservative manifesto yesterday, he claimed the reforms - which he has branded a "moral mission" - will cut down on £12 billion a year of waste by the end of the next parliament.
Rishi Sunak said: "We will pay for permanent reductions in taxation by controlling the unsustainable rise in working-age welfare.
"In this party, we believe that it is morally right that those who can work do work and that work is rewarded with workers being able to keep more of their own money.
"We will ensure that we have lower welfare so we can deliver lower taxes."
WHAT DO THE ANNOUNCEMENTS MEAN?
The Labour Party has said it wants to "review" Universal Credit, the all-encompassing system replacing old legacy style benefits.
But so far the party hasn't given any specifics on what will change.
It also said it will develop an "ambitious strategy" to reduce child poverty - but has not laid out how this will be enforced.
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The manifesto states the party will reform the Work Capability Assessment as it is not working, and may need to be replaced.
It will also reform employment support so "it drives growth and opportunity".
Are you missing out on benefits?
YOU can use a benefits calculator to help check that you are not missing out on money you are entitled to
Charity works out what you could get.
Entitledto's determines whether you qualify for various benefits, tax credit and Universal Credit.
MoneySavingExpert.com and charity StepChange both have benefits tools powered by Entitledto's data.
You can use to determine which benefits you could receive and how much cash you'll have left over each month after paying for housing costs.
Your exact entitlement will only be clear when you make a claim, but calculators can indicate what you might be eligible for.
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