A Labour minister was accused of dodging the question after she was asked if people wrongly signing themselves off sick are stealing from taxpayers.
Alison McGovern was grilled by Kay Burley on Sky News as the government launches a major shake-up of the welfare system.
Keir Starmer said Britain âsimply isnât workingâ, with one in eight young people not in education, employment or training.
Ministers will today unveil radical reforms to the role of job centres, but warn those who do not take up an offer of training or employment that they will lose their benefits.
Burley asked McGovern, who is the employment minister: âDo you consider people who sign themselves off work to be criminals who game the system?â
The minister admitted there was âcriminal activity in the social security systemâ, prompting Burley to ask again: âWhat about people who sign themselves off work when theyâre not sick?â
âNo one should do that,â said McGovern.
Burley then asked again: âIs that criminal activity?â
The minister said: âThere are criminal sanctions within the social security system, but what I think people should do is stick to the rules.â
Burley then asked: âIs it criminal activity if you sign yourself off and youâre not sick? Because youâre stealing from the state.â
McGovern replied: âUnfortunately people have stolen from the state and weâre bringing forward proposals to deal with that. When it comes to people who are unwell, we need a system that helps and supports them.â
The presenter then hit back: âBut what about when theyâre not? Do you just not want to answer the question?â
The increasingly-frustrated minister said: âNo, youâre asking me about specific criminal activity, which Iâve commented on.â
Burley told her: âNo you havenât, thatâs why I keep pressing you on it. My question is âif somebody signs themselves off sick and theyâre not sick, theyâre stealing. So is it criminal activity?â
The minister said: âThey shouldnât do that. The state has powers of investigation and thatâs what should happen. I donât want to comment on an individual case.â
But Burley replied: âIt wasnât an individual case, it was more of a principle.â
Launching the governmentâs âGet Britain Workingâ white paper today, the prime minister will say: âFrom the broken NHS, flatlining economy, and the millions of people left unemployed and trapped in an inactivity spiral – this government inherited a country that simply isnât working.
âWeâre giving young people the skills and opportunities they need to prepare them for the jobs of the future.â
Related…
EMEA Tribune is not involved in this news article, it is taken from our partners and or from the News Agencies. Copyright and Credit go to the News Agencies, email news@emeatribune.com Follow our WhatsApp verified Channel