Welfare reform is a tough balancing act but costs need to be brought under control

The majority of people do not begrudge a safety net to those who have a genuine need. People who are unable to work because of long-term illness or disability should receive sufficient support to be able to live and get by. However, it is a truism that there are some for whom living off benefits is a lifestyle choice. They game the system and claim not out of need but because it's seen as the easy choice compared to going to work.

More than a dozen Yorkshire MPs have joined the biggest rebellion of Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership, signing an amendment that would halt the Government’s welfare bill in its tracks. The amendment notes there is a “need for the reform of the social security system” but the MPs stop short of suggesting alternatives to the Government’s proposals.

At the forefront of the minds of these MPs will be the most vulnerable of their constituents with fears that many could be plunged further into poverty. And there will be uncomfortable consequences on those who are genuinely unable to work.

But at the same time it is clear that the state is under pressure from the sheer cost of welfare payments.

The key to getting people off benefits and into work is ensuring that people are given the necessary skills and training to be able to access employment opportunities. A physical disability does not mean that a person needs to be written off as unfit for work. There are opportunities now thanks to advances in technology for them to also contribute in the workplace.

The Government also needs to tackle the poverty of aspiration that has set in across parts of the country.