Mark Garnier, Wyre Forest's Conservative Parliamentary Spokesman, this week added his name to calls for a reduction in long-term welfare dependency, a tackling of long-term poverty and an aim to re-create stable families. Conservative leader David Cameron launched his party's policy ideas on Tuesday.
Entitled "Work for Welfare", they aim to help people find fulfilling jobs, while continuing to support those who genuinely cannot work. Currently across Wyre Forest, there are 4,050 people on Incapacity Benefit and 1,130 on Jobseeker's Allowance. The new Conservative proposals are extensive and thorough. Highlights are:
- Respect for those who cannot work: Recipients of Incapacity Benefit who genuinely cannot work will receive continued support and will remain outside the return-to-work process.
- Employment for those who can: Every out-of-work benefit claimant will be expected to work or prepare for work. There will be a comprehensive programme of support for job seekers including training, development and work experience. Welfare-to-work services will be provided by the private and voluntary sectors on a payment by results basis.
- Assessments for those claiming benefits: There will be rapid assessments of all new and existing claimants for out-of-work benefits.
- Limits to claiming out of work benefits: People who refuse to join a return-to-work programme will lose the right to claim out-of-work benefits until they do. People who refuse to accept reasonable job offers could lose the right to claim out-of-work benefits.
- Community work: Those who claim for more than two years out of three will be required to help out on community work programmes.
- End Tax Credit discrimination. The savings from these reforms will be used to end the discrimination against couples in the Tax Credits system.
Commenting on the proposals, Mark Garnier said:
"Speaking as an individual seeking to represent the people of Wyre Forest, these proposals represent one of the single biggest opportunities for our district.
"Wyre Forest has within it one of the most socially deprived wards in England - a ward where unemployment can be measured not just in months or years, but in generations. It is clear to me that ten years of Labour rule has made not one iota of difference to those people suffering on long term benefits.
"It is absolutely the job of the state to provide a safety net for people who fall off the ladder - to catch them and to help put them back on the road to independence. But it is not the job of the state to use taxpayer's money to provide long term unemployment as a career option.
"I believe these proposals are absolutely what are needed to help start to lift those poorer parts of our district. Combine these with my ambition to both improve the road infrastructure around southern Kidderminster and my aims to bring more employers to Wyre Forest, and our district has a real chance of success. That is why Wyre Forest needs to be represented by people with a wide range of policies."