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Chancellor Defends Welfare Strategy Amid Criticism Over Rising Benefit Costs
Chancellor John Healey has insisted the government remains committed to reducing the welfare bill despite facing heavy criticism from Conservative leaders for not including immediate cuts in the recent Budget. With health-related benefit costs projected to exceed £100 billion by the end of the decade, opposition figures argue the system is unsustainable, while the Chancellor maintains that any future reforms will be handled responsibly.
Referenced News Coverage (5 sources)
- Healey insists he will bring welfare bill down despite delaying decisions (The Independent UK)
- Watch: Chancellor says government has 'moral duty' to help young people out of work (BBC News)
- Labour desperately backpedals on Chancellor's vow to bring down benefits bill before election - amid outcry at failure to act in Budget (Daily Mail)
- Kemi says UK collapsing under the weight of welfare as Healey refuses Budget cut to handouts with soaring bill on course to pass £430bn a year (Daily Mail)
- Carry on claiming: welfare spending £5 billion a year higher than expected (Daily Mail)