Labour out of touch on Benefits Cap

David Mowat, MP for Warrington South, this week blasted the Labour Party for failing to back the Government’s proposal to introduce a cap on the amount of benefits any one household can receive. The Government’s Welfare Reform Bill would see a limit of around £25,000, or approximately £500 per week, on the combined amount of benefits a single family can receive. Disability Benefits and War Widow Pensions are excluded from the cap.

Labour MPs opposed the Bill at Third Reading and now it seems that Labour Peers may attempt to “gut” the provisions of the Cap at the Report Stage in the Lords.

David Mowat said:

“The principle behind the Cap is very simple: it’s just not fair and not right that some families are able to earn more on benefits than many ordinary families in Warrington who have to work long hours to pay their bills.

“If Labour don’t want this cap, they need to explain why they are taking the money of hard working taxpayers in Warrington and handing it over to families in London, some of who are receiving £100,000 a year in Housing Benefit alone. They’ve talked the talk on Welfare Reform, but when push comes to shove, they don’t seem to want to walk the walk and they are completely out of touch with public opinion.”