Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has announced plans for a "full review" of the UK's welfare system, targeting health conditions that qualify for benefits and vowing to crack down on people "gaming" the system. Speaking at Glaziers Hall in central London, she pledged to transform Britain from a "welfare state into an opportunity state" and «get Britain working again».
Badenoch said her party will review «every circumstance in which benefits are currently paying more than work». She specifically criticized the household benefit cap, which she claimed «currently acts more like a sieve than a cap, because most people on benefits avoid it through one exemption or another».
The Conservative leader singled out anxiety diagnoses as an example of system exploitation. «Being diagnosed with anxiety can be worth more than £20,000 to some families,» she said at the event.
"Sickfluencers" Claim Sparks Controversy
After her speech, Badenoch told reporters that some individuals are actively «gaming the system» by feigning mental health conditions. She claimed people on Instagram call themselves "sickfluencers" and advise others: «This is what you do, you pick up the phone, you tell them you're too anxious to come in». She added: «We know that there are people exploiting the system.»
Badenoch also argued that unemployment itself worsens mental health: «I think that people not being in work actually develop more severe mental health issues than those people who are in work. "There is a virtual circle that is being created,» she said.
Labour Fires Back
Labour responded sharply to Badenoch's speech. A party spokesperson called the Conservative leader «delusional» and accused her of treating «the public like fools».
The spokesperson said: «The Tories' message on welfare is: we broke it, now put us back in charge. [...] Under the Conservatives, the benefits bill rocketed by £114 billion and nearly a million kids were plunged into poverty. "Now they want to pretend it didn't happen.»
Labour defended its own approach: «This Labour Government is reforming the welfare and the skills system to get people back into the work and out of the doom loop of joblessness which spiralled out of control under the Tories. "That's the only way we'll create a fairer future where everyone has the chance to get on in life and succeed.»
Context of Rising Discontent
The Conservative welfare pledge comes as public dissatisfaction with government taxes and spending has reached a six-year high. A YouGov poll conducted in early December found 45 percent of people believe the burden of the state is too great.
The tax burden is set to reach a new peak as a proportion of GDP, based on records spanning over 300 years. Chancellor Rachel Reeves hiked taxes by £26 billion in last month's Budget. A "stealth" freeze on tax thresholds, extended by another three years, means a quarter of the working population is projected to pay higher or top-rate tax by 2031.
The Government is independently conducting its own review of the welfare system and has affirmed its commitment to implementing reforms.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
