"Wealth tax" on richest needed to help avoid welfare cuts, says Norfolk campaigner
It's reported that Chancellor Rachel Reeves will seek to make around £3 billion of welfare cuts over the next four years
A mental health activist from Norfolk's calling on the Chancellor to tax the richest in next weeks budget - to avoid cuts that will affect the most vulnerable.
A national charity has found that almost a quarter of parents on welfare support think they could go back into work soon - if they were treated quicker by the NHS.
Not enough suitable or flexible jobs and a fear of losing benefits have also been cited as 'obstacles' in the survey carried out by Action for Children.
"Seems to me that they're blaming people who can't get appointments"
Mark Harrison is from Norwich and chair of 'the Campaign to Save Mental Health Services in Norfolk & Suffolk':
"Rather than actually 'fixing the foundations', it seems to me that they're blaming people who can't get appointments with their GP, mental health assessments or support in the community.
"If you sanction somebody who's in an acute mental health crisis and their electricity gets cut off, or if somebody is diabetic and they have nowhere to store their insulin, then they will die and unfortunately that's something that's happened."
The numbers in more detail:
The charity said it estimates there are some 804,000 parents receiving employment and support allowance (ESA) or universal credit (UC).
The research comes as it was reported Chancellor Rachel Reeves will seek to make around £3 billion of cuts to welfare over the next four years by restricting access to sickness benefits.
It is expected she will commit to the previous Conservative government's plans to save the sum by reforming work capability rules.
Under those proposals, welfare eligibility would have been tightened so that around 400,000 more people who are signed off long-term would be assessed as needing to prepare for employment by 2028/29, reducing the benefits bill by an estimated £3 billion.
It is understood Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall will decide how the system will be changed in order to achieve the savings.
The Government has also launched a consultation on the future of the NHS, promising to put patients and staff at the heart of its forthcoming 10-year health plan.
Action for Children said for parents who "may never be well enough to work", they must be "supported to live in security and dignity".
For those who can return to work, improvements in the NHS, more flexibility from employers and reforms within the Department for Work and Pensions will be key, the charity said.
Of those surveyed, almost 4 in 10 (38%) said their health or disability rules out paid work completely while some cited difficulty balancing ill health or disability with childcare.
But 42% said they felt they could return to paid work in the future.
"It's vital they are supported to live in security and dignity"
Action for Children's chief executive, Paul Carberry, said:
"Parents relying on these benefits routinely face real insecurity, juggling bills and debts while their children miss out on things most would regard as necessities.
"Our findings show many of these parents may never be well enough to work and it's vital they are supported to live in security and dignity.
"It's also clear that while there's a significant number of parents who want to get back into work in future, this will require an enormous effort by the NHS, a reformed DWP and from employers to give them the flexibility and support they need."
"We want to see the government chart a new course at next week's Budget, one based on positive engagement and recognition of the challenges families face and the support they need to overcome them."
What's the Government said on this?
A Government spokesperson said: “We are fixing the foundations of our country by getting our economy growing again by getting Britain working again.
“More people will be supported into health and into work through new work, health and skills plans, while we overhaul jobcentres, make sure every young person is either earning or learning, and cut NHS waiting lists.
“To drive down poverty in every part of the country and support low-income families, we have extended the Household Support Fund by £421 million, and are reviewing Universal Credit.”