Burnham pledges welfare reduction but sets no timetable

Prime Minister Andy Burnham said the government wants to reduce welfare spending as quickly as possible, but ministers have set no timetable for achieving a fall in the benefits bill or clarified what such a reduction would mean. Speaking during a visit to Derby on Thursday, Burnham said the government was working flat out and wanted to help people move from benefits into work. He identified publication of the Milburn review as a priority and said reforms should support people into sustainable employment rather than rely on crude cuts. The comments followed questions to Chancellor John Healey about whether the benefits bill would fall before the next general election. On BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Healey said there would be a reduction and that the government would pursue it in a Labour way. Treasury officials later said he had not set a deadline, while Downing Street said ministers were not setting an arbitrary target or timetable. The distinction leaves the timing and measure of the government’s ambition unresolved. The prime minister’s spokesman did not clarify whether bringing spending down meant an absolute decrease from current levels or slower growth than forecasts...