Minister defends explosion in benefits payments for children

Skills Minister Jacqui Smith has defended the government’s welfare policies after it was revealed that official figures show that there are more claims for 7-year-old children who qualify for Disability Living Allowance than for 50-year-olds.

Smith told GB News: “Disability Living Allowance, children’s Disability Living Allowance is provided to families to help them to support children who are disabled with caring for them. So it’s right that families receive that.

“But yeah, we are seeing and have seen a very big increase since 2019. In fact, we’ve been seeing those numbers going up. So, firstly, we’ve put additional support into making the assessments of those claims in order to make sure that there’s consistency.

“We know, however, that there is a growing need. So, some of it is reflected in that.”

Asked why payments for mental conditions have risen while those for physical disabilities have flatlined, she said: “You’re right that it may well not reflect the growth that we’ve seen in claims for child DLA, which is precisely why we’re getting more people in there to make sure that the assessments are consistent…

“When they become adults, that doesn’t necessarily imply that they can’t work. So a lot of what we’re now doing is ensuring that there is that support in place, so that we don’t simply write somebody off simply because they’ve been on child DLA.

“But we, as in fact Pat McFadden announced just a few weeks ago, provide them with the opportunity to be part of our new youth guarantee, give them the opportunity to do work experience, to get help into work.

“We’re providing incentives to employers to be able to take people on, and of course support to help people to be able to work even where they’ve got disabilities.”

On a report from the Resolution Foundation that says the benefits system is failing on multiple fronts, she said: “Well, you’re right that it isn’t fit for purpose. It’s not just you that says that.

“The group that we have set up with Stephen Timms leading it to carry out a review of PIP also found that the system wasn’t fit for purpose, not doing what disabled people need, and it’s not doing more broadly what the system needs, which is why we’ve asked for this review.

“We’ll be receiving the report later on this autumn, and we’ll be looking very carefully at how we take action on their recommendations.”