Conservatives pledge tougher welfare rules

Kemi Badenoch has said the Conservatives will place tighter limits on who can claim benefits if they win the next election.

Speaking at the Conservative Party conference in Manchester, the Tory leader said that if they returned to power, they would bar foreign nationals from claiming benefits in the UK.

Ms Badenoch also confirmed that a future Conservative government would restrict benefits to those with more severe mental health conditions, not anxiety or mild depression.

“Yes, these challenges are real and people should get support,” she said.

“But they cannot be treated as a reason for a lifetime off work.”

Ms Badenoch added that the Conservatives would restrict Motability vehicles to those with serious disabilities, and that the changes could help to save £23bn.

“These are the first steps of a radical reform of our welfare system,” she commented.

“We will return to its founding principle - that support only goes to those that really need it.

“This should be common sense.”

Could the government be about to cut welfare spending?

Earlier this year, the government tried to cut the benefits bill by £5bn, partly by restricting access to personal independence payment (PIP).

However, they were forced to backtrack after strong opposition from Labour MPs.

Nevertheless, the government still maintains that the current welfare bill is unsustainable, and there’s since been a significant change of personnel, with Pat McFadden replacing Liz Kendall as work and pensions secretary.

That’s led to speculation that the government may look again at tightening eligibility or changing how sickness and disability benefits work. 

Rest assured that we’ll be keeping a close eye on the situation and here to let you know about any changes that may be announced.

And if you’re not sure what benefits you might qualify for right now, we can help.

You can either give us a ring and we’ll check for you, or use our free benefits calculator to see what support you could get.