John Healey insists the benefits bill 'will come down under Labour' but says he never set a timetable for savings
John Healey spoke with Laura Kuenssberg as Chief Treasury Secretary Emma Reynolds also refused to commit, telling LBC the government had reduced the gap between youth and adult minimum wage rates "by a third.A data graphic showing Britain spent £1.1 trillion more on benefits than infrastructure over 19 years, as two government reviews on PIP reform and youth employment are due to report this month.
Chancellor John Healey faced sustained grilling on the BBC's Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme after weeks of confusion sparked by his Budget and an OBR warning that sickness and disability benefits could hit £100 billion a year by the end of the decade.
No 10 was forced to deny earlier reports that Healey had confirmed cuts would start before the July 2029 election, calling those accounts 'simply wrong'.
Chief Secretary to the Treasury Emma Reynolds said Labour would legislate to cut the welfare bill 'in a fair and sustainable way', ruling out what she called 'crude cuts' pursued by the Conservatives and Reform.
The OBR also warned Healey must find an extra £11bn to prevent day-to-day spending falling in the final three years of the fiscal forecast.
