mind what spending you cut By johnredwood on April 3, 2025

I read that the triple lock is not affordable, and see people supporting the idea of cutting Personal Independence payments. Of all the things the government spends money on these should not be on the list for removal or reduction.

This government is discovering to its cost that cutting pensioner fuel grant was not the change people wanted. They could have saved much more by keeping their promise to smash the gangs and stop the illegal migrants needing free hotels.

It did decide to cut overseas aid. That was fine for the conservative half of the country as long as they eliminate all those politically correct grants. The remaining spend needs to be concentrated on the poorest countries and on disaster relief.

The issue to concentrate on in welfare reform is not the level of benefits those who have qualified get. They are not too high. It is how easy it is to get a sick note for life, and why the government does not put in place help to people in need to get into a job, or good healthcare to get them better.

The state pension is not generous for all that National insurance people have paid. A pensioner needs a private pension or benefit top up to meet the bills.

So how can that be paid for?

By tackling easier targets and more wasteful spending. I come back to my big four.

There are the nationalised losses led by the Bank of England where we could easily save £10 bn a year. There is the £10 bn a year on the self defeating net zero policies. There is a chunk of the £40 bn of lost public sector productivity to reclaim. There are the billions on subsidised homes and extra public service provision for low income and no income migrants.

No need to cut pensions and benefits. Every need to run a less wasteful public sector.