George Osborne has revealed the Conservatives will cut the benefit cap from £26,000 to £23,000 to fund three million apprenticeships if they win the General Election next May.
The Chancellor pledged the Tories would slash the maximum state benefit to £60-a-week at the party’s conference in Birmingham and the savings created by the measures will be passed on to young people in a bid to make the apprenticeship route more attractive.
The radical overhaul has been blocked by the Conservatives’ Lib-Dem coalition partners – but Osborne said the party would move ahead with the plans if they were able to form a majority government in 2015.
The announcement came at the Conservative Party Conference as Mr Osborne set-out plans to abolish long-term youth unemployment with a series of benefit changes.
Following these promises, MM asked:
Are the Conservatives right to cap benefits if they get power?
| Yes | No | Unsure |
| 77% | 18% | 5% |
Mancunians insisted that benefits are being abused by some.
Paul Mcmullan, 43, an unemployed scaffolder from Hurdsfield said: “I am not a racist, but the way it is going with the foreigners it all needs to change.
“They don’t want to work. This country is very good to them. If they can support themselves that is fine but most just take and take. Britain is a good host but a bad mother.”
Mr Mcmullan, who is currently claiming job seekers’ allowance, added: “I am on the sick myself at the minute but it is nothing like these guys. Things need to change. The Polish when they come over here get preferential treatment, so, for me, I want the cap lowered.”
CALLING FOR CHANGE: Paul Mcmullan was critical of immigration policy
Kate Sweeney, 21, living in Fallowfield said: “I agree with the cut. It is too easy to get benefits and I think people don’t work hard enough to get it.
“There are too many foreigners that can just get our benefits. It is not fair that they are all over here. We Brits pay our taxes and it all goes towards foreigners. They come and pop-out babies and receive our hard-earned taxes.”
Kereagh Russell, 22, who lives in Salford, said: “The Government need to introduce more mandatory interviews and to be stricter with those people who scrounge from the state.
“There are plenty of people that do not do anything and sit on their backsides doing nothing as the benefits come pouring in, living in council houses that we pay for.
“That foreign people as well can come and take our benefits without doing anything is wrong. They need to contribute before they take out of our system.”
Some members of the public were although strongly in favour of changes to the benefits system they were not concerned by immigration.
Lee Roberts, 31 from Ancoats, who runs his own business Vivid Lounge on Ancoats Street said: “There should be a hard line taken with these scroungers. They should get a job.
“You need to work if you want to live. Anyone can get a job. You can work for Tesco. If I did not have any money, I would get any job in order to live.
“Anything that decreases the amount we pay on benefits the better.”
YOU NEED TO WORK: No job is below you, insists Lee Roberts
Annie Kearns, 22, studies events management at Manchester Metropolitan University said: “I think that if you take the dole away from people it may incentivise them to get a job. It may push them.
“For me, £26,000 seems excessive. That is a lot of money. I worked for a couple of years and did not earn that when I was starting out. I am sure that they do not need that much.”
For some, however the thought of cutting benefits for the poorest people in society left a sour taste in the mouth.
TOUGH TO SWALLOW: Matthew Rose described the cap as a ‘kick in the teeth’
Mathew Rose, 20, a student at the British Institute of Modern Music said: “It is disgusting. It is a kick in the teeth for those that want to find a job.
”For Osborne to do this from his ivory tower without any idea what it is like for most people to look for work is despicable. It is simply moving on the problem to another area without really doing anything worthwhile.”
Remi Akande, 23, from Brooke Street said: “No, I am not in favour of it at all. I do not understand why you would take money from the poorest people.
“These people need our help not for us to treat them as if they are second-class citizens.”
Others thought the idea of giving young people increased opportunities through apprenticeships was a positive step in helping them in their career.
Cameron Barclay, 18, a dancer from the Northern Ballet School said: “It is a really good idea. There is very high youth unemployment and a shortage of people with practical skills.
“We need to increase the numbers of apprenticeships that we have because too many people are going down the academic route.”
Cara Kerry, 21, living in Fallowfield, said: “It is so difficult to get work as a young person. You do not get the opportunities and apprenticeships allow you the chance to gain that experience.”
ON THE FENCE: Nick Austen can see both sides of the argument
Nick Austen, 42, a grocer from Whalley Range said: “It is not an easy thing to answer. There is no quick fix.
“On the one hand, I do not feel that it is easy to justify that someone who does not work can claim £26,000 a year when the average wage is around only £26,500.
“However, the cost of living is far higher in London than it is here so people might need it. I do feel that we need to teach more practical skills to our kids as too many are going down the academic route but it is a very difficult thing to answer.”
Image courtesy of Conservatives via YouTube with thanks
