GOVERNMENT minister Nick Thomas-Symonds has refused to be drawn on planned benefits cuts and said people should wait for them to be announced.
The Torfaen Labour MP was speaking after attending the official opening of improvements to make Cwmbran railway station in his constituency more accessible to people with disabilities and mobility problems.
Reforms, which could amount to a reduction in funding of £6 billion, are due to be announced by the UK Government next week leaving many fearing drastic cuts to support for the most vulnerable.
MP Steve Witherden, who represents Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr, has become the first Welsh Labour MP to speak out against the proposals and said he fears changes to Personal Independence Payments, or PIP, will hit disabled people reliant on the additional financial support to afford a mobility car to ensure they can continue to work.
Cabinet Office minister Mr Thomas-Symonds praised the addition of a lift to Cwmbran station but wouldn’t say if he believed improvements to facilities such as rail stations and public areas mean the government can reduce benefits such as PIP.
He described accessibility improvements and proposed benefit reforms as “different issues”.
He said: “Our proposals on welfare reforms will be set out next week and people should just wait to see what we set out in the package to be announced next week.”
Disability charity Scope has said PIP is in place as life costs more for disabled people and making it harder to qualify for such benefits will push “even more disabled people into poverty, not jobs”.
Mr Thomas-Symond said in response to concerns raised : “You are asking for details about a package to be announced on Tuesday. We want to support people to make sure they’ve got appropriate support and actually many people have set out to the Department of Work and Pensions with that appropriate support they want to work.”
In January work and pensions secretary Liz Kendall told ITV News she had “no doubt” some claiming sickness and disability benefits aren’t entitled to them and said they are “taking the mickey”.
Asked if he agreed with his cabinet colleague Mr Thomas-Symonds said: “We will always crack down on fraud in the system. It is hugely important and we need to have a welfare system that supports those who genuinely need it.”
Asked how many of the 5,109 people in Torfaen who were recorded in the 2021 Census as long term sick or disabled are “taking the mickey” the MP replied: “Come off it. We publish fraud figures and it is really important we do that as part of our system.”
Mr Thomas-Symonds said he has called “throughout” his time as an MP for accessibility improvements.
On the ongoing issue of funding for improvements to the railways in Wales, and high profile disputes between politicians in Wales and London, including classifying the HS2 high-speed rail project as an England and Wales scheme even though none of the track is in Wales, the Torfaen member said: “Our position is we will be improving the rail network across the whole of the UK.”