Government failures on fair pay and affordable housing have increased welfare costs, says TUC

Commenting on new analysis published today (Monday) by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, which shows that government cuts to social security have not achieved intended savings, TUC General Secretary Frances O’Grady said:

“As the bedroom tax shows, government welfare policies have always been about cuts rather than providing a proper safety net for those who need and deserve help – as any of us might do if we lose our job or fall sick.

“The right way to reduce welfare costs is to reduce the need for people to claim by running an economy that generates secure jobs with living wages.

“Ministers have now learnt the hard way that policies that encourage low pay and insecurity mean high welfare costs as the low-paid need support to make ends meet and have somewhere to live.”

NOTES TO EDITORS:

- The full analysis by the Institute for Fiscal Studies can be found at http://www.ifs.org.uk/publications/7447

- All TUC press releases can be found at www.tuc.org.uk
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