The government can’t “shrug its shoulders” and pretend the welfare system is “progressive”, Sir Keir Starmer has said, as he again defended his benefit cuts.

The prime minister told Sky News political correspondent Serena Barker-Singh he understands why some of his backbenchers are uncomfortable, noting his late mother had a disability and he recently lost his brother to cancer.

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However, he said it is “morally indefensible that a million young people are going essentially from education on to benefits”.

“All the evidence shows if young people are in that position and so early in their lives, they’re going to find it really difficult ever to get out of that,” the prime minister said.

He said it was indefensible to have a system that “makes it really difficult” for the unemployed to get into work.

“There aren’t many people who genuinely argue the status quo is working,” Sir Keir said.

‘We can’t just shrug our shoulders’

Sir Keir said there were two million people on benefits because of sickness – a figure he said would double by 2030 without action from the government.

“We can’t just shrug our shoulders and pretend that it’s progressive to watch millions more people go on to disability benefits when they could and many of them want to be in work,” he added.

“That’s why it’s so vital that we carry out these reforms.”

The £5bn package of savings announced on Tuesday includes making it harder for people to claim a key disability benefit called personal independence payment (PIP).

The government is also delaying access to the universal credit health top-up until claimants are 22, using the cash to invest in training opportunities for young people.

This will go alongside a £1bn investment into “tailored” support to help the disabled and long-term sick get jobs, as well as several other reforms.

Read more:
What is PIP?
Key welfare changes explained

Labour backlash

The timing of the announcement has attracted criticism given Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ spring statement next Wednesday, when she is expected to announce more spending cuts.

At PMQs, veteran Labour left-winger Diane Abbott challenged ministers’ arguments of a “moral” need for change, saying: “This is about the Treasury’s wish to balance the country’s books on the back of the most vulnerable and poor people in this society.”

It echoes an argument the Tories are making, which is that while they broadly support reform, the cuts are only being made because of the damage they say Ms Reeves’ October budget has done.

Ministers insist they would have changed things regardless of the fiscal situation, but that hasn’t quelled discontent, with Labour MP Chris Webb becoming the first of the 2024 cohort to break ranks.

It has led to questions about what the Starmer government stands for, following rows over cuts to the aid budget and the winter fuel payment, and the refusal to drop the two-child benefit cap.

Earlier on Thursday, defence minister Luke Pollard denied Labour was now a centre-right party.

It came after Health Secretary Wes Streeting rejected accusations Labour was “turning into the Tories”.