Government plans to merge benefits could save billions, says think tank

Merging benefits could reward job seekers while saving billions of pounds, the IFS think tank has said (Philip Toscano/PA) - (PA Archive)

The Government’s plans to merge two out-of-work benefits could save billions of pounds a year, a new report has suggested.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has concluded the proposed changes could save between £2 billion and £3 billion a year, but a charity has warned the Government needs to “avoid pulling the rug out” from under long-term claimants with health conditions.