Leading think tank throws support behind Labour’s £5bn welfare cuts

• The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) has thrown its support behind Labour's £5bn welfare reforms aimed at getting more people into work, saying “for too long now it’s been sickness that pays”.
• The cuts will see the threshold for Personal Independence Payments (PIP) raised to curb the growth in disability and long-term sickness benefits.
• The CSJ, while backing the cuts, says it is worried that the reforms don’t adequately address the over-medication of mental health issues.
• A report conducted by the think tank reveals 84 per cent of GPs believe excessive medication is prescribed for mental health problems, particularly depression.
• The CSJ says benefits remain high due to the over-medicalisation of everyday life challenges, citing a lack of a consistent NHS definition for mental illness.

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‘Sickness not work has paid far too long’, warns leading thinktank after Labour’s £5bn benefit reforms