The UK government is calling it the “biggest shakeup to the welfare system in a generation” – prompted by what the prime minister described as the “devastating” cost of sickness and disability benefits. Planned reforms to cut those costs are designed to save £5 billion a year by 2030, from a welfare budget that will reach £70 billion on current projections.
Similar warnings about unsustainable welfare payments can be heard in other countries struggling with the rising costs of social security, state pensions and subsidised healthcare.
