02 November 2007
Welfare minister James Plaskitt was this week accused of misleading MPs over the government's plans for benefits reform.
The Commons work and pensions select committee said it was 'unacceptable' that Plaskitt repeatedly gave assurances that the government would, this summer, provide a full response to David Freud's benefit review, which was published in February.
Among Freud's proposals was a long-term move towards a single working age benefit paid at a universal rate.
Before the government could respond, former prime minister Tony Blair stood down and was replaced by Gordon Brown. Brown reshuffled his ministers but left Plaskitt at the Department for Work and Pensions.
Instead of an in-depth response to Freud's report, new Work and Pensions Secretary Peter Hain published another green paper on welfare reform, which included proposals to get people off benefits and into work – diluting, but not ignoring entirely, the focus on Freud's study.
The committee's report on Hain's green paper, published on October 30, states that the committee was 'surprised and disappointed' to have been given 'inaccurate information' by Plaskitt.
'Despite being told by a DWP minister [Plaskitt] in oral evidence that the green paper would include a response to Freud, it failed to do so. Not only is this unacceptable, it is also unfortunate that the government has missed a key opportunity to consult on Freud's proposals,' the study states.
However, the committee praises many of Hain's proposals, including plans to tailor the requirements of long-term jobseekers under the New Deal programme.
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