Corbyn’s benefits freeze chaos

LABOUR’S welfare policy was in chaos last night after Jeremy Corbyn said he would scrap the benefits freeze – despite the pledge not being in his manifesto.

The Conservatives have vowed not to increase working-age benefits until 2019 – saving around £3billion a year.

But the Labour leader, answering audience questions after yesterday morning’s manifesto launch, said the policy would be reversed, saying: ‘Clearly we are not going to freeze benefits.’

His manifesto only promises to scrap cuts to some benefits and review the Government’s flagship Universal Credit programme. However, within minutes, Mr Corbyn rowed back on his statement when speaking to journalists, saying there was ‘no commitment’ on lifting the freeze.

Just hours later, a Labour spokesman went against him, reiterating that the benefits freeze would end. And later Emily Thornberry, the shadow foreign secretary, said on BBC Radio 4’s PM programme it would not be completely reversed because ‘we shouldn’t be promising things we cannot afford’.

Labour sources at the launch in Bradford claimed Mr Corbyn had been ‘misunderstood’ and had never implied the freeze would end.

The confusion came as Labour was warned its pledge to scrap rises in the state pension age would cost an extra £300billion over 18 years. Currently the age is due to rise to 66 in 2020, to 67 in 2028 and 68 by 2046.

Mr Corbyn yesterday said he would cancel all increases in the state pension age beyond 66. But former pensions minister Steve Webb warned the move would be costly.

Now director of policy and pensions group Royal London, Mr Webb said: ‘A £300billion price tag for this policy would leave future generations paying the bill for decades to come.’