George Osborne refuses to be pinned down over future benefit cuts

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http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/mar/24/george-osborne-budget-spare-us-political-grief-treasury-committee

Treasury committee grills chancellor about how he will fill hole in budget caused by ditching reduction in disability payments

George Osborne refuses to be pinned down over future benefit cuts
Heather Stewart
Thursday 24 March 2016 16.33 EDT

George Osborne was repeatedly challenged by a former Labour frontbencher at a select committee on Thursday as he refused to say whether he would make new cuts to benefits to balance the books.

Rachel Reeves, the former work and pensions secretary, asked Osborne whether he would be forced to reduce the benefits bill further to meet his “welfare cap”, which current forecasts show him busting by £20bn over the course of this parliament.

The chancellor was appearing before the Treasury select committee to defend last week’s budget, in which proposed cuts to disability benefits had to be “kicked into the long grass” following a backbench revolt and the resignation of the work and pensions secretary, Iain Duncan Smith.

Osborne repeatedly used the formula that he had “no plans” for more cuts when questioned by Reeves, and echoed the promise of new work and pensions secretary Stephen Crabb, that: “We’re not going to replace the £1bn more we’re going to be spending on disability benefits with some other cuts to welfare.”