People on PIP could see monthly payments of up to £737 replaced by vouchers under new Tory government

dailyrecord.co.uk:

The Conservatives have pledged to halt the rising costs of welfare by reforming the benefits system if they win the General Election on July 4.

The latest offer from the Tories would help to save some £12 billion a year by the end of the next parliament, the party has claimed, by ensuring more working age people currently claiming benefits have a job.Work and Pension Secretary Mel Stride told Laura Kuensberg on Sunday proposals already announced by the then Conservative government would be followed through.

This includes a £700 million investment in NHS mental health treatment, to ensure 500,000 more people can access Talking Therapies to help with poor mental health.A pledge to reform the disability benefits system, specifically Personal Independence Payments (PIP), and target it at those most in need is also part of the offer, as is a tightening of the criteria for Work Capability Assessments.Previously announced plans to pass on the responsibility for issuing sick notes from GPs to specialist work and health professionals are within the Tories’ plans.The Conservative Party claims the cost of providing benefits for working age people with health conditions could rise as high as £90 billion by the end of the next parliament - and have promised to bring those costs down.The Conservatives also promise to toughen benefit sanction rules, speed up the rollout of Universal Credit, and clamp down on benefit fraudsters.Tom Waters, institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) associate director, said “it is understandable that whoever is in office after the election should want to take a careful look” at the growing number of people receiving financial support from the government for a health-related benefit.He added: “Most of the