Hunt to Raise National Living Wage, Crack Down on Benefit Claimants

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is set to announce a rise in the national living wage to £11/hour in his keynote speech to the Conservative Party Conference on Monday. The move would benefit two million of the lowest-paid workers and be a major boost to the incomes of many families struggling with the cost of living crisis. However, Hunt is also expected to declare war on 100,000 “work-shy“ benefit claimants who he says are abusing the system. He is reportedly planning to introduce new measures to make it harder for people to claim benefits without actively looking for work. Hunt’s announcement comes at a time when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is facing revolts from Tory MPs demanding tax cuts. Some MPs are unhappy with the government’s spending plans and believe that tax cuts are needed to stimulate the economy. It is unclear how Hunt’s announcement will be received by Tory MPs. Some may be supportive of the rise in the national living wage, while others may be concerned