'I've paid my taxes - I'm entitled to something'

People living in an area of Grimsby, once labelled the worklessness capital of Britain, have been giving their reaction to the government's proposed benefits changes.

The government unveiled sweeping changes to the benefits system, aimed at saving £5bn a year by 2030, earlier this week.

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said the overhaul would create a more "pro-work system" to encourage people to take up jobs, while protecting those who cannot work.

Critics argued the proposals had created uncertainty and fear.

Delboy Booth, who lives on the town's East Marsh estate, said he had not worked for six years due to ill health.

He said he agreed with government plans to get more people back into work, but investment was needed to provide better training opportunities.

"It's hard at my age to do something like an apprenticeship, or to get back into college," he said.

On the subject of benefits, Mr Booth said: "I've worked, I've paid my taxes, I'm entitled to something."

He added: "I had an accident at work - it's not my fault I'm off work - so getting back into work is one of my life goals."

Under the proposals, it would be harder to claim a key disability benefit called Personal Independence Payment (Pip).

Pip payments are designed to help people with long-term physical or mental health conditions.

Assessments focus on how capable someone is of living independently and use a series of questions about daily activities.

Linda Cawkwell, who uses a wheelchair, told BBC Look North she would struggle if she lost her Pip payment.

"I would be really short - I wouldn't be able to live," she said.

While she agreed that some people on Pip might be able to work, she said: "People who are wheelchair-bound, like myself, it's going to be really bad."

Pamela Hodge, chief executive of The Rock Foundation charity, said: "I think everyone is panicking. Our benefits adviser is absolutely inundated.

"We've got long waits for mental health - that's all impacting. Maybe if we could get some of those waiting times down, there might be an improvement.

"If people could get the right diagnosis and treatment maybe then they would be able to get back to work."

As part of the proposals, ministers say they will introduce legislation "as soon as possible" to guarantee that trying work will not lead to an automatic Pip or work capability reassessment.

Steve Beasant, who has been a councillor on the East Marsh for three decades, welcomed the idea, but said: "Many people have got mental health issues and are struggling to get back into work.

"I like the idea of giving them a chance, but it's got to continue after that."

According to data collected by The Telegraph columnist Fraser Nelson for a Channel 4 documentary, Grimsby is Britain's "worklessness capital"

In a report published on Monday, the paper labelled Grimsby "the town that sums up Britain's youth worklessness crisis".

However, speaking in the Commons on Monday, Melanie Onn, the MP for Grimsby, said the people of the East Marsh were "proud and keen to play their part in society".

"The young people in that ward are as keen to work as anybody else, but they need the jobs to do it," she told MPs.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey also accused the government of "stirring up fear and anxiety" by failing to provide enough detail about its welfare changes.

Kendall said the government was "creating jobs in every part of the country through our modern industrial strategy" and "making work pay through our Employment Rights Bill".

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