{"success":true,"data":{"id":"775a0e4d-fd6a-4eef-96dd-6d241cf7ef65","title":"Andy Burnham to make it harder for people to claim benefits as he vows to ‘get serious’ about cutting welfare bill","summary":"US Edition Change Support Now × \"Clear search box\") Custom Search Sort by Relevance Date NewsNews SportsSports CultureCulture LifestyleLifestyle MoneyMoney TravelTravel PremiumPremium ClimateClimate More More Thank you for registering Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site t...","content":"US Edition Change\n\nSupport Now\n\n[×](javascript:void(0) \"Clear search box\")\n\nCustom Search\n\nSort by\n\nRelevance\n\nDate\n\n*   News[News](https://www.independent.co.uk/us)\n\n*   Sports[Sports](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport)\n\n*   Culture[Culture](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment)\n\n*   Lifestyle[Lifestyle](https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style)\n\n*   Money[Money](https://www.independent.co.uk/us/money)\n\n*   Travel[Travel](https://www.independent.co.uk/us/travel)\n\n*   Premium[Premium](https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium)\n\n*   Climate[Climate](https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change)\n\nMore\n\nMore\n\n### Thank you for registering\n\nPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in Please refresh your browser to be logged in\n\n# Andy Burnham to make it harder for people to claim benefits as he vows to ‘get serious’ about cutting welfare bill\n\n## New prime minister has also warned that ‘the NHS will collapse’ unless he fixes social care\n\n[David Maddox](https://www.independent.co.uk/author/david-maddox)Monday 27 July 2026 06:00 BST\n\n*   Copy link  \n*   Bookmark  \n*   [Comments](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/andy-burnham-welfare-bill-benefits-conditional-b3021822.html#comments-area)Go to comments  \n\n## Bookmark popover\n\nRemoved from bookmarks\n\nClose popover\n\nClose\n\nPowered By\n\n10 Sec\n\n2.5K\n\n0\n\nAndy Burnham says he's prepared to call out Donald Trump if it's 'right for Britain'\n\nNext video in\n\nNext\n\nKEEP WATCHING\n\n### Your support helps us to tell the story\n\nFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.\n\nAt such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.\n\nThe Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.\n\n**Your support makes all the difference.**\n\n[Andy Burnham](https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/news/andy-burnham-no-10-north-wedding-b3021751.html \"Andy Burnham responds to cheeky wedding request for No 10 North from bride-to-be\")will look to crack down on the welfare bill in a move that could provoke the ire of the very Labour MPs instrumental in bringing him in to replace[Sir Keir Starmer.](https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/andy-burnham-darren-jones-keir-starmerites-vat-b3018719.html \"Watch your back, Andy… the Starmerites are already revolting\")\n\nIn his first major interview since becoming prime minister, [Andy Burnham](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/andy-burnham-wes-streeting-downing-street-trump-iran-b3021648.html \"Burnham says he will defend Britain’s national interest in dealings with Trump\") admitted to the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg that the nation’s welfare bill has to be reduced.\n\nAnd he made it clear that going forward certain benefits, including [mental health support](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/empty-chairs-events-pub-mental-health-b3020843.html \"How one man’s heartbreak after losing his best friend sparked a nationwide pub-based campaign to tackle loneliness\"), will become “conditional” on people taking work and not staying at home.\n\nThe interview for BBC’s _Panorama_ show also saw him warn that unless there is \"substantial change\" to the social care system the NHS will collapse, as he looks to fix a crisis which has dogged British politics for decades.\n\nWith major changes set to come, Mr Burnham has already made clear in clips from the interview released on Sunday that he will not seek a fresh mandate with an early election. He has also insisted he will call out Donald Trump when “it is in the British national interest” and is seeking ways to find the up to £13bn of cash needed to hit the UK’s target of 3 per cent of GDP on defence.\n\nUndo\n\nUndo\n\n[](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/product-update/quickbooks-improvements-2026)[The QuickBooks updates small businesses asked for. QuickBooks | [Sponsored](https://popup.taboola.com/en/?template=colorbox&utm_source=eslmedia-theindependent&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=alternating-thumbnails-stream-1x4:Mid%20Article%20Thumbnails%20II:)[Sponsored](https://popup.taboola.com/en/?template=colorbox&utm_source=eslmedia-theindependent&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=alternating-thumbnails-stream-1x4:Mid%20Article%20Thumbnails%20II:)](https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/product-update/quickbooks-improvements-2026 \"The QuickBooks updates small businesses asked for.\")\n\nUndo\n\n[](https://money.com/land/best-car-warranties-social-t)[South Carolina: If You Own a Car Out of Warranty, Check This Immediately Money.com | [Sponsored](https://popup.taboola.com/en/?template=colorbox&utm_source=eslmedia-theindependent&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=alternating-thumbnails-stream-1x4:Mid%20Article%20Thumbnails%20II:)[Sponsored](https://popup.taboola.com/en/?template=colorbox&utm_source=eslmedia-theindependent&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=alternating-thumbnails-stream-1x4:Mid%20Article%20Thumbnails%20II:)](https://money.com/land/best-car-warranties-social-t \"South Carolina: If You Own a Car Out of Warranty, Check This Immediately\")\n\nUndo\n\nopen image in gallery\n\nPrime Minister Andy Burnham (Jeff Overs/BBC/PA)(PA Media)\n\nBut with money tight, Mr Burnham has made clear that like his predecessor Sir Keir, he intends to make savings on welfare spending.\n\nThe issue led to Sir Keir losing his authority as prime minister after he was forced to retreat from plans to cut welfare by £5bn a year following a massive backbench rebellion.\n\nAsked about welfare reform, Mr Burnham did not hide from the need to bring the bill down.\n\nHe said: What you're driving at, which is the welfare bill. I think we've got to get really serious as a country at getting the welfare bill down.”\n\nMr Burnham kept work and pensions secretary [Pat McFadden](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/andy-burnham-prime-minister-government-chris-bryant-wes-streeting-b3019450.html \"‘No commitment’ to raise tax allowance, Burnham says after £2 bus fare cap\")in place despite texts between him and disgraced former Labour peer Peter Mandelson revealing that Mr McFadden had complained about Labour MPs.\n\nMr McFadden told Mandelson: \"Every meeting I have is 'who can we tax in order to pay benefits to others'. They're asking the wrong questions.\"\n\nHis staying in place while 11 other cabinet ministers were sacked was a sign of intent by Mr Burnham.\n\nOutlining his approach, Mr Burnham explained: “It's about changing the nature of the support and making some of the support conditional upon people taking opportunities that are presented in front of them. So you might increase the conditions required to receive benefits.\n\nPat McFadden is still work and pensions secretary(Getty)\n\n“I think it's a good thing that the government has given guarantees of opportunities for young people.\n\n“And I think we need to continue down that approach and where mental health support is needed, for instance, it's provided in work to support people in an opportunity.”\n\nHowever, Mr Burnham did try to strike a change of tone from Sir Keir by emphasising that he did not want to punish those on benefits.\n\n“I wouldn't necessarily go straight to blaming those people. What I would say is that there are people in the benefits system, young people in their 20s, who have been, I would, say, quite seriously let down because the support wasn't there for them when it should have been there,” he said.\n\n“So I don't blame them. I don't think the support has been there for them in the way that it should have been.”\n\nWelfare rebels on the backbenches like Richard Burgon, Rachael Maskell, Clive Lewis and Kim Johnson among others were cheerleaders of Mr Burnham taking over as prime minister and he will have to bring the left of the party with him on any reforms.\n\nBut in the interview he also wanted to focus on one of his big priorities of fixing social care.\n\nMr Burnham said: \"If we don't do it the NHS will collapse under the weight of trying to care for people who've really not needed to end up in the NHS system.\"\n\nBut pressed on whether he would create a new system before the next election he said he \"couldn't put a timeline on it right here, right now\", though he would put \"whatever political capital I have\" into fixing it.","source_name":"The Independent","source_url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/andy-burnham-welfare-bill-benefits-conditional-b3021822.html","url":"https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/andy-burnham-welfare-bill-benefits-conditional-b3021822.html","author":"David Maddox","author_name":"David Maddox","published_at":"2026-07-27T05:44:55.000Z","publication_date":"2026-07-27T05:44:55.000Z","image_url":"https://static.independent.co.uk/2026/07/26/10/760bee6a5ad192752496263d8b9fd22dY29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzg1MTQyNTE0-2.85416674.jpg","category":"politics","topic":"politics","tags":[],"political_bias":null,"bias_score":null,"confidence_score":null,"credibility_score":null,"factual_quality":null,"reading_time":6,"word_count":1139,"view_count":0,"breaking":false,"breaking_news":false,"ai_analysis":null,"fact_check_status":"unverified","archive_status":"hot","language":null}}