The Liberal Democrat’s manifesto, published today, includes a wide range of changes to welfare benefits.

The Lib Dems say they will invest £6 billion a year to “make the benefits system work for people

who need it”.

The party says they aim to improve the benefits system by:

  • Reversing the cuts to Employment Support Allowance for those in the work-related activity group.
  • Ending Work Capability Assessments and replace them with a new system that is run by local authorities and based on real-world tests.
  • Introducing an incentive-based scheme to replace the current sanctions system, which does not encourage people into work, penalises people with mental health issues and deters people from claiming support.
  • Reducing the wait for the first payment from five weeks to five days.
  • Tackling child poverty by removing the two-child limit and the benefits cap.
  • Making work pay by increasing work allowances and introducing a second earner work allowance.
  • Establishing a legal right to food to enshrine in law the government’s responsibility to ensure that existing and new public policy is audited for its impact on food security.
  • Reforming Universal Credit to be more supportive of the self-employed.
  • Increasing Local Housing Allowance in line with average rents in an area.
  • Abolishing the bedroom tax and introduce positive incentives for people to downsize.
  • Reinstating the Independent Living Fund.

You can read the Lib Dem manifesto here.

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