PCS calls on new work and pensions secretary to scrap welfare reform plans

The PCS union has called on the new work and pensions secretary Yvette Cooper to scrap the government’s welfare reform agenda.

The departure of James Purnell from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) should spell the end of his “harsh” tenure on plans to reform the welfare state and make efficiency savings across government, including slashing DWP jobs and making sure jobseekers received benefits in relation to their attempts to seek work.

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PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “In considering the future, the new secretary of state Yvette Cooper should make scrapping Purnell’s welfare reform proposals a priority, and we will be seeking a meeting at the earliest opportunity to talk about the alternatives.

“We believe there is a real appetite in the country to create a fairer and more equitable society, and there is now a real opportunity for the government to act to make it happen.”