Rachel Reeves MP, Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, responding to today’s Labour Market Statistics, said:

“While this fall in overall unemployment is welcome, working people are over £1,600 a year worse off than when David Cameron came to office and pay has fallen behind inflation.

"Thousands of people who work hard are struggling to make ends meet because of the government’s failure to tackle the cost-of-living crisis and make work pay. That’s led to a staggering 60 per cent increase in the number of working people claiming housing benefit because they can’t afford their rent, costing taxpayers an estimated £4.8 billion.

"The government should restore the value of the national minimum wage, get more employers to pay a living wage, extend free childcare provision, freeze gas and electricity bills and get the next generation into work with apprenticeships and a compulsory jobs guarantee.”

Ends

Editor’s Notes:

1. Research commissioned by Labour from the House of Commons Library has revealed a sixty per cent increase in the number of working people claiming housing benefit, compared with 2010. That’s 400,000 more working people claiming housing benefit every year. The research shows that this will cost the taxpayer an estimated extra £4.8bn in housing benefit over the course of this Parliament. The biggest increase in the country was in Croydon which has seen a 1100 per cent rise since 2010. More: http://press.labour.org.uk/post/85162886969/new-research-shows-60-increase-in-working-people