Brace yourself for Andy Burnham disappointment - he'll make you pay

If you're hoping that Britain's next Prime Minister will be prepared to get a grip on our spiralling benefits bill, then you will be sorely disappointed. The mood music from Andy Burnham does little to suggest that he will prioritise the vital need to reduce spending while also reforming the system in such a way that only those that truly deserve financial support receive it.

As we continue to wait to discover what Mr Burnham thinks about a wide range of issues, we do know from one of his rare media interviews so far that he is not "squeamish" about reducing the nation's benefits bill.

At the same time, he also warned against "crude" cuts and insisted that he wants a focus on getting young people into work by implementing changes to our education system with a renewed push on technical education. Anything that might tackle the one million young people not in education, employment or training - known as Neets - should be welcomed.

A recent report by Alan Milburn, the government's social mobility adviser, questioned whether it was too easy for young people to obtain an NHS rating that they were unable to work and consequently claim disability benefits.

But the problem with the Burnham fudge on focusing on education is that any changes to the system would not only take years to implement but would take even longer to generate any positive impact of getting youngsters into work and therefore reducing the benefits bill.

We have a massive problem when it comes to how much we spend as a nation on disability benefits and other forms of welfare and time is running out before this government hits a crisis point.

The figures speak for themselves as every day more people sign up for benefits to cover a range of conditions that are also on the rise. Official statistics reveal that since Labour came to power, benefit claims for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have increased by 40% with the government approving an average of 40 personal independence payments (Pip) a day over the last two years where ADHD is given as the main condition.

Pip is a benefit for those with long-term health conditions or disabilities who need extra support with daily living or mobility. On top of this, of all those claiming Pip for ADHD, it is estimated that around 40% are in receipt of the top rate of this benefit worth £194 a week which is additionally paid along with most other benefits with no requirement to look for work.

Currently more than four million people claim Pip at a cost of £26billion a year according to the latest figures for 2024-25, government forecasts predict this will rise to £45billion by 2031.

This is unsustainable and contributes to the financial ticking time-bomb that Andy Burnham will inherit when he becomes Prime Minister.

He might not endorse "crude" cuts but for the sake of the nation's finances he must consider how he is going to bring the country's benefits bill down as a matter of urgency. The challenge he faces will be the Labour backbench MPs who threatened to rebel against Sir Keir Starmer last year when he tried to implement benefit reforms with measures to change some personal independence payments.

As we know, Sir Keir was forced into one of his many humiliating U-turns and in a further climbdown to the rebels commissioned a report into Pip by social security minister Sir Stephen Timms who released his interim findings last week.

Full recommendations of the Timms Review will be published in the autumn, but the findings so far do not identify any savings to be made or anything that might tackle the abuse of the system but has concluded that the system is "not fit for purpose".