紐時賞析／預算吃緊…新冠後福利開支大漲 英擬刪減社福數十億英鎊

Britain Says Budget Needs Welfare Cuts In the Billions

預算吃緊 英擬刪減社福數十億英鎊

Britain’s center-left government outlined plans to curb rising welfare costs as it attempts to juggle a difficult set of competing objectives: saving public money, incentivizing work and protecting the most vulnerable.

英國中間偏左政府概述了控制福利成本上漲計畫，試圖應付一系列困難且相互扞格的目標：節省公共資金、激勵就業和保護最弱勢的群體。

The announcement follows weeks of tense internal debate within the governing Labour Party, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, about how to cut Britain’s spending on welfare, which has risen sharply since the COVID-19 pandemic.

首相施凱爾領導的工黨針對如何刪減新冠疫情以來大幅上漲的英國福利開支，內部激烈辯論數周後，宣布新計畫。

“The status quo is unacceptable but it is not inevitable,” Liz Kendall, the work and pensions secretary, said in Parliament, promising “decisive action” to get those who can work into employment, protect those who cannot, and save 5 billion pounds by 2030.

英國就業與退休金大臣麗茲．肯德爾在國會表示，「現狀是不可接受的，但並非不可避免」，並承諾採取「果斷行動」讓可以工作的人就業，保護無法工作的人，並在2030年之前省下50億英鎊。

For Labour, a party that sees itself as the creator and guardian of the country’s post-World War II welfare state, cutting support for some of the most vulnerable in society is especially contentious.

工黨自認是二戰後英國成為福利國的創造者和守護者。對工黨而言，削減針對社會最弱勢群體的支援，特別有爭議。

But Britain, with a total population of about 68 million, now has more than 9.3 million people of working age across England, Scotland and Wales who are not employed, a rise of 713,000 since 2020. Of those, 2.8 million receive long-term sickness payments or related welfare, according to the government, which expects the number to grow to more than 4 million if nothing is done. The government spent 65 billion pounds on sickness payments last year.

但總人口為6800萬人的英國，目前在英格蘭、蘇格蘭和威爾斯共有超過930萬名適齡工作人口處於失業狀態，這類人口自2020年以來增加71萬3000人。政府指出，其中280萬人領取長期病假津貼或相關福利，若不採取措施，人數將超過400萬。政府去年在疾病津貼上花了650億英鎊。

Under the new plans, people on some programs will be given the “right to try” work without losing their entitlement to welfare, so that if their jobs do not last, they do not have to reapply and wait for financial support to be restored.

在新計畫下，參加某些專案的民眾將被賦予「嘗試工作的權利」，不會失去享有福利的資格。因此如果他們的工作無法持續，也不需要重新申請和等待財務支援恢復。

But eligibility will be tightened for those receiving a Personal Independence Payment, which is designed to support disabled people whether or not they are in work. The government says there are more than 3.6 million claimants and around 1,000 new applications each day.

但領取個人獨立津貼的人資格將被收緊，這個津貼旨在支援身心障礙人士，無論他們是否有工作。政府表示，目前有360萬名申請者，且每天新增約1000份申請。

“That is not sustainable long term, above all for the people who depend on this support,” Kendall said.

肯德爾表示：「從長遠來看，這是無法持續的，尤其是對於仰賴這項支援的人而言。」

The Resolution Foundation, a research institute, said planned curbs on disability support would mean 800,000 to 1.2 million people losing between 4,200 and 6,300 pounds per year by 2030.

研究機構「決議基金會」表示，對失能者補助的刪減，意味80萬至120萬人到2030年時，每年少拿4200至6300英鎊。（註：1英鎊約為新台幣42元）

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