Saturday’s newspapers feature a wide assortment of stories. The i carries reports from three whistleblowers who express concern that daily targets for those assessing disability benefits cases are damaging the quality of their decisions. Despite a lack of training in the complex health conditions often associated with these claims, assessors are under intense pressure to hit targets and are attempting to do so. As a consequence, one assessor remarks that the system “sets disabled people up to fail”.
Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves has intimated that she will be willing to give local authorities the power to cap rents. The Daily Telegraph quotes an interview with BBC Radio Essex in which Ms Reeves admits that she is “not convinced” by rent caps as a widespread approach, but that the “may be a case” for allowing different local areas to make the decision as to whether they should be introduced. Conservative Party Deputy Chairman Jonathan Gullis criticizes Ms Reeves’ statements, calling rent controls “destructive”.
The Treasury has found a £38.5bn “black hole” in Labour’s spending plans, according to the Daily Mail. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt warns that this figure equates to £2,100 per household, and that taxation will be the “largest divide” at the next election in a speech he delivers on Tuesday. Labour, which has previously accused the Tories of having their own spending black hole, has criticized the analysis, challenging its cost calculations and pointing out that some of the policies cited are incorrect.
A government-commissioned report that recommended teachers be given legal protections from allegations of blasphemy by religious groups is headlining in the Times. These recommendations have been put in place to deal with the proof that teachers are censoring their instruction to avoid the possibility of causing offence in issues of race, sexuality, and gender.
The Guardian covers a study that has discovered that the health and social effects of drinking are costing £27bn annually in England. This expense is impacting the NHS, social services, the criminal justice system, and the labour market, and has risen by at least 37% since 2003
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