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| Iain Duncan Smith asks wealthy elderly to 'hand back' benefits | Iain Duncan Smith asks wealthy elderly to 'hand back' benefits |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Wealthy elderly people who do not need benefit payments to help with fuel bills or free travel should give the money back to the authorities, the work and pensions secretary says. | Wealthy elderly people who do not need benefit payments to help with fuel bills or free travel should give the money back to the authorities, the work and pensions secretary says. |
| Iain Duncan Smith told the Sunday Telegraph that he would "encourage" people who do not need such financial support "to hand it back". | Iain Duncan Smith told the Sunday Telegraph that he would "encourage" people who do not need such financial support "to hand it back". |
| But the decision whether or not to do so was up to them, he added. | But the decision whether or not to do so was up to them, he added. |
| He also criticised the BBC's coverage of his welfare reforms. | He also criticised the BBC's coverage of his welfare reforms. |
| There has previously been a discussion in government of means testing to exclude richer pensioners, but Mr Duncan Smith said there were no plans to make that change. | There has previously been a discussion in government of means testing to exclude richer pensioners, but Mr Duncan Smith said there were no plans to make that change. |
| He also said that the new universal credit - a payment that marks the biggest overhaul of the benefits system since the 1940s - was being implemented over four years because "I want to get these things right". | He also said that the new universal credit - a payment that marks the biggest overhaul of the benefits system since the 1940s - was being implemented over four years because "I want to get these things right". |
| A pilot for the system is being launched on Monday for a small number of new claimants at a jobcentre in Ashton-under-Lyne, in Greater Manchester. | A pilot for the system is being launched on Monday for a small number of new claimants at a jobcentre in Ashton-under-Lyne, in Greater Manchester. |
| 'Lazy' reporting | 'Lazy' reporting |
| Of the new credit scheme, Mr Duncan Smith said: "We want to say to people, you're claiming unemployment benefit but you're actually in work paid for by the state: you're in work to find work. That's your job from now on: to find work." | Of the new credit scheme, Mr Duncan Smith said: "We want to say to people, you're claiming unemployment benefit but you're actually in work paid for by the state: you're in work to find work. That's your job from now on: to find work." |
| The BBC's political correspondent, Robin Brant, says free bus passes, television licences and help with winter fuel payments are benefits for all people over the required age, which Prime Minister David Cameron promised to keep at the last election - but he has come under intense pressure to change his mind. | The BBC's political correspondent, Robin Brant, says free bus passes, television licences and help with winter fuel payments are benefits for all people over the required age, which Prime Minister David Cameron promised to keep at the last election - but he has come under intense pressure to change his mind. |
| The Liberal Democrats have proposed a review of the benefits, or taxing them. | |
| The government is in the final stages of deciding its spending plan for the next three years, with welfare accounting for the biggest chunk of it, our correspondent added. | The government is in the final stages of deciding its spending plan for the next three years, with welfare accounting for the biggest chunk of it, our correspondent added. |
| And Mr Duncan Smith also said the government have "had a lot of moments with the BBC" regarding its coverage of his welfare reforms. | And Mr Duncan Smith also said the government have "had a lot of moments with the BBC" regarding its coverage of his welfare reforms. |
| "They have always tended to to look at the welfare reforms from the jar that is marked - and it's a very leftist jar - 'less money bad, more money good'. So if you are reducing welfare you must be doing something rather nasty." | "They have always tended to to look at the welfare reforms from the jar that is marked - and it's a very leftist jar - 'less money bad, more money good'. So if you are reducing welfare you must be doing something rather nasty." |
| But he also said that "a lot of times" the BBC's reporting was "more lazy than politically motivated". | But he also said that "a lot of times" the BBC's reporting was "more lazy than politically motivated". |