# Has the Welfare State Gone Too Far?

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/afternoon-empire-with-ian-collins-1131640/has-the-welfare-state-gone-too-far
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/afternoon-empire-with-ian-collins-1131640/has-the-welfare-state-gone-too-far.md
Podcast: [Afternoon Empire with Ian Collins](https://stenobird.com/podcast/afternoon-empire-with-ian-collins-1131640)
Published: 2026-07-27T16:19:15+00:00
Episode link: https://shows.acast.com/georgegallowaytalkshow/episodes/has-the-welfare-state-gone-too-far
Audio file: https://sphinx.acast.com/p/acast/s/georgegallowaytalkshow/e/6a677224c02856ded1931f7b/media.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/afternoon-empire-with-ian-collins-1131640/episodes/has-the-welfare-state-gone-too-far
Duration seconds: 1856

## Resource

Is Britain rewarding welfare over work? As Andy Burnham prepares to crack down on sickness benefits for young people, a wider debate is growing over welfare, social care, policing and whether Britain is becoming too dependent on the state. Ben Gregg, Head of Welfare at the Centre for Social Justice, discusses Burnham’s plans to tighten eligibility for youth sickness benefits amid concerns that too many young people are being signed off work with anxiety and other mental health conditions. Is the welfare system helping people back into work, or trapping a generation on benefits? Author and sociologist Frank Furedi examines Britain’s deepening social care crisis after calls for the Prime Minister to rule out tax rises to fund reform. Can the sector be fixed without asking taxpayers to shoulder an even greater burden, and is a market-led approach the answer? Former Metropolitan Police Detective Chief Inspector David Spencer, now Head of Crime and Justice at Policy Exchange, reacts to reports that police forces have spent £630 million on anti-racist policies. Has the focus shifted too far away from frontline policing and crime prevention? Finally, Dr David Klemperer, Research Assistant at the Institute for Policy Research at the University of Bath, discusses proposals for compulsory voting as Andy Burnham considers electoral reform. Would mandatory voting strengthen British democracy, or undermine personal freedom? Andy Burnham, welfare reform, youth sickness benefits, social care, tax rises, policing, anti-racism, compulsory voting, electoral reform and British politics. Is Britain becoming too reliant on the state? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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## Transcript

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