Treasury Chief Secretary Darren Jones has apologised for comparing cuts to disability benefits with reducing a child's pocket money as anger over Rachel Reeves Spring Statement deepens.
Jones was attempting to explain the government's welfare reforms when he made the controversial remarks which prompted outrage.
"For example, if I said to my kids, 'I'm going to cut your pocket money by £10 a week but you have to go and get a Saturday job,' the impact assessment on that basis would say that my kids were down £10 irrespective on how much they get from their Saturday job," he told the BBC.
His apology comes after he sparked immediate backlash over his comments.
Treasury Chief Secretary Darren Jones has apologised for comparing cuts to disability benefits with reducing a child's pocket money as anger over Rachel Reeves Spring Statement deepens
Getty/ GB News
"I'm sorry about it. It was tactless and it wasn't well considered," Jones told ITV.
He added: "I should have used a different set of words to explain it.
"I recognise that wasn't good enough and I apologise if I've offended people."
According to analysis, Rachel Reeves' reforms will push a quarter of a million people into poverty.
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This figure includes 50,000 children who will be affected by the changes.
The assessment also found that 3.2 million families would lose out financially as a result of the welfare cuts.
The Chancellor told GB News: "The OBR forecast yesterday shows that the real household disposable income per person will be £500 greater at the end of the parliament compared with the plans that I inherited - and obviously the last parliament was the worst on record for living standards.
"The OBR confirmed yesterday that real household disposable income will increase every year of this parliament.
Darren Jones was attempting to explain the government's welfare reforms when he made the controversial remarks which prompted outrage
Getty
"I recognise that the cost of living crisis continues to bite, I'm not complacent about the challenges that families face with their finance.
"But for the last few months, wages have been rising at about twice the rate of inflation.
"And that is welcome news after the double digit inflation that we that was inflicted upon us in the last parliament."
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