Badenoch denies housing benefit cuts plan would make people homeless

Prime Minister Kemi Badenoch has denied her party's plans to cut housing benefit would make people homeless, but suggested some would have to 'move somewhere cheaper'.

The Conservatives say £4bn could be cut from the housing benefit bill to help fund increased defence spending.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch had challenged Andy Burnham to commit to spending 3% of GDP on defence by 2030, saying the cost could be covered by cuts to welfare.

The Conservatives have claimed £4bn could be cut from the housing benefit bill, in part by allowing tenancies in areas where housing is expensive to come to an end.

Asked whether she would be willing to make people homeless in order to fund defence, Badenoch told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the party would 'protect existing tenants'.

During PMQs, Burnham argued national security According to the Conservatives, £4bn could be cut from the housing benefit bill to help fund increased defence spending. This would be achieved by allowing tenancies in areas where housing is expensive to come to an end.

The proposed changes would be part of a package that would cut £23bn from welfare to partly fund an increase in defence spending.

During PMQs, Burnham argued national security can't come at the expense of social security. He repeated that a target date for increasing defence spending to 3% of GDP would be announced in the spending review in the spring.

Badenoch accused Burnham of kicking defence spending into the long grass.

She said: 'What we're doing is making sure that people are protected, but capping the amount that people get on benefits because we need to look after our national security. Without national security, there aren't going to be any benefits. We're all going to be in danger, far more people will be homeless, and the government's first duty is defence of the realm. '

In an interview with BBC Breakfast, Badenoch was asked who would be affected by her plans to cut housing benefit. She said: 'We have people who live in areas that are quite expensive and if people need local housing allowance they will need to move somewhere cheaper. I think you should aspire to live wherever you want to live, but you shouldn't aspire for the government, i. e. other taxpayers, to pay for you to live wherever you want to live. . .

Badenoch said the government should cut housing benefit to fund defence spending now, adding she would exempt pensioners and existing tenants from the plans.

The PM insisted he