Safeguarding minister Rachel Maclean has suggested people protect themselves from the cost of living crisis by working longer hours or moving to a better job.
Skyrocketing energy bills, increased national insurance contributions and a 30-year inflation high has meant those hardest-hit have taken to skipping meals to cut bills.
The government has been criticised for not doing enough to help.
Speaking to Sky News’ Kay Burley, Maclean defended the government. “We have got these short-term pressures on us,” she said.
“Over the long-term we need to have a plan to grow the economy and make sure people are able to protect themselves better whether that is by taking on more hours or moving to a better paid jobs.
“These are long-term actions but that’s what we are focused on as a government.”
“You say taking on more hours,” Burley said. “Some people are working three jobs, they are working every hour that God sends them and they’re still going to food banks to get food because they can’t afford to feed their kids.
“So it’s not as straightforward as that, is it?”
“No of course it’s not,” the minister replied. “And I’m not suggesting that for one moment, but we have often heard in the past when people are facing problems with their budget that one of the problems – and it may not be for everybody – is about being able to take on more hours or move to a better-paid job.
“Of course, it’s an individual situation depending on that particular family’s situation.
“But that’s why the job centres exist, that’s why the work coaches exist, that’s why we put the support into those job centres to work with individuals to work with those individual situations.”
She did then admit: “Of course, it’s not going to work for people who are already working in three jobs.
“That’s why we have the other measures that we are putting in place, all the help we are putting into schools, the help with the local authorities, the help and support I’ve already mentioned.
“This is where we are going to target the help where it’s most needed.”
However, when she was asked if she wanted to retract these controversial claims an hour later on GB News, Maclean said: “I think you have taken that slightly out of context.”
She claimed these remarks were about getting people back into work after the Covid crisis, as well as enabling them to increase their skillset “if it’s right for them”.
Her remarks definitely did not go down well on Twitter.
Labour’s shadow economic secretary to the treasury, Tulip Siddiq, also said this claim from Maclean suggested that “this Tory government could not be more out of touch or out of ideas”.
She added: “As energy bills rise by record amounts for millions of families, comments like this are ridiculous – as is the prime minister’s refusal to back a windfall tax on oil and gas producer profits that could tackle the cost of living crisis.”
The minister also indicated that there was “more help” on the way for families hit hardest by the cost of living crisis, although the Treasury dismissed the idea that any emergency budget might be unveiled only last week.
The Conservatives have been especially scrutinised for not understanding how difficult the crisis is for those hardest-hit. Tory MP Lee Anderson made headlines after saying people using food banks just needed to learn how to cook and budget – despite the backlash, he doubled down on his claim the following day.