BURNLEY MP Kitty Ussher has vowed not to “surrender” to the economic crisis as the Government bids to get people back into work.

Miss Ussher was addressing fellow MPs in the House of Commons in her role as junior work and pensions minister.

Earlier this year, ministers pledged to reform Britain’s crumbling benefits system.

Proposals included scrapping incapacity benefit and income support, replacing them with a simpler system.

And ministers also vowed to increase the employment rate from 75 per cent to 80 per cent through a US-style “work for dole” programme.

Speaking in the Commons Miss Ussher yesterday said the Government “will not give up on the people”.

She added: “To those who say we should surrender to the tides of the current economic situation and relax our direction of travel, I say we will not give up on the people of this country who rightly expect us to support them through these difficult times.

“Yes unemployment is rising, there is no denying that.

“The number of people claiming Jobseekers’ Allowance has been rising since the beginning of 2008, going up by just over 30,000 in the last figures.

“But this net increase is due to 260,000 people entering claimant unemployment and 230,000 people leaving Jobseekers’ allowance.”

Currently, 11,000 adults in Burnley borough – or one in five of the working age population – are on benefits.

And official Government figures show 2.8 per cent of the working age population in Burnley claim Jobseekers’ Alliance – well above the UK average of 2.4 per cent.