The problem we've gotten into has been caused by a lack of government spending due to austerity, compounded by Brexit and the effects of Covid. We cannot get out of it without spending.
People are sick because healthcare services are falling apart, and they're living in damp, mouldy houses that they can't afford to heat, while not being able to afford a proper nutritional diet. Mental health services for children and young people are all but non-existent. I had a 6-12 month wait for CAHMS when DD was suicidal. For adults, the service is hardly any better.
Public services are either closed or lacking, e.g., early intervention services like Sure Start are gone, public transport is failing, and public libraries have closed.
Rents have spiralled out of control, bumping up the HB bill. The few social houses we do have are often in a state of disrepair.
Scrapping free prescriptions won't help us, and if we cut benefits people will get sicker and cost even more. The only solution is investment into services and promoting growth, but we need money for that, and to get money, we have to tax the people who can afford to pay.
We've been "saving" money for 14 years. Saving money is what has caused this mess.