A Labour minister was accused of dodging the question after she was asked if people wrongly signing themselves off sick are stealing from taxpayers.

Alison McGovern was grilled by Kay Burley on Sky News as the government launches a major shake-up of the welfare system.

Keir Starmer said Britain “simply isn’t working”, with one in eight young people not in education, employment or training.

Ministers will today unveil radical reforms to the role of job centres, but warn those who do not take up an offer of training or employment that they will lose their benefits.

Burley asked McGovern, who is the employment minister: “Do you consider people who sign themselves off work to be criminals who game the system?”

The minister admitted there was “criminal activity in the social security system”, prompting Burley to ask again: “What about people who sign themselves off work when they’re not sick?”

“No one should do that,” said McGovern.

Burley then asked again: “Is that criminal activity?”

The minister said: “There are criminal sanctions within the social security system, but what I think people should do is stick to the rules.”

Burley then asked: “Is it criminal activity if you sign yourself off and you’re not sick? Because you’re stealing from the state.”

McGovern replied: “Unfortunately people have stolen from the state and we’re bringing forward proposals to deal with that. When it comes to people who are unwell, we need a system that helps and supports them.”

The presenter then hit back: “But what about when they’re not? Do you just not want to answer the question?”

The increasingly-frustrated minister said: “No, you’re asking me about specific criminal activity, which I’ve commented on.”

Burley told her: “No you haven’t, that’s why I keep pressing you on it. My question is ’if somebody signs themselves off sick and they’re not sick, they’re stealing. So is it criminal activity?”

The minister said: “They shouldn’t do that. The state has powers of investigation and that’s what should happen. I don’t want to comment on an individual case.”

But Burley replied: “It wasn’t an individual case, it was more of a principle.”

Launching the government’s ‘Get Britain Working’ white paper today, the prime minister will say: “From the broken NHS, flatlining economy, and the millions of people left unemployed and trapped in an inactivity spiral - this government inherited a country that simply isn’t working.

“We’re giving young people the skills and opportunities they need to prepare them for the jobs of the future.”