Benefits Bill Will Rise by £8 Billion Even if Starmer Defeats Rebels, Warns IFS

 Britain’s benefits bill will rise by a further £8 billion even if Sir Keir Starmer defeats Labour rebels on his flagship welfare reforms, the Institute for Fiscal Studies has warned. The Telegraph has the story.

Spending on health-related benefits for working-age adults is expected to hit £61 billion by the end of the decade, the analysts said, regardless of the Prime Minister’s planned cuts.

This is up from £36 billion in 2019-20, reflecting the surge in welfare claims post-Covid.

Without the reforms, the IFS said the welfare bill would be on track to reach £66 billion.

This latest analysis highlights how Sir Keir’s planned welfare cuts, which have provoked a mass rebellion from Left-wing MPs, will do little to stem the growth of Britain’s benefits costs.

As part of its research, the IFS found that the number of people claiming disability benefits is also set to surge from 3.1 million to 3.9 million by 2030, despite efforts to tighten up the criteria.

Stricter rules are set to include toughening up eligibility requirements for personal independent payments (PIP) and limiting health-related top-up instalments for Universal Credit.

Not really a cut, then, more a slightly slower rise....<<<Read More>>>...