Welfare in numbers: The facts behind Britain’s soaring benefits bill
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One in five Britons now claiming benefits
- Britain's welfare bill has skyrocketed, with 23 per cent of the working-age population now receiving benefits.
- Analysis of government figures by The Independent shows more than one in five people aged 16-64 now claims some form of benefit, such as the personal independence payment (PIP), universal credit (UC), or housing benefit.
- Labour is aiming to reduce the welfare budget by £5 billion, focusing on sickness benefits, which are considered unsustainable.
- Over one million people with disabilities may be affected by stricter benefit eligibility rules.
- Mental health conditions are a primary driver of sickness benefit claims in the UK, a trend also observed in other countries like Germany and Canada.