Welfare Spending Figures Under Debate Following OBR Forecasts

Alex Burghart stated that the government's spending on working-age welfare this year would be £183 billion during a TV appearance on November 6, 2026. Shadow work and pensions secretary Helen Whately similarly claimed the current annual spending is £183 billion, forecasting it to rise to £222 billion annually. However, the Office for Budget Responsibility's most recent outlook report forecasts total welfare spending to reach about £352.7 billion in the current fiscal year, which includes £169.8 billion on pensioner spending and £96.9 billion towards universal credit and legacy payments.

The figures cited by the opposition are contested by the Office for Budget Responsibility, which notes that its forecasts do not provide a breakdown of benefit spending by age cohort. The £183 billion figure cited by the opposition might originate from OBR data that excludes pensioner spending, though removing child benefit and disability spending for children and pensioners brings the forecasted bill to approximately £146.0 billion in 2026/27.