UK benefits spending set to grow through 2030s as ministers back youth employment support

Britain’s benefits bill is expected to keep rising into the 2030s as the Government plans to spend on getting young people into work and avoids what Andy Burnham calls “crude” benefit cuts. Ministers hope employment support will eventually reduce welfare costs, while the issue has become politically contentious after earlier plans to restrict disability benefit payments faced opposition from Labour MPs.

Official figures estimate 981,000 people aged 16 to 24 were not in education, employment or training between April and June, around one in eight of that age group. Personal Independence Payment had 4.09 million recipients in England and Wales in July. A youth inactivity review by Alan Milburn and a separate review of PIP are due soon; ministers expect the employment programme’s costs to exceed planned benefit savings until 2029, with possible overall savings from around 2030.