Britain's benefits bill is growing TWICE as fast as wages, new analysis reveals

From the Newshound archive · first published 7 October 2026.

The UK's benefits bill is growing at double the rate of wages; earnings rose by just 10.4 per cent over the same period, while welfare spending surged well beyond that. Campaigners and critics are branding the trend 'unsustainable' as working Britons face a cost-of-living squeeze alongside a rising welfare budget.

The divide is visible across virtually the whole country, with benefits growth outstripping wages in the vast majority of regions.

Critics contend the figures expose Labour's failure to rein in a welfare bill that, they argue, punishes taxpayers while creating incentives for inactivity.