National Income: Social Security Benefits
(asked on 25th March 2025) - View Source
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make an assessment of the potential implications for her policies of OBR forecasts on the percentage of GDP spent on social security benefits in the next four years.
The OBR forecast for welfare spending as a percentage of GDP is expected to be 10.8% in 2029-30 once Spring Statement 2025 policy measures have been factored in. This compares to 10.9% without the incorporation of policy measures.
These figures exclude spending consequences for the Scottish Block Grant adjustment arising from Spring Statement 2025 policy measures.
| 2024/25 | 2025/26 | 2026/27 | 2027/28 | 2028/29 | 2029/30 |
Spring 25 policy package (excluding impacts on Scottish Block Grant Adjustment) | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 1.7 | 3.3 | 4.4 |
Welfare spending as a % of GDP (Excluding expenditure on Scottish Block Grant Adjustment) | 2024/25 | 2025/26 | 2026/27 | 2027/28 | 2028/29 | 2029/30 |
Spending as a % of GDP (no measures) | 10.9% | 10.9% | 11.0% | 10.9% | 10.8% | 10.9% |
Spending as a % of GDP (with SS25 policy package) | 10.9% | 10.9% | 11.0% | 10.8% | 10.7% | 10.8% |
Difference | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | -0.1% | -0.1% | -0.1% |