Rachel Reeves MP, Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, will use a speech in Redbridge on Wednesday to highlight Tory welfare waste. Labour will publish independent research showing David Cameron’s Government has spent £5 billion more than it planned on tax credits over the course of this Parliament, and that spending on in-work benefits is set to continue rising in real terms.

Rachel Reeves is expected to say:

“Today we are publishing new independent research which shows that David Cameron's Government has spent £5 billion more than it planned on tax credits over the course of this Parliament.

“This huge overspend is the result of the Tory Government’s failure to tackle rising levels of low pay and job insecurity. This failure means spending on in-work benefits, including housing benefit, is set to continue rising in real terms well into the next parliament.

“This is yet another example of Tory welfare waste: billions more of taxpayers’ money spent on in-work benefits, 900,000 people waiting for a combined 118,000 years in a huge backlog for sickness and disability benefit assessments. And the shambles of Universal Credit leading to huge delays and over £130 million of taxpayers’ money already wasted on failed IT.”