Labour’s Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Rachel Reeves MP, responding to figures showing significant waste and overspending at the Department for Work and Pensions, said:

“David Cameron’s failure to tackle low wages, deal with the cost-of-living crisis and get more homes built means his government is set to spend £13 billion more on social security than he planned. Ministers have failed to get a grip of waste and overspending with £2.4 billion in benefits overpaid last year because of official errors and Universal Credit costing an astonishing £161,905 per person.

“A Labour government will tackle the root causes of rising social security spending; low pay, long-term unemployment and the inadequate supply of housing. We’ll introduce a Compulsory Jobs Guarantee to get young people and the long-term unemployed off benefits and into work, get more homes built and scrap the unfair Bedroom Tax which risks costing more than it saves. The Tories are complacent and out of touch and so are spending more on social security not less.”