Rachel Reeves MP, Labour’s Shadow Work and pensions Secretary, in a speech to GMB Congress in Nottingham, said: 

“Under this Tory-led government, despite the rhetoric, the Housing Benefit bill is set to rise, not fall. And over the next four years the increase is huge.

"Today we are publishing new figures from the House of Commons library which show that an extra £1 billion in Housing Benefit will be paid to people in work by 2018.

"The cost of the government’s failure get more people earning enough to put a roof over their head is the equivalent of 24,000 more nurses or 30 million additional GP appointments.”

Editor’s Notes:

1. Research by the House of Commons found Housing Benefit paid to people of working age is due to rise from £5.1 billion (2014/15) to £6.2 billion (2018/19)