Brief
Labour seats absorb three‑quarters of £12 billion benefits rise since election
Taxpayers’ Alliance data reveals most of the post‑election boost in welfare spending has flowed to Labour MPs’ constituencies.
By Felo News Desk · Published
New analysis from the Taxpayers' Alliance shows that 72 per cent of the £12.1 billion increase in UK benefits since the last general election has gone to constituencies represented by Labour MPs, according to the Daily Mail.
What happened
The alliance calculated that £8.8 billion of the rise was spent in Labour seats, while £1.8 billion went to Conservative constituencies, £861 million to Liberal Democrat seats, £165 million to Reform Party seats and £537 million to other parties or independents. Fifteen constituencies saw benefit spending rise by more than £50 million between August 2024 and March 2026; fourteen of those are held by Labour MPs. The biggest increase was in Diane Abbott’s Hackney North and Stoke Newington, where spending rose by £76.6 million – more than three times the average rise across all seats.
What the reports add
The Daily Mail notes that the average increase in seats represented by MPs who rebelled against the party’s welfare reforms was 18 per cent higher than the overall average. It also links the spending surge to Labour’s internal debate over welfare policy, citing Keir Starmer’s abandoned plan to cut disability benefits by £5 billion a year by 2030 after more than 100 Labour MPs rebelled, which contributed to his removal as party leader.
What was said
Alan Milburn, appointed by the government to review youth unemployment, told the Mail that children as young as four should learn about different careers and that work‑experience placements should become mandatory for 14‑ to 16‑year‑olds.
How it came about
The surge in benefit spending follows Labour’s election victory and subsequent attempts to reshape the welfare system. Earlier Felo coverage examined Labour’s social‑care agenda and the party’s internal polling, providing context for the current fiscal picture.
Key facts
- £8.8 billion of the £12.1 billion benefits increase since the election went to Labour‑held constituencies (dailymail.co.uk)
- Labour MP Diane Abbott’s Hackney North and Stoke Newington saw the largest rise at £76.6 million (dailymail.co.uk)
- Fifteen constituencies had benefit spending rises over £50 million, fourteen of them Labour (dailymail.co.uk)
- Conservative constituencies received £1.8 billion of the increase (dailymail.co.uk)
- Alan Milburn called for mandatory work‑experience placements for 14‑ to 16‑year‑olds (dailymail.co.uk)
Sources
- [1] dailymail.co.uk — originally reported as “Three-quarters of the £12billion rise in benefits in Labour seats”
