Welfare spending in England and Wales reaches £133.1 billion

The TaxPayers’ Alliance has released a Welfare Map detailing benefit spending across England and Wales. The analysis shows that total spending across six major benefits—including Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment (PIP)—reached £133.1 billion in the 12 months leading to March 2026, a 24.4% increase since 2021.

Data reveals that 54 constituencies saw annual welfare bills exceeding £365 million, which averages to more than £1 million per day. Within this group, 36 constituencies had bills over £400 million, and eight exceeded £500 million. Tottenham recorded the highest constituency bill at £624.9 million.

In Wales, annual spending on these six benefits rose from £6.55 billion in the year to February 2024 to £7.84 billion in the year to March 2026. This 19.8% increase in Wales was lower than the 24.4% average across England and Wales. Swansea West recorded the highest combined spending of any Welsh constituency at £357.7 million.