Benefit Numbers

The number of people on a benefit has fallen by 2.9% in the last year. This is pleasing, and reflects what has been a growing economy.

However as Lindsay Mitchell points out, the numbers on sickness and invalids benefits continues to increase – by 4,400 people in the last year. We saw in the late 90s that you could get those numbers to reduce, and in a context of overall falling benefit numbers they certainly should be.