Penelope Lively

Bookends: Deftly orchestrated chaos

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Can anything stop benefits spending hitting £120bn?

The Office for Budget Responsibility’s (OBR) forecasts on Budget day included the startling figure that spending on health and disability benefits is set to pass £100 billion in five years’ time. Figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) today, which are based on a broader range of benefits and recipients, put the amount even higher:

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