# Benefits bill to keep rising into 2:030s after Burnham dismissed calls for cuts

> UK benefits bill expected to rise into 2030s as Burnham rejects welfare cuts.
- Title: Benefits bill to keep rising into 2:030s after Burnham…
- Summary: UK benefits bill expected to rise into 2030s as Burnham rejects welfare cuts. UK's benefits bill will continue rising into the 2030s after Prime Minister…
- Keywords: benefits, burnham, welfare, youth unemployment, pip, neet, welfare bill, government spending, youth employment, news, entertainment, bill
- Source: Dailymail — https://dailymail.com/news/article-16225993/Benefits-bill-rising-2030s-Burnham-dismissed-calls-cuts.html?ito=1490&ns_campaign=1490&ns_mchannel=rss
- Published: 2026-10-21T09:45:31+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: uk, benefits, burnham, welfare, youth unemployment, pip, neet, welfare bill, government spending, youth employment, news, entertainment
## Benefits bill rises into 2030s
Britain's benefits bill is expected to continue rising into the 2030s after Andy Burnham pledged not to make 'crude' cuts to bring down welfare spending.
## Youth unemployment crisis
The Prime Minister described the scale of youth unemployment in the UK as 'a moral failure' with almost a million young people neither earning nor learning.
## NEET youth numbers
An estimated 981,000 young people aged 16 to 24 in the UK were NEET between April and June this year, around one-in-eight of the age group.
## PIP claims surge
The number of people claiming PIP, the main disability benefit in England and Wales, has climbed to a record high with 4.09million entitled as of July this year.
## Burnham's welfare stance
Burnham said the Government has a 'duty to do everything in its power' to ensure people who can work are in employment, choosing investment in young people over welfare spending.
## Milburn review coming
A package of measures to tackle youth inactivity based on Alan Milburn's review is expected to be announced next spring, with a separate PIP review due in coming weeks.
## Welfare budget challenge
Ministers expect the costs of the 'back to work' programme to exceed savings from benefit cuts every year until 2030, with potential savings from reforms around 2030.
## Youth employment package
The government has already restored opportunity for young people through a £2.5billion youth employment package investing record funding into employment support.
## PIP review underway
Social security minister Stephen Timms is conducting a review of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) expected to be published in the coming weeks.
## Welfare reforms timeline
Downing Street plans to publish new welfare legislation at the start of the next parliamentary session, which could begin in April.
## Burnham's choice
Burnham stated the Government faces a choice between investing in young people's success or paying for failure through the benefits system, choosing the former.
## Keir Starmer's failed cuts
Keir Starmer's attempt to slash the benefits bill by restricting PIP access was derailed by a major rebellion among Labour MPs.
## Fiscal scoring delayed
The fiscal 'scoring' of both the Milburn and Timms reviews will not be published until Chancellor John Healey's spending review next summer.
## Long-term savings
Ministers hope welfare reforms will see overall savings from employment support measures increasing the number of young people in work by around 2030.
## Welfare bill impact
The benefits bill is expected to continue rising into the 2030s as the government prioritizes youth employment over welfare cuts.
## Key takeaway

UK's benefits bill will continue rising into the 2030s after Prime Minister Burnham dismissed calls for cuts to welfare spending.