Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask Her Majesty’s Government what was the total expenditure on social security in 2016–17; and what were the ten largest heads of expenditure.
The total expenditure on social security in the UK in 2016–17 was forecast to be £217.9bn by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), in their Spring Budget 2017 forecast. Table 4.24 of the OBR’s March 2017 Economic and Fiscal Outlook[1] provides more detail, including a breakdown by benefit area.
[1] Office for Budget Responsibility, Economic and Fiscal Outlook, March 2017, Table 4.24 (http://cdn.budgetresponsibility.org.uk/March2017EFO-231.pdf).