Fact checks related to the welfare of the country, the welfare state, state spending, poverty and pensions
Economy, Business & Finance
Surplus funds from National Insurance Contributions in the UK are currently invested to reduce the national debt. Read
Economy, Business & Finance
The National Audit Office says the government will never be able to measure whether Universal Credit leads to 200,000 more people in work. Read
Economy, Business & Finance
HMRC employs around 1,000 staff to work with and investigate the tax affairs of the affluent and super-rich. DWP employs around 4,000 staff in its benefit fraud team. Read
Economy, Business & Finance
There have been cases of people with terminal illnesses being declared fit to work reported by the media and charities. We don’t know how widespread this is. Read
Economy, Business & Finance
Benefit claimants saying they were single, when in fact they lived as a couple with another person, was probably the fourth most common type of benefit fraud in 2016/17. Read
Councils in England can take emergency measures to help rough sleepers during extreme weather. Read
Health
Nearly a quarter of respondents to a Royal College of Nursing survey said they had taken an additional job. We don’t know how representative this is of all nurses. Read
Economy, Business & Finance
The figure is about the number of three day emergency food supplies given out to children by the Trussell Trust last year—about 437,000—not the number of children who received them. Read
Conservative MPs were told not to take part in the vote. Over 40 Conservative MPs spoke in the debate. Read
Economy, Business & Finance
Between 8% of expected claimants by 2022 are claiming Universal Credit. Read
