The UK Statistics Authority wrote to Kemi Badenoch MP about Welfare spending

24 June 2026 · Penny Young, Chair, UK Statistics Authority

The letter is dated 24 June 2026. The UK Statistics Authority published it as Penny Young to Kemi Badenoch MP: Welfare spending; it links to 2 official records. Below are 4 passages from the letter in the regulator's own words.

What the UK Statistics Authority wrote

“We have reviewed the published statistics and assessed that this claim is not wholly accurate.”

“The Code of Practice for Statistics is clear that statistics should be presented in ways that are clear, accurate and support understanding.”

“We have also considered the claim in terms of the wider context in which it was presented.”

“In that context, we consider that it would have been preferable to make clear that the “total welfare bill” referred to in the comparison includes pensioner benefits, such as the State Pension.”

From Penny Young, Chair, UK Statistics Authority, letter of 24 June 2026. Read the full letter.

The words the letter quotes

The letter quotes 1 passage from the public record:

“for the first time ever, the total welfare bill is now higher than total receipts from income tax.”

Records the letter links to

• Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
• DWP guidance (gov.uk)

More on Kemi Badenoch.

Receipt