Claim 4bf23b9fChecked 21 Jul 2026
TrueOn the truth scale
“The cost of welfare increased under Shadow Chancellor Sir Mel Stride.”
Reasoning & Evidence21 Jul 2026
**Mel Stride's role:** Mel Stride served as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions from 25 October 2022 to 5 July 2024 under Rishi Sunak's government. He has been Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer since 4 November 2024. The speech refers to him by his current parliamentary title ("Shadow Chancellor"), but the substance of the claim relates to his time as DWP Secretary, when welfare spending was under his responsibility. This is standard parliamentary practice.
**Welfare spending data:** The DWP's own Annual Report and Accounts for 2023-24 confirms that Resource AME (which covers benefits paid through the welfare system) was £265.9 billion in 2023-24, which was approximately £36 billion (15%) more than in 2022-23. The government's fraud and error statistics confirm total benefit expenditure increased from £233.8bn in FYE 2023 to £266.2bn in FYE 2024, an increase of £32.4bn (13.9%). This increase was driven by the 10.1% inflation-linked uprating of pensions and benefits, continued Universal Credit rollout, and Cost of Living Payments. The OBR's October 2024 Welfare Trends Report also confirms that welfare spending grew rapidly from the late 2010s onwards, increasing by 0.2% of GDP between 2019-20 and 2023-24, with rising caseloads a key factor.
**Assessment:** The core factual assertion — that the cost of welfare increased while Mel Stride held ministerial responsibility for welfare (as Work and Pensions Secretary) — is accurate. The DWP's own figures confirm a substantial year-over-year increase during his tenure. The broader claim that welfare costs rose on "the Conservatives' watch" is also well-supported by OBR data showing sustained spending growth over the 2019-2024 period. The speech's use of Stride's current title ("Shadow Chancellor") rather than his former title ("Work and Pensions Secretary") is a parliamentary convention and does not misrepresent the substance of the claim, since it is clearly attributing the welfare cost increases to his period of responsibility for that area.
Sources:
- DWP Annual Report and Accounts 2023-24 (gov.uk): https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dwp-annual-report-and-accounts-2023-to-2024/dwp-annual-report-and-accounts-2023-to-2024-html
- Fraud and error in the benefit system, FYE 2024 (gov.uk): https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/fraud-and-error-in-the-benefit-system-financial-year-2023-to-2024-estimates/fraud-and-error-in-the-benefit-system-financial-year-ending-fye-2024
- OBR Welfare Trends Report, October 2024: https://obr.uk/wtr/welfare-trends-report-october-2024/
- Mel Stride parliamentary career (UK Parliament): https://members.parliament.uk/member/3935/career
- TheyWorkForYou – Mel Stride MP: https://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/24914/mel_stride/central_devon
From speech
May I first thank the Leader of the Opposition for her approach and tone in relation to the tragic Henry Nowak case? On welfare, as she knows, we inherited from the Conservative party a broken system, which we are now improving: delivering a youth guarantee; rolling out 300,000 work experience placements; and commissioning Alan Milburn’s review into youth unemployment. They are the steps we are taking. As she will know, the number on welfare went up hugely on the Conservatives’ watch, as did the cost under the shadow Chancellor, the right hon. Member for Central Devon (Sir Mel Stride).
Sources opened
| [1] | hansard.parliament.uk |
| [2] | assets.publishing.service.gov.uk |
| [3] | gov.uk |
| [4] | gov.uk |
| [5] | hansard.parliament.uk |
| [6] | gov.uk |
| [7] | assets.publishing.service.gov.uk |
| [8] | gov.uk |
| [9] | members.parliament.uk |
| [10] | theyworkforyou.com |
| [11] | capx.co |
| [12] | en.wikipedia.org |
| [13] | conservativehome.com |
| [14] | obr.uk |
| [15] | obr.uk |
| [16] | obr.uk |
| [17] | obr.uk |
| [18] | obr.uk |