New figures show that more people work in the government department responsible for handing out benefits than serve in the army. Almost 84,000 full-time equivalent staff work for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), compared with 83,000 full-time personnel in the army.
Welfare department staffing compared with armed forces
The welfare department also has more staff than the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force combined, which have a total of 67,850 full-time personnel.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting has warned the UK must be ready for war within 1,000 days, but the Government has rejected Conservative calls to increase defence funding by cutting the benefits bill.
Conservative criticism and defence spending plans
Helen Whately, Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, said: "Britain has more people giving out benefits than we have serving in the Army."
She added: "The first duty of every Government is defence, and the Conservatives will always put our defence first. Defending our country has to come before spending ever more on welfare."
"Labour have allowed for an ever-expanding Civil Service and an ever-growing welfare bill, as our defence goes unfunded. The Conservatives have a fully funded plan to spend 3% of GDP on defence by cutting the welfare bill and reprioritising spending elsewhere."
Benefits reform and future plans
A government plan to limit access to disability benefits was put on ice last year following a rebellion by backbench Labour MPs. A review by work and pensions minister Sir Stephen Timms is considering alternative ways of cutting the benefits bill, but Prime Minister Andy Burnham has refused to say costs will be reduced before the next election.
Chancellor John Healey has said the UK will spend 3% of GDP on defence by 2030, but details of plans to reach this figure will not be published until next year.
Former Labour cabinet minister Alan Milburn will next week publish the final report from his inquiry into nearly a million young people not in education, employment or training, known as NEETs. It is expected to include changes that make it harder to claim benefits, but could also increase spending on education, training and mental health services.
