The TaxPayers’ Alliance (TPA) has released its Welfare Map, showing benefit spending down to constituency level across England and Wales. The campaign group, which advocates lower taxes, greater accountability in public spending and “an end to wasteful Government spending,” published the findings on Sunday.
£133.1 billion spent on six benefits
The research focused on six major benefits: universal credit, personal independence payment, housing benefit, disability living allowance, carer’s allowance and employment and support allowance. The group calculated the total amount spent on these benefits in each of the 575 parliamentary constituencies in England and Wales.
According to the findings, £133.1 billion was spent on the six benefits across England and Wales in the 12 months to March 2026. This was up from £107 billion in the 12 months to February 2024, marking an increase of £26.1 billion.
Top constituencies for welfare spending
Tottenham had the largest welfare bill of any constituency, at £624.9 million. Brent East had the second largest at £605.9 million, followed by Birmingham Ladywood at £590.7 million, according to TPA.
The campaign group said Labour-held constituencies accounted for 29 of the 30 top-five positions across the six individual benefits. The sole exception was Birmingham Perry Barr, represented by independent MP Ayoub Khan, which had the largest housing benefit bill.
It added that Labour constituencies accounted for £98.1 billion of the £133.1 billion welfare bill. The average Labour constituency had a welfare bill of £267.3 million, compared with £159.3 million for Conservative constituencies, £150 million for Liberal Democrat constituencies, £224.9 million for Reform UK constituencies and £197.1 million for Green Party constituencies.
Cash increases and political reaction
The TaxPayers’ Alliance found that the 10 constituencies with the largest cash increases added around £1.26 billion to the welfare bill between them.
In March 2026, Tottenham (£624.9m), Brent East (£605.9m), and Birmingham Ladywood (£590.7m) recorded the highest levels of total welfare spending, followed by Hackney North and Stoke Newington (£553.4m), Enfield North (£541.3m), and Queen’s Park and Maida Vale (£526.0m). The remaining constituencies in the top ten were Edmonton and Winchmore Hill (£525.2m), Birmingham Erdington (£503.5m), Birmingham Perry Barr (£500.0m), and Birmingham Hodge Hill and Solihull North (£472.7m).
John O’Connell, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said about the new findings: “Our Welfare Map lays bare the parts of Britain which have become addicted to benefits. Over the last two years, welfare spending has spiralled out of control and politicians, worried about their poll ratings, have resisted spending restraint at every turn. Enough is enough. Politicians must cut this welfare bill, including by restricting who can claim and capping how much they can get, if they want to restore any semblance of taxpayers’ trust in the welfare system.”
Helen Whately MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, said: “This Welfare Map from the TaxPayers’ Alliance is a vital tool, which lets anyone see for themselves that Labour have lost control of benefits spending. Labour have made it easier to claim and harder to get a job. So we have announced new policies to bring down spending and be tough on those who exploit the system. Britain can’t afford to keep spending this much on welfare. It’s not fair on taxpayers footing the bill.”
The TaxPayers’ Alliance said it is calling on all political parties to commit to urgent measures to “bring welfare spending under control.” The campaign group is pushing to toughen up benefits caps, tighten assessments and eligibility, and expand means testing.
