Welfare Pays More Than Work for 600,000 Households
4th May 2026
More than 600,000 households received more in benefits than the average worker’s salary, the first analysis of its kind has revealed.
The figures show that 625,618 households were each given more than £32,200 in welfare payouts last year – the average annual salary of a British worker after tax – despite the introduction of a benefits cap.
The analysis, by the Conservatives, also revealed that 16,000 of those households received more than £60,000 in welfare payments – almost twice the average annual take-home pay.