Warning over benefits work impact

Government departments do not fully understand the overall impact of an array of different means-tested benefits on incentives to work, a cross-party committee of MPs has warned.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said a single body needed to take responsibility for ensuring the £87 billion of income-related allowances did not discourage people from working. There are currently 30 different means-tested benefits handled by nine Whitehall departments and 152 local authorities.