What this is
An independent, running audit of the UK welfare system. It brings together official published data, shows what each stage of the system costs, and lists what is not published so it can be requested under Freedom of Information.
Sourcing rules
- Every number links to a named official source and the exact table, cell or page it came from.
- Figures from secondary sources (fact-checkers, think tanks, press) are marked Unverified until checked against the original.
- Calculated figures show their formula, and the site's build process recalculates them automatically.
- Revised official figures never overwrite old ones. The old figure is marked Superseded and stays visible.
Cash vs “real terms”
Welfare spending is reported both in cash (nominal) and adjusted for inflation (real terms, in a named year's prices). They give different numbers for the same year, and both are correct. Every figure here states which one it is, and we never mix them in one chart.
Which part of the UK
DWP covers England, Scotland and Wales (“GB”). Northern Ireland runs its own system, and Scotland runs some disability and carer benefits itself. Each figure states its area.
Language
We describe costs and failures with numbers, not adjectives. Before publishing a high-severity finding we offer the department a chance to respond, and link the response.
Research process
Research agents help gather data under written rules (published in the project repository), and a person reviews every change before it goes live.
Corrections
Corrections are listed on the changes page. Nothing is silently edited.