Autumn Statement 2013: Britain can no longer afford welfare state, warns Osborne

George Osborne will set out more details on his planned cap on welfare spending in the Autumn Statement on Thursday 

 

The Chancellor will use his Autumn Statement on Thursday to set out more details of a new cap on welfare spending after the next general election.

 It is an attempt to put permanent limits on around £100 billion a year of spending on items such as Housing Benefit and some unemployment payments.

 Mr Osborne yesterday hinted that, even after the current austerity programme, more fundamental changes will be needed to give Britain an “affordable state”.

“The cost of welfare is one of the things that makes the public finances unsustainable,” he said, adding: “We need an affordable state.”