FOREST of Dean residents receive an estimated £160 million a year through six major benefits, according to new analysis of official government figures.

Research by the TaxPayers’ Alliance estimates that £159,960,411 is spent annually on Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance, Housing Benefit, Employment and Support Allowance and Carer’s Allowance across the Forest of Dean constituency.

That works out at £1,692.42 for every resident, placing the constituency 383rd highest out of 575 constituencies in England and Wales for spending per person.

The figure is also below the average of around £2,119 per resident across all constituencies included in the data.

By comparison, neighbouring Gloucester has an estimated annual benefits bill of £271.7 million, equivalent to £2,219.59 per resident.

That means estimated spending per person is around £527 higher in Gloucester than in the Forest of Dean each year.

The figures have been produced by the TaxPayers’ Alliance using official Department for Work and Pensions data to estimate how much is spent on benefits in every constituency and council area.

The calculations use average payments and claimant numbers to estimate an annual bill for six major benefits. For Universal Credit, the number of households receiving payments is used instead.

The TaxPayers’ Alliance launched an online postcode tool allowing residents to see estimated benefit spending in their constituency and local authority area.

The campaign group said the figures showed the scale of welfare spending across England and Wales and has argued that the welfare system requires reform.

However, the Forest figures show the constituency sits in the lower half of the national table when the estimated bill is adjusted for population.

The £160 million total should also not be interpreted simply as unemployment spending, as the analysis includes support for disabled people, carers and households receiving help with housing costs.

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