The welfare system is how the state supports people who cannot support themselves, through pensions, disability benefits, universal credit and the safety net beneath low-paid work. It is also one of the largest single areas of spending and a perennial political battleground, where every reform pits the cost to the taxpayer against the consequences for the people who rely on it. Pension policy, disability assessments, the level of working-age benefits and the rules that decide who qualifies are all decided here, and the human stakes are higher than almost anywhere else in government.
