Millions more to need benefits as recession woes bear down

Millions more people will be forced onto benefits in the coming years as the effects of the recession bear down, economists have warned.

A million more people are forecast to require health and disability benefits by 2026, while 2.3 million families, making up a fifth of the poorest households not eligible for benefits, face a “major cliff-edge” without access to additional government support outlined in Jeremy Hunt’s autumn statement.

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation said that rises in council tax, food and rent would become insurmountable for many this year and beyond, adding that the government “must ensure that they help everyone who needs it this winter”.