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Welfare and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith's flagship benefit reform was savaged yesterday by senior MPs highlighting "shocking failures" that have already wasted at least £140 million.
The cross-party Commons public accounts committee (PAC) said the botched universal credit plans suffer from "alarmingly weak" management which has seen secretarial staff put in charge of purchase orders worth over £20m.
MPs said personal assistants had approved single payments of £8.7m, 22.6m and 1.1m - despite not have the authority to do so.
As a proportion of GDP the total welfare bill is lower than it was 15 years ago. The claim that it is spiralling out of control is mythmaking, argues DIANE ABBOTT
In the current climate, it is vital to bust the myths and put forward the case for a humane and decent social security system that supports people, argues FRAN HEATHCOTE