Social protection spending is by far the biggest outgoing for the government, accounting for more than a quarter of all its expenditure.
This includes the cost of benefits paid to pensioners as well those for working-age people.
Before the general election was announced, the OBR predicted spending on social protection would rise to £371bn in 2024-25.
In July, the government said it would restrict the Winter Fuel Payment to pensioners receiving means-tested benefits, which it hopes will save around £1.5bn a year.
At the same time, the new full state pension is set to rise by £460 a year from April 2025, under the “triple lock” arrangement, which guarantees that it keeps pace with earnings and inflation.
About a fifth of government spending goes on health.
Health spending has been rising for decades, because of the growing cost of looking after the UK’s ageing population, and increased spending on treatments, external. The OBR forecast the health spending bill would be £251bn in 2024/25.
