# What Can Be Done About Benefits Britain?

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/a-nation-of-taxpayers-7054204/what-can-be-done-about-benefits-britain
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/a-nation-of-taxpayers-7054204/what-can-be-done-about-benefits-britain.md
Podcast: [a nation of taxpayers](https://stenobird.com/podcast/a-nation-of-taxpayers-7054204)
Published: 2026-02-26T09:31:00+00:00
Episode link: https://9864e3c1-9946-4d80-ad28-f460414cc97b.libsyn.com/what-can-be-done-about-benefits-britain
Audio file: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/9864e3c1-9946-4d80-ad28-f460414cc97b/Season_2_-_Episode_7_-_Caroline_Elsom_FINAL.mp3?dest-id=4754152
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/a-nation-of-taxpayers-7054204/episodes/what-can-be-done-about-benefits-britain
Duration seconds: 2599

## Resource

Podcast host Duncan Barkes and the TPA's Anne Strickland are joined by Caroline Elsom who is Head of Government Reform at the Onward think tank. They discuss the country's ever-increasing welfare bill and highlight the areas of duplication and abuse that are costing taxpayers a fortune. Anne talks about the escalating asylum seeker social care costs that are hammering the budgets of local councils across the UK. Caroline outlines the findings of her report 'The Hidden Benefits Bill' that shows Universal Credit claimants are able to get £10billion in extra benefits. She also talks about her time as a Special Adviser to the British Governemnt and working under three different prime ministers.

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## Transcript

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