The Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, says the government is "working flat out" to cut the welfare bill, but he has given no timeframe for doing so. Asked during a visit to Derby on Thursday when the benefits bill would come down, he told reporters:
"We want to get the welfare bill down as quickly as possible, and we're working flat out to that end."
Mr Burnham did not mention the next election or set any deadline. That is consistent with the Treasury's position that John Healey, the Chancellor, set no timeline in his Today interview. PA reports that Treasury officials had earlier pushed back on readings of that interview as a pledge to cut the bill before the election.
Mr Burnham said the "big next priority" after the Budget is the Milburn report, which he said is "coming soon".
Reports differ on when the reviews will land. City AM says Mr Healey confirmed the Milburn review on youth joblessness and the Timms review on disability payments would be finished by the end of the year. The BBC said detail was expected next month.
City AM also reports Mr Healey saying it was "not progressive" for total welfare spending to rise from £334bn last year to £413bn in 2030. Those figures have not been independently checked.