According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) the Labour government has reversed the rise in numbers of families claiming benefits during its 11 years in power. Under the Conservatives the proportion of families reliant on the state for the majority of their disposable income rose from 25 per cent in 1979 to 31 per cent in 1996/7. This figure has now fallen back to 28 per cent in 2008/9, reflecting the greater number of people in work as well as the growth of private pensions the IFS said.
