The Government is working “flat out” to cut the ballooning costs of welfare spending, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has insisted after the Chancellor faced scrutiny about the rising costs of benefits in wake of the Budget.

John Healey was repeatedly pressed about the cost of welfare by broadcasters, after the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) warned sickness and disability benefits could cost £100 billion a year before the end of the decade.

But Treasury officials pushed back against media interpretations of Mr Healey’s responses which suggested he wanted the bill to start falling before the next election.

The Chancellor later said there was no “timetable” set to bring the cost of welfare down.

The Government is working “flat out” to cut the ballooning costs of welfare spending, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has insisted after the Chancellor faced scrutiny about the rising costs of benefits in wake of the Budget.

The Prime Minister was asked about his timeframe for reducing the benefit bill during a…