{"metric":"spend_social_protection","title":"Spending on social protection","topic":"spending","unit":"£ billion","measure_type":"count","geography":"K02000001","comparison_method":"previous_period","latest":{"period_start":"2025-04-01","period_end":"2026-03-31","period_label":"Year ending March 2026","value":407.3,"status":"final","vintage":"2026-09-02"},"comparison":{"period_label":"Year ending March 2025","value":386.3,"vintage":"2026-09-02"},"source":{"publisher":"HM Treasury","publication":"Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2026, chapter 4: expenditure by function","landing_url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/public-expenditure-statistical-analyses-2026","sheet":"4_2","table":"Table 4.2","row":"10. Social protection","column":"2025-26","raw_value":"407.3","file_url":"https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a5772e09e63154454413700/PESA_2026_CP_Chapter_4_tables.xlsx","file_sha256":"50ae80d95c4e542c34a17dfa8bc302858ca6508b6753e27bb31920cec9bb75c4","release_date":"2026-09-02","release_label":"2026-09-02"},"definition":"Public sector spending on pensions, benefits, social care and other social protection across the UK, in cash terms.\n","does_not_measure":"Spending on any single benefit; DWP's own tables carry that.\n","links":{"page":"/spending/spending-social-protection","series":"/api/metrics/spend_social_protection/series","vintages":"/api/metrics/spend_social_protection/vintages"}}