Civometry

DWP · Year ending March 1979 to Year ending March 2025 · £ million

Benefit expenditure on working-age people

Benefit expenditure on working-age people: Year ending March 1979 to Year ending March 2025ConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeLabourLabourLabourLabourCoalitionConservativeConservativeConservativeLabour050k100k19801990200020102020Year ending March 1979: £4.4bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1980: £4.8bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1981: £6.3bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1982: £8.3bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1983: £9.8bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1984: £11.6bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1985: £12.8bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1986: £14bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1987: £15.3bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1988: £15.6bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1989: £14.9bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1990: £15.3bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1991: £17.9bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1992: £22.7bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1993: £27.2bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1994: £30.6bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1995: £31.8bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1996: £33.5bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1997: £34.2bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1998: £33.4bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1999: £33.3bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2000: £32.7bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2001: £31.7bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2002: £32.4bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2003: £33.3bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2004: £34.6bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2005: £35.7bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2006: £36.9bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2007: £38.2bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2008: £40.2bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2009: £42.8bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2010: £49.4bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2011: £51.3bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2012: £53.1bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2013: £55.1bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2014: £51.9bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2015: £52.4bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2016: £53.8bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2017: £54.2bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2018: £56.8bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2019: £60.1bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2020: £66.4bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2021: £85.2bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2022: £86.2bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2023: £93.1bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2024: £108.9bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2025: £119.8bn £ million · published 26 March 2026
Published valueProvisional or revisedLatestShaded bands: governments (see labels)Hover or use arrow keys to read a value

Source: DWP, Benefit expenditure and caseload tables: outturn and forecast (Spring Forecast 2026), Benefit expenditure and caseload tables: Spring Forecast 2026 (published 26 March 2026). Data presentation: Civometry.

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