Civometry

DWP · 4 May 1979 – 9 June 1983

Disability benefits caseload during the Conservative 1979–1983 government

Year ending March 1979 → Year ending March 1983 · 4 periods

↑ 77.6%+263,000 people

Disability benefits caseload rose by 77.6% over the period, from 339,000 people (Year ending March 1979, the level when the government took office) to 602,000 (Year ending March 1983, the last complete period before it left office).

  1. Inherited level Year ending March 1979: 339,000
  2. Level when it left Year ending March 1983: 602,000
  3. method: latest complete period before start / before end

Changes during this period do not by themselves show what the government caused. Statistics reflect many influences, including earlier decisions, the economy and how the data is collected.

Disability benefits caseload: Year ending March 1974 to Year ending March 2025ConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeLabourLabourLabourLabourCoalitionConservativeConservativeConservativeLabour02m4m6m19801990200020102020Year ending March 1974: 143,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1975: 170,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1976: 193,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1977: 251,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1978: 298,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1979: 339,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1980: 383,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1981: 461,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1982: 527,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1983: 602,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1984: 704,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1985: 821,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1986: 929,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1987: 1,033,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1988: 1,151,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1989: 1,257,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1990: 1,363,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1991: 1,482,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1992: 1,642,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1993: 1,935,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1994: 2,248,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1995: 2,512,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1996: 2,937,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1997: 3,144,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1998: 3,369,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1999: 3,496,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2000: 3,599,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2001: 3,719,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2002: 3,863,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2003: 4,000,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2004: 4,154,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2005: 4,290,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2006: 4,406,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2007: 4,518,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2008: 4,641,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2009: 4,771,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2010: 4,909,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2011: 4,987,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2012: 5,009,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2013: 5,017,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2014: 4,961,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2015: 5,031,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2016: 5,212,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2017: 5,278,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2018: 5,262,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2019: 5,278,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2020: 5,354,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2021: 4,974,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2022: 5,137,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2023: 5,501,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2024: 5,958,000 people · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2025: 6,531,000 people · published 26 March 2026
Published valueProvisional or revisedLatestShaded bands: governments (see labels)Hover or use arrow keys to read a value

Definition and caveats

The average number of people receiving a DWP disability benefit over the financial year.

Doesn’t measure: People with a disability who do not claim, or the severity of the conditions supported.