Stately

ONS · Public sector finances time series (PUSF)

Net social benefits paid

July 2026 Final

£29.8bnmillion

Net social benefits paid was £29.8bn in July 2026, up 6.9% (£1.9bn) from £27.8bn in July 2025.

▲ 6.9% · +£1.9bn against July 2025 (year on year)

  1. ONS count
  2. July 2026
  3. published 20 August 2026
  4. ANLY
  5. row “PS: Current expenditure: Net social benefits (D62): £m CPNSA”
  6. column “2026 JUL”
  7. cell value 29771

July 2026 is the highest figure in the published series: £29.8bn. Rule: highest of the 352 periods published here (April 1997 to July 2026).

April 1997 to July 2026

Net social benefits paid: April 1997 to July 2026ConservativeLabourLabourLabourLabourLabourLabourCoalitionCoalitionConservativeConservativeConservativeLabour010k20k200020102020April 1997: £8.2bn £ million · published 20 August 2026May 1997: £8.2bn £ million · published 20 August 2026June 1997: £8.2bn £ million · published 20 August 2026July 1997: £8.4bn £ million · published 20 August 2026August 1997: £8.4bn £ million · published 20 August 2026September 1997: £8.4bn £ million · published 20 August 2026October 1997: £8.4bn £ million · published 20 August 2026November 1997: £8.4bn £ million · published 20 August 2026December 1997: £8.4bn £ million · published 20 August 2026January 1998: £8bn £ million · published 20 August 2026February 1998: £7.7bn £ million · published 20 August 2026March 1998: £8.3bn £ million · published 20 August 2026April 1998: £8.3bn £ million · published 20 August 2026May 1998: £7.9bn £ million · published 20 August 2026June 1998: £8.3bn £ million · published 20 August 2026July 1998: £8.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026August 1998: £8.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026September 1998: £8.4bn £ million · published 20 August 2026October 1998: £8.3bn £ million · published 20 August 2026November 1998: £8.2bn £ million · published 20 August 2026December 1998: £9.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026January 1999: £7.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026February 1999: £7.8bn £ million · published 20 August 2026March 1999: £8.9bn £ million · published 20 August 2026April 1999: £8bn £ million · published 20 August 2026May 1999: £7.7bn £ million · published 20 August 2026June 1999: £8bn £ million · published 20 August 2026July 1999: £8.3bn £ million · published 20 August 2026August 1999: £8.3bn £ million · published 20 August 2026September 1999: £9bn £ million · published 20 August 2026October 1999: £8.4bn £ million · published 20 August 2026November 1999: £8.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026December 1999: £8.9bn £ million · published 20 August 2026January 2000: £8bn £ million · published 20 August 2026February 2000: £8.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026March 2000: £8.4bn £ million · published 20 August 2026April 2000: £8.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026May 2000: £8.3bn £ million · published 20 August 2026June 2000: £8.4bn £ million · published 20 August 2026July 2000: £8.3bn £ million · published 20 August 2026August 2000: £8.4bn £ million · published 20 August 2026September 2000: £9.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026October 2000: £8.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026November 2000: £8.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026December 2000: £9.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026January 2001: £8.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026February 2001: £8.3bn £ million · published 20 August 2026March 2001: £8.7bn £ million · published 20 August 2026April 2001: £8.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026May 2001: £8.9bn £ million · published 20 August 2026June 2001: £8.8bn £ million · published 20 August 2026July 2001: £9bn £ million · published 20 August 2026August 2001: £9bn £ million · published 20 August 2026September 2001: £10.4bn £ million · published 20 August 2026October 2001: £9.2bn £ million · published 20 August 2026November 2001: £9.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026December 2001: £9.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026January 2002: £8.9bn £ million · published 20 August 2026February 2002: £8.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026March 2002: £9.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026April 2002: £9.3bn £ million · published 20 August 2026May 2002: £9.7bn £ million · published 20 August 2026June 2002: £8.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026July 2002: £9.4bn £ million · published 20 August 2026August 2002: £9.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026September 2002: £10.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026October 2002: £9.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026November 2002: £9.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026December 2002: £9.9bn £ million · published 20 August 2026January 2003: £9.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026February 2003: £9.4bn £ million · published 20 August 2026March 2003: £9.3bn £ million · published 20 August 2026April 2003: £9.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026May 2003: £10bn £ million · published 20 August 2026June 2003: £10.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026July 2003: £10.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026August 2003: £10.3bn £ million · published 20 August 2026September 2003: £12.2bn £ million · published 20 August 2026October 2003: £10.4bn £ million · published 20 August 2026November 2003: £10.2bn £ million · published 20 August 2026December 2003: £10.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026January 2004: £10.3bn £ million · published 20 August 2026February 2004: £10.3bn £ million · published 20 August 2026March 2004: £10.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026April 2004: £10.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026May 2004: £10.7bn £ million · published 20 August 2026June 2004: £10.8bn £ million · published 20 August 2026July 2004: £10.9bn £ million · published 20 August 2026August 2004: £10.9bn £ million · published 20 August 2026September 2004: £12.3bn £ million · published 20 August 2026October 2004: £10.9bn £ million · published 20 August 2026November 2004: £10.8bn £ million · published 20 August 2026December 2004: £11.4bn £ million · published 20 August 2026January 2005: £10.4bn £ million · published 20 August 2026February 2005: £10.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026March 2005: £10.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026April 2005: £10.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026May 2005: £10.8bn £ million · published 20 August 2026June 2005: £10.9bn £ million · published 20 August 2026July 2005: £11.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026August 2005: £11.2bn £ million · published 20 August 2026September 2005: £13.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026October 2005: £11.4bn £ million · published 20 August 2026November 2005: £12.2bn £ million · published 20 August 2026December 2005: £11.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026January 2006: £11bn £ million · published 20 August 2026February 2006: £10.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026March 2006: £11.2bn £ million · published 20 August 2026April 2006: £10.9bn £ million · published 20 August 2026May 2006: £11.7bn £ million · published 20 August 2026June 2006: £11.4bn £ million · published 20 August 2026July 2006: £11.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026August 2006: £11.9bn £ million · published 20 August 2026September 2006: £13.8bn £ million · published 20 August 2026October 2006: £11.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026November 2006: £11.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026December 2006: £11.7bn £ million · published 20 August 2026January 2007: £11.7bn £ million · published 20 August 2026February 2007: £10.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026March 2007: £11.9bn £ million · published 20 August 2026April 2007: £11.7bn £ million · published 20 August 2026May 2007: £12.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026June 2007: £12.4bn £ million · published 20 August 2026July 2007: £12.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026August 2007: £12.7bn £ million · published 20 August 2026September 2007: £14.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026October 2007: £12.7bn £ million · published 20 August 2026November 2007: £12.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026December 2007: £12.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026January 2008: £12.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026February 2008: £11.9bn £ million · published 20 August 2026March 2008: £11.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026April 2008: £13.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026May 2008: £13.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026June 2008: £13.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026July 2008: £13.7bn £ million · published 20 August 2026August 2008: £13.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026September 2008: £16.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026October 2008: £13.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026November 2008: £13bn £ million · published 20 August 2026December 2008: £14bn £ million · published 20 August 2026January 2009: £14.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026February 2009: £13.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026March 2009: £13.8bn £ million · published 20 August 2026April 2009: £14.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026May 2009: £14.8bn £ million · published 20 August 2026June 2009: £14.8bn £ million · published 20 August 2026July 2009: £15.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026August 2009: £14.7bn £ million · published 20 August 2026September 2009: £17.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026October 2009: £15.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026November 2009: £14.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026December 2009: £15.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026January 2010: £15bn £ million · published 20 August 2026February 2010: £13.7bn £ million · published 20 August 2026March 2010: £15.2bn £ million · published 20 August 2026April 2010: £15.3bn £ million · published 20 August 2026May 2010: £15.4bn £ million · published 20 August 2026June 2010: £15.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026July 2010: £16.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026August 2010: £15.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026September 2010: £18.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026October 2010: £15.7bn £ million · published 20 August 2026November 2010: £15.4bn £ million · published 20 August 2026December 2010: £16.4bn £ million · published 20 August 2026January 2011: £15.4bn £ million · published 20 August 2026February 2011: £14.3bn £ million · published 20 August 2026March 2011: £15.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026April 2011: £16.3bn £ million · published 20 August 2026May 2011: £16.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026June 2011: £16.4bn £ million · published 20 August 2026July 2011: £16.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026August 2011: £16.8bn £ million · published 20 August 2026September 2011: £19.2bn £ million · published 20 August 2026October 2011: £16.3bn £ million · published 20 August 2026November 2011: £16.2bn £ million · published 20 August 2026December 2011: £17bn £ million · published 20 August 2026January 2012: £16.2bn £ million · published 20 August 2026February 2012: £15.8bn £ million · published 20 August 2026March 2012: £16.4bn £ million · published 20 August 2026April 2012: £17.4bn £ million · published 20 August 2026May 2012: £17.9bn £ million · published 20 August 2026June 2012: £16.9bn £ million · published 20 August 2026July 2012: £17.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026August 2012: £17.7bn £ million · published 20 August 2026September 2012: £19.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026October 2012: £17.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026November 2012: £17.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026December 2012: £17.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026January 2013: £17.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026February 2013: £15.8bn £ million · published 20 August 2026March 2013: £17.3bn £ million · published 20 August 2026April 2013: £17.4bn £ million · published 20 August 2026May 2013: £17.9bn £ million · published 20 August 2026June 2013: £17bn £ million · published 20 August 2026July 2013: £18.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026August 2013: £17.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026September 2013: £19.7bn £ million · published 20 August 2026October 2013: £17.7bn £ million · published 20 August 2026November 2013: £16.7bn £ million · published 20 August 2026December 2013: £18bn £ million · published 20 August 2026January 2014: £17.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026February 2014: £16bn £ million · published 20 August 2026March 2014: £17.2bn £ million · published 20 August 2026April 2014: £18.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026May 2014: £18.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026June 2014: £17.3bn £ million · published 20 August 2026July 2014: £18.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026August 2014: £17.9bn £ million · published 20 August 2026September 2014: £20.3bn £ million · published 20 August 2026October 2014: £18.2bn £ million · published 20 August 2026November 2014: £17.2bn £ million · published 20 August 2026December 2014: £18.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026January 2015: £17.9bn £ million · published 20 August 2026February 2015: £16.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026March 2015: £17.9bn £ million · published 20 August 2026April 2015: £18.2bn £ million · published 20 August 2026May 2015: £18bn £ million · published 20 August 2026June 2015: £17.9bn £ million · published 20 August 2026July 2015: £18.7bn £ million · published 20 August 2026August 2015: £17.9bn £ million · published 20 August 2026September 2015: £20.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026October 2015: £18.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026November 2015: £17.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026December 2015: £18.7bn £ million · published 20 August 2026January 2016: £17.9bn £ million · published 20 August 2026February 2016: £17.3bn £ million · published 20 August 2026March 2016: £17.9bn £ million · published 20 August 2026April 2016: £18.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026May 2016: £18.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026June 2016: £18bn £ million · published 20 August 2026July 2016: £18.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026August 2016: £18.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026September 2016: £20.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026October 2016: £18.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026November 2016: £17.8bn £ million · published 20 August 2026December 2016: £18.8bn £ million · published 20 August 2026January 2017: £17.9bn £ million · published 20 August 2026February 2017: £16.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026March 2017: £18bn £ million · published 20 August 2026April 2017: £18.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026May 2017: £18.4bn £ million · published 20 August 2026June 2017: £18.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026July 2017: £18.4bn £ million · published 20 August 2026August 2017: £18.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026September 2017: £20.3bn £ million · published 20 August 2026October 2017: £18.4bn £ million · published 20 August 2026November 2017: £17.9bn £ million · published 20 August 2026December 2017: £18.7bn £ million · published 20 August 2026January 2018: £18.3bn £ million · published 20 August 2026February 2018: £16.8bn £ million · published 20 August 2026March 2018: £18.3bn £ million · published 20 August 2026April 2018: £18.7bn £ million · published 20 August 2026May 2018: £19.2bn £ million · published 20 August 2026June 2018: £18.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026July 2018: £19bn £ million · published 20 August 2026August 2018: £19.3bn £ million · published 20 August 2026September 2018: £20.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026October 2018: £19.3bn £ million · published 20 August 2026November 2018: £18.7bn £ million · published 20 August 2026December 2018: £19.3bn £ million · published 20 August 2026January 2019: £18.9bn £ million · published 20 August 2026February 2019: £17.4bn £ million · published 20 August 2026March 2019: £18.8bn £ million · published 20 August 2026April 2019: £19bn £ million · published 20 August 2026May 2019: £19.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026June 2019: £18.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026July 2019: £19bn £ million · published 20 August 2026August 2019: £18.9bn £ million · published 20 August 2026September 2019: £20.3bn £ million · published 20 August 2026October 2019: £18.9bn £ million · published 20 August 2026November 2019: £17.9bn £ million · published 20 August 2026December 2019: £19.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026January 2020: £19.4bn £ million · published 20 August 2026February 2020: £17.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026March 2020: £18.8bn £ million · published 20 August 2026April 2020: £20.2bn £ million · published 20 August 2026May 2020: £20.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026June 2020: £19.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026July 2020: £20.8bn £ million · published 20 August 2026August 2020: £20bn £ million · published 20 August 2026September 2020: £22.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026October 2020: £20.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026November 2020: £19.8bn £ million · published 20 August 2026December 2020: £20.7bn £ million · published 20 August 2026January 2021: £20.3bn £ million · published 20 August 2026February 2021: £19.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026March 2021: £21bn £ million · published 20 August 2026April 2021: £21.4bn £ million · published 20 August 2026May 2021: £20.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026June 2021: £20.2bn £ million · published 20 August 2026July 2021: £20.8bn £ million · published 20 August 2026August 2021: £20.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026September 2021: £22.2bn £ million · published 20 August 2026October 2021: £20bn £ million · published 20 August 2026November 2021: £19.9bn £ million · published 20 August 2026December 2021: £21bn £ million · published 20 August 2026January 2022: £19.7bn £ million · published 20 August 2026February 2022: £18.9bn £ million · published 20 August 2026March 2022: £20.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026April 2022: £21.3bn £ million · published 20 August 2026May 2022: £20.4bn £ million · published 20 August 2026June 2022: £20.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026July 2022: £23.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026August 2022: £21.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026September 2022: £26.2bn £ million · published 20 August 2026October 2022: £20.8bn £ million · published 20 August 2026November 2022: £23.3bn £ million · published 20 August 2026December 2022: £21.4bn £ million · published 20 August 2026January 2023: £20.8bn £ million · published 20 August 2026February 2023: £19.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026March 2023: £20.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026April 2023: £25.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026May 2023: £23.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026June 2023: £24.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026July 2023: £23.7bn £ million · published 20 August 2026August 2023: £24.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026September 2023: £28.2bn £ million · published 20 August 2026October 2023: £25.4bn £ million · published 20 August 2026November 2023: £24.8bn £ million · published 20 August 2026December 2023: £24.3bn £ million · published 20 August 2026January 2024: £24.3bn £ million · published 20 August 2026February 2024: £25.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026March 2024: £24.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026April 2024: £26.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026May 2024: £25.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026June 2024: £25.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026July 2024: £26.5bn £ million · published 20 August 2026August 2024: £26.7bn £ million · published 20 August 2026September 2024: £26bn £ million · published 20 August 2026October 2024: £26.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026November 2024: £25.8bn £ million · published 20 August 2026December 2024: £26.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026January 2025: £26.7bn £ million · published 20 August 2026February 2025: £24.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026March 2025: £26.7bn £ million · published 20 August 2026April 2025: £27.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026May 2025: £27.6bn £ million · published 20 August 2026June 2025: £26.9bn £ million · published 20 August 2026July 2025: £27.8bn £ million · published 20 August 2026August 2025: £27.7bn £ million · published 20 August 2026September 2025: £29.4bn £ million · published 20 August 2026October 2025: £28bn £ million · published 20 August 2026November 2025: £27.1bn £ million · published 20 August 2026December 2025: £28.3bn £ million · published 20 August 2026January 2026: £28bn £ million · published 20 August 2026February 2026: £25.8bn £ million · published 20 August 2026March 2026: £27.2bn £ million · published 20 August 2026April 2026: £29.7bn £ million · published 20 August 2026May 2026: £28.7bn £ million · published 20 August 2026June 2026: £28.9bn £ million · published 20 August 2026July 2026: £29.8bn £ million · published 20 August 2026
Published valueProvisional or revisedLatestShaded bands: governments (see labels)Hover or use arrow keys to read a value

What this measures

Social benefits paid by central government in the month, net of receipts: the national accounts measure that covers the state pension, working-age benefits and other transfers to households.

What this doesn’t measure

Which benefits the money went to, or how many people received it. It is an expenditure total, not a caseload.

Important caveat

Public sector finances are published monthly and revised routinely as tax and departmental data arrive; recent months are the least settled figures on this site. They exclude public sector banks. Monthly borrowing is volatile because of the timing of tax receipts and one-off transactions, so a single month rarely says much on its own.

Revision history

No period of this series has been revised since it was first ingested here. Revisions are recorded automatically when a later release publishes a different figure for the same period.

Source

Publisher
ONS
Publication
Public sector finances time series (PUSF)
Release
Public sector finances, UK: July 2026, published 20 August 2026
Source file
ons_public_finances.json
File SHA-256
a9811032c4262a9f62367ff5a2e8046e7315ee30a9fd0fd1962d4fd9d4ed65ce
Retrieved
3 September 2026
Sheet
PUSF
Table
ANLY
Row
PS: Current expenditure: Net social benefits (D62): £m CPNSA
Column
2026 JUL
Cell value
29771
Geography
United Kingdom
Unit
£ million
API
/api/metrics/net_social_benefits · /series · /vintages

Government periods

Change during each government, from the level inherited to the last complete period before it left office. Describes the period; does not attribute cause.

Labour 2024–£25.6bnJune 2024£29.8bnJuly 2026↑ 16.5%
Conservative 2019–2024£17.9bnNovember 2019£25.6bnJune 2024↑ 42.9%
Conservative 2017–2019£18.4bnMay 2017£17.9bnNovember 2019↓ 2.9%
Conservative 2015–2017£18.2bnApril 2015£18.4bnMay 2017↑ 1.0%
Coalition 2010–2015£15.3bnApril 2010£18.2bnApril 2015↑ 19.4%
Labour 2005–2010£10.6bnApril 2005£15.3bnApril 2010↑ 44.0%
Labour 2001–2005£8.9bnMay 2001£10.6bnApril 2005↑ 19.5%
Labour 1997–2001£8.2bnApril 1997£8.9bnMay 2001↑ 7.5%

Full comparison with chart

Release
Public sector finances, UK: July 2026 · publication page
Last updated
20 August 2026
Next release expected
Not yet announced (estimated from the usual cadence)