Civometry

DWP · Year ending March 1949 to Year ending March 2025 · £ million

Total benefit expenditure

Total benefit expenditure: Year ending March 1949 to Year ending March 2025ConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeLabourLabourLabourCoalitionConservativeConservativeConservativeLabour0100k200k19501960197019801990200020102020Year ending March 1949: £471.3m £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1950: £597.8m £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1951: £610.5m £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1952: £642.1m £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1953: £775.2m £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1954: £816.7m £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1955: £839.2m £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1956: £942.3m £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1957: £980.8m £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1958: £1.1bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1959: £1.3bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1960: £1.4bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1961: £1.4bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1962: £1.6bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1963: £1.6bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1964: £1.9bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1965: £2bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1966: £2.3bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1967: £2.5bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1968: £2.8bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1969: £3.2bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1970: £3.4bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1971: £3.6bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1972: £4.2bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1973: £4.9bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1974: £5.5bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1975: £6.9bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1976: £9.3bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1977: £11.1bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1978: £13.4bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1979: £15.9bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1980: £18.8bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1981: £22.7bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1982: £27.7bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1983: £31.6bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1984: £35.3bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1985: £38.3bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1986: £41.8bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1987: £44.9bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1988: £46.7bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1989: £47.3bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1990: £50.3bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1991: £56.5bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1992: £66.3bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1993: £75.3bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1994: £82.4bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1995: £84.9bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1996: £88.7bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1997: £92.2bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1998: £93.3bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1999: £95.6bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2000: £99bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2001: £101.4bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2002: £106.7bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2003: £110.3bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2004: £105.8bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2005: £111.1bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2006: £115.8bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2007: £119.2bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2008: £126.2bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2009: £135.8bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2010: £148.1bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2011: £153.5bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2012: £159.1bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2013: £166.6bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2014: £164.2bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2015: £168.4bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2016: £171.9bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2017: £173.9bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2018: £178.1bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2019: £183.8bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2020: £192.6bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2021: £213.2bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2022: £217.6bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2023: £233.1bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2024: £267.9bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2025: £289.3bn £ 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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