Attendance Allowance: spending and claimants by year
Spending on Attendance Allowance each financial year, in cash terms, from DWP's benefit expenditure tables, with the number of people receiving it where DWP gives a caseload.
£7.8 billion
1,645 thousand
DWP's benefit expenditure tables record spending on Attendance Allowance of £7.8 billion in 2024/25, in cash terms. The first year with spending in the tables is 1971/72 (£6 million). DWP's caseload for 2024/25 is 1,645 thousand; the highest in the table is 1,782 thousand in 2010/11.
Spending and caseload by year
| Year | Spending (cash) | Change on previous year | Caseload (thousands) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024/25 | £7.8 billion | +16.0% | 1,645 |
| 2023/24 | £6.7 billion | +18.1% | 1,518 |
| 2022/23 | £5.7 billion | +6.8% | 1,420 |
| 2021/22 | £5.3 billion | -0.7% | 1,373 |
| 2020/21 | £5.3 billion | -9.5% | 1,382 |
| 2019/20 | £5.9 billion | +4.1% | 1,587 |
| 2018/19 | £5.7 billion | +2.6% | 1,570 |
| 2017/18 | £5.5 billion | +0.8% | 1,578 |
| 2016/17 | £5.5 billion | -0.1% | 1,594 |
| 2015/16 | £5.5 billion | +1.2% | 1,603 |
| 2014/15 | £5.4 billion | +1.2% | 1,617 |
| 2013/14 | £5.4 billion | -2.1% | 1,641 |
| 2012/13 | £5.5 billion | +2.6% | 1,710 |
| 2011/12 | £5.3 billion | +2.1% | 1,756 |
| 2010/11 | £5.2 billion | +2.4% | 1,782 |
| 2009/10 | £5.1 billion | +7.8% | 1,776 |
| 2008/09 | £4.7 billion | +6.5% | 1,737 |
| 2007/08 | £4.4 billion | +7.1% | 1,700 |
| 2006/07 | £4.1 billion | +5.7% | 1,666 |
| 2005/06 | £3.9 billion | +6.8% | 1,629 |
| 2004/05 | £3.7 billion | +6.3% | 1,589 |
| 2003/04 | £3.5 billion | +6.3% | 1,547 |
| 2002/03 | £3.3 billion | +4.0% | 1,510 |
| 2001/02 | £3.1 billion | +5.7% | 1,495 |
| 2000/01 | £3.0 billion | +4.7% | 1,464 |
| 1999/00 | £2.8 billion | +5.3% | 1,434 |
| 1998/99 | £2.7 billion | +6.3% | 1,404 |
| 1997/98 | £2.5 billion | +5.4% | 1,365 |
| 1996/97 | £2.4 billion | +9.1% | 1,298 |
| 1995/96 | £2.2 billion | +11.8% | 1,268 |
| 1994/95 | £2.0 billion | +9.3% | 1,046 |
| 1993/94 | £1.8 billion | +15.6% | 962 |
| 1992/93 | £1.6 billion | -8.9% | 890 |
| 1991/92 | £1.7 billion | +23.5% | 988 |
| 1990/91 | £1.4 billion | +19.3% | 875 |
| 1989/90 | £1.2 billion | +15.4% | 798 |
| 1988/89 | £1.0 billion | +11.8% | 737 |
| 1987/88 | £897 million | +15.2% | 677 |
| 1986/87 | £779 million | +13.6% | 611 |
| 1985/86 | £686 million | +19.1% | 562 |
| 1984/85 | £576 million | +16.4% | 507 |
| 1983/84 | £495 million | +22.8% | 441 |
| 1982/83 | £403 million | +22.1% | 388 |
| 1981/82 | £330 million | +26.9% | 350 |
| 1980/81 | £260 million | +29.4% | 314 |
| 1979/80 | £201 million | +19.6% | 278 |
| 1978/79 | £168 million | +0.8% | 264 |
| 1977/78 | £167 million | +31.0% | 243 |
| 1976/77 | £127 million | +32.7% | 217 |
| 1975/76 | £96 million | +53.7% | 193 |
| 1974/75 | £62 million | +74.3% | 170 |
| 1973/74 | £36 million | +54.3% | 143 |
| 1972/73 | £23 million | +286.7% | |
| 1971/72 | £6 million |
Source: DWP expenditure tables, Tables 1a and 1c. About these figures · CSV
Rates and related figures
Sources and receipts
- Benefit expenditure and caseload tables: outturn and forecast, Spring Forecast 2026, Department for Work and Pensions.
File: outturn-and-forecast-tables-spring-forecast-2026.xlsx. Read 2026-10-15. SHA-256
11a591e4a2144ed6a686be6a9ded4e5d5b3b8d4887bd57c1ff0632bd251009de