Bereavement benefits: spending and claimants by year
Spending on Bereavement benefits each financial year, in cash terms, from DWP's benefit expenditure tables, with the number of people receiving it where DWP gives a caseload.
£349 million
78 thousand
DWP's benefit expenditure tables record spending on Bereavement benefits of £349 million in 2024/25, in cash terms. The first year with spending in the tables is 1948/49 (£16 million). DWP's caseload for 2024/25 is 78 thousand; the highest in the table is 469 thousand in 1978/79. Cash spending was highest in 2001/02, at £1.1 billion.
Spending and caseload by year
| Year | Spending (cash) | Change on previous year | Caseload (thousands) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024/25 | £349 million | +5.8% | 78 |
| 2023/24 | £330 million | -17.2% | 86 |
| 2022/23 | £399 million | +16.8% | 91 |
| 2021/22 | £341 million | -31.4% | 97 |
| 2020/21 | £498 million | -1.7% | 99 |
| 2019/20 | £506 million | +9.3% | 102 |
| 2018/19 | £463 million | -7.8% | 101 |
| 2017/18 | £503 million | -9.8% | 87 |
| 2016/17 | £557 million | -2.0% | 91 |
| 2015/16 | £569 million | -0.3% | 93 |
| 2014/15 | £571 million | -2.0% | 94 |
| 2013/14 | £582 million | -1.7% | 98 |
| 2012/13 | £593 million | -0.3% | 102 |
| 2011/12 | £594 million | -3.2% | 106 |
| 2010/11 | £614 million | -5.6% | 112 |
| 2009/10 | £650 million | -3.7% | 119 |
| 2008/09 | £675 million | -8.3% | 131 |
| 2007/08 | £736 million | -7.6% | 148 |
| 2006/07 | £797 million | -8.9% | 168 |
| 2005/06 | £875 million | -5.2% | 186 |
| 2004/05 | £923 million | -8.3% | 206 |
| 2003/04 | £1.0 billion | -7.4% | 230 |
| 2002/03 | £1.1 billion | -1.1% | 256 |
| 2001/02 | £1.1 billion | +11.5% | 243 |
| 2000/01 | £986 million | -1.6% | 263 |
| 1999/00 | £1.0 billion | +2.8% | 270 |
| 1998/99 | £974 million | -1.3% | 280 |
| 1997/98 | £987 million | +0.6% | 291 |
| 1996/97 | £981 million | -3.5% | 309 |
| 1995/96 | £1.0 billion | -0.5% | 322 |
| 1994/95 | £1.0 billion | -1.7% | 332 |
| 1993/94 | £1.0 billion | +3.0% | 343 |
| 1992/93 | £1.0 billion | -0.1% | 349 |
| 1991/92 | £1.0 billion | +13.6% | 354 |
| 1990/91 | £889 million | +4.4% | 362 |
| 1989/90 | £852 million | +0.2% | 381 |
| 1988/89 | £850 million | +1.3% | 384 |
| 1987/88 | £839 million | +1.7% | 376 |
| 1986/87 | £825 million | +3.1% | 385 |
| 1985/86 | £800 million | +1.9% | 394 |
| 1984/85 | £785 million | +1.8% | 410 |
| 1983/84 | £771 million | +6.3% | 416 |
| 1982/83 | £725 million | +4.9% | 422 |
| 1981/82 | £691 million | +8.3% | 429 |
| 1980/81 | £638 million | +13.3% | 446 |
| 1979/80 | £563 million | +11.5% | 463 |
| 1978/79 | £505 million | +8.4% | 469 |
| 1977/78 | £466 million | +7.4% | |
| 1976/77 | £434 million | +10.4% | |
| 1975/76 | £393 million | +26.8% | |
| 1974/75 | £310 million | +26.5% | |
| 1973/74 | £245 million | +11.4% | |
| 1972/73 | £220 million | +12.2% | |
| 1971/72 | £196 million | +16.7% | |
| 1970/71 | £168 million | +3.7% | |
| 1969/70 | £162 million | +5.2% | |
| 1968/69 | £154 million | +4.1% | |
| 1967/68 | £148 million | +5.0% | |
| 1966/67 | £141 million | +3.7% | |
| 1965/66 | £136 million | +25.9% | |
| 1964/65 | £108 million | +9.1% | |
| 1963/64 | £99 million | +17.9% | |
| 1962/63 | £84 million | +5.0% | |
| 1961/62 | £80 million | +22.1% | |
| 1960/61 | £66 million | +6.5% | |
| 1959/60 | £62 million | +7.0% | |
| 1958/59 | £58 million | +31.3% | |
| 1957/58 | £44 million | +14.7% | |
| 1956/57 | £38 million | +7.0% | |
| 1955/56 | £36 million | +11.6% | |
| 1954/55 | £32 million | +4.9% | |
| 1953/54 | £31 million | +8.9% | |
| 1952/53 | £28 million | +16.7% | |
| 1951/52 | £24 million | +10.6% | |
| 1950/51 | £22 million | +1.9% | |
| 1949/50 | £21 million | +35.7% | |
| 1948/49 | £16 million |
Source: DWP expenditure tables, Tables 1a and 1c. About these figures · CSV
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