Child Benefit: spending and claimants by year
Child Benefit spending as DWP's tables record it. HMRC took over Child Benefit in 2003, after which DWP's table shows no spending; HMRC publishes it in its receipts and expenditure statistics.
£8.9 billion
7,042 thousand
DWP's benefit expenditure tables record spending on Child Benefit of £8.9 billion in 2002/03, in cash terms. The first year with spending in the tables is 1948/49 (£60 million). DWP's caseload for 2002/03 is 7,042 thousand; the highest in the table is 7,250 thousand in 1979/80.
Spending and caseload by year
| Year | Spending (cash) | Change on previous year | Caseload (thousands) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002/03 | £8.9 billion | +1.7% | 7,042 |
| 2001/02 | £8.8 billion | +1.6% | 6,991 |
| 2000/01 | £8.7 billion | +4.5% | 7,012 |
| 1999/00 | £8.3 billion | +13.5% | 7,025 |
| 1998/99 | £7.3 billion | +2.9% | 7,021 |
| 1997/98 | £7.1 billion | +2.1% | 7,008 |
| 1996/97 | £6.9 billion | +4.5% | 6,970 |
| 1995/96 | £6.6 billion | +3.7% | 6,943 |
| 1994/95 | £6.4 billion | +1.1% | 6,905 |
| 1993/94 | £6.3 billion | +6.4% | 6,849 |
| 1992/93 | £6.0 billion | +14.7% | 6,795 |
| 1991/92 | £5.2 billion | +13.0% | 6,854 |
| 1990/91 | £4.6 billion | +1.2% | 6,780 |
| 1989/90 | £4.5 billion | +0.5% | 6,745 |
| 1988/89 | £4.5 billion | -1.8% | 6,752 |
| 1987/88 | £4.6 billion | +1.9% | 6,768 |
| 1986/87 | £4.5 billion | +1.0% | 6,816 |
| 1985/86 | £4.5 billion | +4.5% | 6,868 |
| 1984/85 | £4.3 billion | +7.2% | 6,924 |
| 1983/84 | £4.0 billion | +9.0% | 6,983 |
| 1982/83 | £3.7 billion | +8.5% | 7,091 |
| 1981/82 | £3.4 billion | +14.5% | 7,174 |
| 1980/81 | £2.9 billion | +5.6% | 7,230 |
| 1979/80 | £2.8 billion | +56.9% | 7,250 |
| 1978/79 | £1.8 billion | +104.7% | 7,244 |
| 1977/78 | £868 million | +64.8% | |
| 1976/77 | £527 million | -1.0% | |
| 1975/76 | £532 million | +54.5% | |
| 1974/75 | £344 million | – | |
| 1973/74 | £344 million | +1.5% | |
| 1972/73 | £339 million | -1.4% | |
| 1971/72 | £344 million | +1.4% | |
| 1970/71 | £339 million | -0.1% | |
| 1969/70 | £339 million | +14.2% | |
| 1968/69 | £297 million | +85.5% | |
| 1967/68 | £160 million | +7.4% | |
| 1966/67 | £149 million | +2.0% | |
| 1965/66 | £146 million | +2.2% | |
| 1964/65 | £143 million | +2.4% | |
| 1963/64 | £140 million | +3.3% | |
| 1962/63 | £135 million | +1.0% | |
| 1961/62 | £134 million | +2.3% | |
| 1960/61 | £131 million | +2.8% | |
| 1959/60 | £127 million | +1.2% | |
| 1958/59 | £126 million | +3.0% | |
| 1957/58 | £122 million | +7.4% | |
| 1956/57 | £114 million | +6.8% | |
| 1955/56 | £107 million | +1.5% | |
| 1954/55 | £105 million | +1.4% | |
| 1953/54 | £104 million | +18.7% | |
| 1952/53 | £87 million | +38.2% | |
| 1951/52 | £63 million | +1.9% | |
| 1950/51 | £62 million | +1.6% | |
| 1949/50 | £61 million | +1.7% | |
| 1948/49 | £60 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
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