Disability Living Allowance: spending and claimants by year
Spending on Disability Living 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.
£7.7 billion
1,316 thousand
DWP's benefit expenditure tables record spending on Disability Living Allowance of £7.7 billion in 2024/25, in cash terms. The first year with spending in the tables is 1992/93 (£2.0 billion). DWP's caseload for 2024/25 is 1,316 thousand; the highest in the table is 3,307 thousand in 2012/13. Cash spending was highest in 2014/15, at £13.8 billion.
Spending and caseload by year
| Year | Spending (cash) | Change on previous year | Caseload (thousands) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024/25 | £7.7 billion | +12.5% | 1,316 |
| 2023/24 | £6.9 billion | +14.9% | 1,242 |
| 2022/23 | £6.0 billion | +4.9% | 1,214 |
| 2021/22 | £5.7 billion | -2.0% | 1,206 |
| 2020/21 | £5.8 billion | -19.6% | 1,232 |
| 2019/20 | £7.2 billion | -11.0% | 1,554 |
| 2018/19 | £8.1 billion | -13.4% | 1,789 |
| 2017/18 | £9.4 billion | -18.5% | 2,126 |
| 2016/17 | £11.5 billion | -13.0% | 2,628 |
| 2015/16 | £13.2 billion | -4.1% | 3,015 |
| 2014/15 | £13.8 billion | +0.3% | 3,214 |
| 2013/14 | £13.8 billion | +2.5% | 3,307 |
| 2012/13 | £13.4 billion | +6.9% | 3,307 |
| 2011/12 | £12.6 billion | +5.8% | 3,253 |
| 2010/11 | £11.9 billion | +3.6% | 3,205 |
| 2009/10 | £11.5 billion | +8.9% | 3,133 |
| 2008/09 | £10.5 billion | +6.7% | 3,034 |
| 2007/08 | £9.9 billion | +7.8% | 2,941 |
| 2006/07 | £9.2 billion | +6.2% | 2,852 |
| 2005/06 | £8.6 billion | +6.7% | 2,777 |
| 2004/05 | £8.1 billion | +6.6% | 2,701 |
| 2003/04 | £7.6 billion | +7.5% | 2,607 |
| 2002/03 | £7.1 billion | +7.2% | 2,490 |
| 2001/02 | £6.6 billion | +8.9% | 2,368 |
| 2000/01 | £6.0 billion | +6.8% | 2,255 |
| 1999/00 | £5.7 billion | +6.5% | 2,165 |
| 1998/99 | £5.3 billion | +7.3% | 2,092 |
| 1997/98 | £5.0 billion | +10.1% | 2,004 |
| 1996/97 | £4.5 billion | +18.3% | 1,846 |
| 1995/96 | £3.8 billion | +21.7% | 1,669 |
| 1994/95 | £3.1 billion | +12.7% | 1,466 |
| 1993/94 | £2.8 billion | +40.5% | 1,286 |
| 1992/93 | £2.0 billion | 1,045 |
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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