Incapacity Benefit: spending and claimants by year
Spending on Incapacity Benefit each financial year, in cash terms, from DWP's benefit expenditure tables, with the number of people receiving it where DWP gives a caseload.
£0.9 million
15 thousand
DWP's benefit expenditure tables record spending on Incapacity Benefit of £0.9 million in 2024/25, in cash terms. The first year with spending in the tables is 1995/96 (£7.6 billion). DWP's caseload for 2024/25 is 15 thousand; the highest in the table is 2,510 thousand in 2004/05. Cash spending was highest in 1996/97, at £7.7 billion.
Spending and caseload by year
| Year | Spending (cash) | Change on previous year | Caseload (thousands) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024/25 | £0.9 million | +200.0% | 15 |
| 2023/24 | -£0.9 million | -107.6% | 17 |
| 2022/23 | £12 million | 19 | |
| 2021/22 | £0 million | -100.0% | 21 |
| 2020/21 | £4.6 million | -4.2% | 23 |
| 2019/20 | £4.8 million | 26 | |
| 2018/19 | £0 million | -100.0% | 32 |
| 2017/18 | £8.9 million | -40.3% | 40 |
| 2016/17 | £15 million | -75.9% | 52 |
| 2015/16 | £62 million | -74.7% | 74 |
| 2014/15 | £245 million | -79.4% | 133 |
| 2013/14 | £1.2 billion | -63.8% | 366 |
| 2012/13 | £3.3 billion | -33.6% | 965 |
| 2011/12 | £4.9 billion | -11.2% | 1,577 |
| 2010/11 | £5.6 billion | -9.0% | 1,827 |
| 2009/10 | £6.1 billion | -6.3% | 2,031 |
| 2008/09 | £6.5 billion | -2.1% | 2,332 |
| 2007/08 | £6.7 billion | +1.4% | 2,415 |
| 2006/07 | £6.6 billion | -1.3% | 2,443 |
| 2005/06 | £6.6 billion | -0.2% | 2,475 |
| 2004/05 | £6.7 billion | -0.9% | 2,510 |
| 2003/04 | £6.7 billion | -0.5% | 2,504 |
| 2002/03 | £6.8 billion | +0.1% | 2,483 |
| 2001/02 | £6.7 billion | -0.3% | 2,430 |
| 2000/01 | £6.8 billion | -0.4% | 2,391 |
| 1999/00 | £6.8 billion | -6.4% | 2,354 |
| 1998/99 | £7.3 billion | -2.2% | 2,371 |
| 1997/98 | £7.4 billion | -3.3% | 2,437 |
| 1996/97 | £7.7 billion | +0.5% | 2,455 |
| 1995/96 | £7.6 billion | 2,490 |
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
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