Income Support: spending and claimants by year
Spending on Income Support each financial year, in cash terms, from DWP's benefit expenditure tables, with the number of people receiving it where DWP gives a caseload.
£280 million
43 thousand
DWP's benefit expenditure tables record spending on Income Support of £280 million in 2024/25, in cash terms. The first year with spending in the tables is 1948/49 (£63 million). DWP's caseload for 2024/25 is 43 thousand; the highest in the table is 5,657 thousand in 1995/96. Cash spending was highest in 1995/96, at £16.7 billion.
Spending and caseload by year
| Year | Spending (cash) | Change on previous year | Caseload (thousands) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024/25 | £280 million | -56.8% | 43 |
| 2023/24 | £647 million | -25.2% | 135 |
| 2022/23 | £866 million | +12.8% | 166 |
| 2021/22 | £768 million | -28.5% | 210 |
| 2020/21 | £1.1 billion | -21.9% | 272 |
| 2019/20 | £1.4 billion | -25.2% | 359 |
| 2018/19 | £1.8 billion | -14.0% | 494 |
| 2017/18 | £2.1 billion | -4.2% | 588 |
| 2016/17 | £2.2 billion | -12.1% | 625 |
| 2015/16 | £2.5 billion | -12.2% | 706 |
| 2014/15 | £2.9 billion | -19.2% | 799 |
| 2013/14 | £3.6 billion | -32.5% | 939 |
| 2012/13 | £5.3 billion | -24.1% | 1,254 |
| 2011/12 | £7.0 billion | -10.9% | 1,619 |
| 2010/11 | £7.9 billion | -6.2% | 1,803 |
| 2009/10 | £8.4 billion | -3.6% | 1,935 |
| 2008/09 | £8.7 billion | -3.8% | 2,087 |
| 2007/08 | £9.0 billion | +2.1% | 2,117 |
| 2006/07 | £8.8 billion | -3.4% | 2,135 |
| 2005/06 | £9.2 billion | -8.8% | 2,142 |
| 2004/05 | £10.0 billion | -22.0% | 2,187 |
| 2003/04 | £12.9 billion | -9.7% | 3,129 |
| 2002/03 | £14.2 billion | +1.0% | 3,989 |
| 2001/02 | £14.1 billion | +7.5% | 3,986 |
| 2000/01 | £13.1 billion | +8.6% | 3,901 |
| 1999/00 | £12.1 billion | +2.5% | 3,822 |
| 1998/99 | £11.8 billion | -1.5% | 3,834 |
| 1997/98 | £12.0 billion | -17.2% | 3,943 |
| 1996/97 | £14.4 billion | -13.5% | 5,514 |
| 1995/96 | £16.7 billion | +1.9% | 5,657 |
| 1994/95 | £16.4 billion | +1.7% | 5,647 |
| 1993/94 | £16.1 billion | +8.9% | 5,512 |
| 1992/93 | £14.8 billion | +27.0% | 5,179 |
| 1991/92 | £11.6 billion | +30.9% | 4,593 |
| 1990/91 | £8.9 billion | +15.9% | 4,124 |
| 1989/90 | £7.7 billion | +1.2% | 3,977 |
| 1988/89 | £7.6 billion | -4.7% | 4,089 |
| 1987/88 | £8.0 billion | -0.1% | 4,517 |
| 1986/87 | £8.0 billion | +7.0% | 4,710 |
| 1985/86 | £7.4 billion | +15.1% | 4,709 |
| 1984/85 | £6.5 billion | +15.7% | 4,541 |
| 1983/84 | £5.6 billion | +21.2% | 4,336 |
| 1982/83 | £4.6 billion | +42.1% | 4,157 |
| 1981/82 | £3.2 billion | +49.9% | 3,584 |
| 1980/81 | £2.2 billion | +29.3% | 3,010 |
| 1979/80 | £1.7 billion | +7.3% | 2,838 |
| 1978/79 | £1.6 billion | +9.1% | |
| 1977/78 | £1.4 billion | -16.6% | |
| 1976/77 | £1.7 billion | +31.1% | |
| 1975/76 | £1.3 billion | +36.4% | |
| 1974/75 | £959 million | +36.3% | |
| 1973/74 | £704 million | – | |
| 1972/73 | £704 million | +9.7% | |
| 1971/72 | £641 million | +22.5% | |
| 1970/71 | £524 million | +11.3% | |
| 1969/70 | £471 million | +9.7% | |
| 1968/69 | £429 million | +11.2% | |
| 1967/68 | £386 million | +29.6% | |
| 1966/67 | £298 million | +21.0% | |
| 1965/66 | £246 million | +10.1% | |
| 1964/65 | £223 million | +2.7% | |
| 1963/64 | £217 million | +8.8% | |
| 1962/63 | £200 million | +16.8% | |
| 1961/62 | £171 million | -4.7% | |
| 1960/61 | £180 million | +13.2% | |
| 1959/60 | £159 million | +20.3% | |
| 1958/59 | £132 million | +10.2% | |
| 1957/58 | £120 million | -1.4% | |
| 1956/57 | £121 million | +6.3% | |
| 1955/56 | £114 million | -9.0% | |
| 1954/55 | £125 million | +4.2% | |
| 1953/54 | £120 million | +1.4% | |
| 1952/53 | £119 million | +25.4% | |
| 1951/52 | £95 million | +12.0% | |
| 1950/51 | £85 million | +12.4% | |
| 1949/50 | £75 million | +20.3% | |
| 1948/49 | £63 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