Severe Disablement Allowance: spending and claimants by year
Spending on Severe Disablement 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.
£54 million
9 thousand
DWP's benefit expenditure tables record spending on Severe Disablement Allowance of £54 million in 2024/25, in cash terms. The first year with spending in the tables is 1975/76 (£12 million). DWP's caseload for 2024/25 is 9 thousand; the highest in the table is 378 thousand in 1998/99. Cash spending was highest in 2001/02, at £1.0 billion.
Spending and caseload by year
| Year | Spending (cash) | Change on previous year | Caseload (thousands) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024/25 | £54 million | -4.8% | 9 |
| 2023/24 | £57 million | -3.3% | 10 |
| 2022/23 | £58 million | -6.4% | 12 |
| 2021/22 | £62 million | -13.5% | 13 |
| 2020/21 | £72 million | -19.0% | 15 |
| 2019/20 | £89 million | -8.4% | 18 |
| 2018/19 | £97 million | -18.7% | 27 |
| 2017/18 | £120 million | -49.0% | 33 |
| 2016/17 | £234 million | -50.1% | 58 |
| 2015/16 | £470 million | -36.1% | 113 |
| 2014/15 | £735 million | -14.5% | 163 |
| 2013/14 | £860 million | -3.1% | 198 |
| 2012/13 | £887 million | +0.7% | 211 |
| 2011/12 | £881 million | -0.9% | 220 |
| 2010/11 | £888 million | -2.0% | 230 |
| 2009/10 | £907 million | +2.2% | 240 |
| 2008/09 | £887 million | -1.2% | 251 |
| 2007/08 | £898 million | -0.6% | 263 |
| 2006/07 | £904 million | +0.4% | 275 |
| 2005/06 | £900 million | -2.0% | 288 |
| 2004/05 | £918 million | -1.9% | 301 |
| 2003/04 | £936 million | -2.3% | 315 |
| 2002/03 | £958 million | -7.9% | 331 |
| 2001/02 | £1.0 billion | +2.5% | 367 |
| 2000/01 | £1.0 billion | +0.8% | 376 |
| 1999/00 | £1.0 billion | +2.2% | 377 |
| 1998/99 | £984 million | -1.5% | 378 |
| 1997/98 | £999 million | +10.3% | 376 |
| 1996/97 | £906 million | +10.4% | 364 |
| 1995/96 | £820 million | +5.8% | 358 |
| 1994/95 | £776 million | +10.3% | 337 |
| 1993/94 | £703 million | +9.9% | 321 |
| 1992/93 | £640 million | +7.4% | 307 |
| 1991/92 | £596 million | +39.1% | 296 |
| 1990/91 | £429 million | +23.9% | 286 |
| 1989/90 | £346 million | +9.4% | 277 |
| 1988/89 | £316 million | +7.1% | 267 |
| 1987/88 | £295 million | +3.6% | 258 |
| 1986/87 | £285 million | +7.1% | 257 |
| 1985/86 | £266 million | +12.7% | 254 |
| 1984/85 | £236 million | +29.7% | 236 |
| 1983/84 | £182 million | +18.2% | 209 |
| 1982/83 | £154 million | +18.5% | 196 |
| 1981/82 | £130 million | +20.4% | 186 |
| 1980/81 | £108 million | +27.1% | 178 |
| 1979/80 | £85 million | +23.2% | 153 |
| 1978/79 | £69 million | +55.1% | 116 |
| 1977/78 | £45 million | +31.3% | 107 |
| 1976/77 | £34 million | +192.2% | 103 |
| 1975/76 | £12 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
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