State Pension: spending and claimants by year
Spending on the basic and new State Pension and the additional State Pension.
£136.6 billion
12,987 thousand
DWP's benefit expenditure tables record spending on State Pension of £136.6 billion in 2024/25, in cash terms. The first year with spending in the tables is 1948/49 (£176 million). DWP's caseload for 2024/25 is 12,987 thousand.
Spending and caseload by year
| Year | Spending (cash) | Change on previous year | Caseload (thousands) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024/25 | £136.6 billion | +10.1% | 12,987 |
| 2023/24 | £124.1 billion | +12.3% | 12,776 |
| 2022/23 | £110.5 billion | +5.6% | 12,597 |
| 2021/22 | £104.7 billion | +2.6% | 12,457 |
| 2020/21 | £102.0 billion | +3.3% | 12,379 |
| 2019/20 | £98.8 billion | +2.1% | 12,556 |
| 2018/19 | £96.7 billion | +3.1% | 12,724 |
| 2017/18 | £93.8 billion | +2.4% | 12,838 |
| 2016/17 | £91.6 billion | +2.5% | 12,930 |
| 2015/16 | £89.4 billion | +3.3% | 12,957 |
| 2014/15 | £86.5 billion | +4.1% | 12,958 |
| 2013/14 | £83.1 billion | +4.1% | 12,888 |
| 2012/13 | £79.8 billion | +7.6% | 12,810 |
| 2011/12 | £74.2 billion | +6.2% | 12,667 |
| 2010/11 | £69.8 billion | +4.4% | 12,566 |
| 2009/10 | £66.9 billion | +8.6% | 12,410 |
| 2008/09 | £61.6 billion | +6.9% | 12,160 |
| 2007/08 | £57.6 billion | +7.3% | 11,938 |
| 2006/07 | £53.7 billion | +4.4% | 11,715 |
| 2005/06 | £51.4 billion | +5.4% | 11,585 |
| 2004/05 | £48.8 billion | +4.9% | 11,477 |
| 2003/04 | £46.5 billion | +4.8% | 11,320 |
| 2002/03 | £44.4 billion | +5.8% | 11,195 |
| 2001/02 | £41.9 billion | +8.2% | 11,095 |
| 2000/01 | £38.7 billion | +2.5% | 11,004 |
| 1999/00 | £37.8 billion | +6.2% | 10,936 |
| 1998/99 | £35.6 billion | +6.0% | 10,782 |
| 1997/98 | £33.6 billion | +4.9% | 10,680 |
| 1996/97 | £32.0 billion | +6.8% | 10,536 |
| 1995/96 | £30.0 billion | +4.2% | 10,384 |
| 1994/95 | £28.8 billion | +2.0% | 10,097 |
| 1993/94 | £28.2 billion | +5.5% | 10,061 |
| 1992/93 | £26.7 billion | +4.5% | 10,056 |
| 1991/92 | £25.6 billion | +12.5% | 9,990 |
| 1990/91 | £22.7 billion | +9.7% | 9,930 |
| 1989/90 | £20.7 billion | +7.6% | 9,755 |
| 1988/89 | £19.3 billion | +3.1% | 9,755 |
| 1987/88 | £18.7 billion | +4.9% | 9,700 |
| 1986/87 | £17.8 billion | +7.2% | 9,627 |
| 1985/86 | £16.6 billion | +8.6% | 9,495 |
| 1984/85 | £15.3 billion | +4.5% | 9,298 |
| 1983/84 | £14.7 billion | +7.8% | 9,261 |
| 1982/83 | £13.6 billion | +11.7% | 9,164 |
| 1981/82 | £12.2 billion | +15.2% | 9,074 |
| 1980/81 | £10.6 billion | +19.3% | 8,895 |
| 1979/80 | £8.9 billion | +16.6% | 8,727 |
| 1978/79 | £7.6 billion | +14.5% | 8,579 |
| 1977/78 | £6.6 billion | +16.5% | 8,436 |
| 1976/77 | £5.7 billion | +17.9% | 8,315 |
| 1975/76 | £4.8 billion | +33.7% | 8,128 |
| 1974/75 | £3.6 billion | +29.8% | 7,951 |
| 1973/74 | £2.8 billion | +16.0% | 7,803 |
| 1972/73 | £2.4 billion | +15.8% | 7,648 |
| 1971/72 | £2.1 billion | +15.9% | 7,495 |
| 1970/71 | £1.8 billion | +9.7% | 7,344 |
| 1969/70 | £1.6 billion | +5.4% | 7,151 |
| 1968/69 | £1.5 billion | +11.5% | 6,955 |
| 1967/68 | £1.4 billion | +8.9% | 6,751 |
| 1966/67 | £1.3 billion | +2.7% | 6,523 |
| 1965/66 | £1.2 billion | +22.0% | 6,340 |
| 1964/65 | £1.0 billion | +5.8% | 6,142 |
| 1963/64 | £959 million | +18.8% | 5,965 |
| 1962/63 | £807 million | +3.0% | 5,919 |
| 1961/62 | £784 million | +15.8% | 5,778 |
| 1960/61 | £677 million | +3.0% | 5,661 |
| 1959/60 | £657 million | +6.4% | 5,541 |
| 1958/59 | £617 million | +28.1% | 5,412 |
| 1957/58 | £482 million | +7.6% | 4,832 |
| 1956/57 | £448 million | +3.6% | 4,729 |
| 1955/56 | £433 million | +24.2% | 4,621 |
| 1954/55 | £348 million | +4.2% | |
| 1953/54 | £334 million | +5.9% | |
| 1952/53 | £316 million | +14.6% | |
| 1951/52 | £275 million | +10.7% | |
| 1950/51 | £249 million | -0.1% | |
| 1949/50 | £249 million | +41.1% | |
| 1948/49 | £176 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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