Unemployment Benefit: spending and claimants by year
Spending on Unemployment 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.
£587 million
395 thousand
DWP's benefit expenditure tables record spending on Unemployment Benefit of £587 million in 1996/97, in cash terms. The first year with spending in the tables is 1948/49 (£15 million). DWP's caseload for 1995/96 is 395 thousand; the highest in the table is 978 thousand in 1982/83. Cash spending was highest in 1992/93, at £1.8 billion.
Spending and caseload by year
| Year | Spending (cash) | Change on previous year | Caseload (thousands) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996/97 | £587 million | -46.7% | |
| 1995/96 | £1.1 billion | -15.2% | 395 |
| 1994/95 | £1.3 billion | -21.3% | 487 |
| 1993/94 | £1.7 billion | -6.2% | 609 |
| 1992/93 | £1.8 billion | +9.8% | 660 |
| 1991/92 | £1.6 billion | +84.4% | 603 |
| 1990/91 | £870 million | +18.6% | 328 |
| 1989/90 | £733 million | -33.7% | 319 |
| 1988/89 | £1.1 billion | -24.6% | 546 |
| 1987/88 | £1.5 billion | -15.3% | 716 |
| 1986/87 | £1.7 billion | +9.1% | 924 |
| 1985/86 | £1.6 billion | +0.7% | 886 |
| 1984/85 | £1.6 billion | +5.4% | 913 |
| 1983/84 | £1.5 billion | -0.2% | 925 |
| 1982/83 | £1.5 billion | -11.9% | 978 |
| 1981/82 | £1.7 billion | +33.0% | 901 |
| 1980/81 | £1.3 billion | +96.0% | 823 |
| 1979/80 | £653 million | +3.3% | 461 |
| 1978/79 | £632 million | +0.5% | 503 |
| 1977/78 | £629 million | +12.5% | 552 |
| 1976/77 | £559 million | +23.0% | 572 |
| 1975/76 | £454 million | +112.2% | |
| 1974/75 | £214 million | +23.0% | |
| 1973/74 | £174 million | -16.7% | |
| 1972/73 | £209 million | -12.7% | |
| 1971/72 | £239 million | +59.2% | |
| 1970/71 | £150 million | +18.3% | |
| 1969/70 | £127 million | +3.1% | |
| 1968/69 | £123 million | +1.3% | |
| 1967/68 | £122 million | +55.4% | |
| 1966/67 | £78 million | +59.1% | |
| 1965/66 | £49 million | +9.6% | |
| 1964/65 | £45 million | -30.5% | |
| 1963/64 | £65 million | +0.2% | |
| 1962/63 | £65 million | +77.7% | |
| 1961/62 | £36 million | +20.2% | |
| 1960/61 | £30 million | -27.9% | |
| 1959/60 | £42 million | -15.2% | |
| 1958/59 | £49 million | +94.5% | |
| 1957/58 | £25 million | +21.5% | |
| 1956/57 | £21 million | +33.1% | |
| 1955/56 | £16 million | – | |
| 1954/55 | £16 million | -29.3% | |
| 1953/54 | £22 million | -17.2% | |
| 1952/53 | £27 million | +81.1% | |
| 1951/52 | £15 million | -12.9% | |
| 1950/51 | £17 million | -11.5% | |
| 1949/50 | £19 million | +26.3% | |
| 1948/49 | £15 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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