Winter Fuel Payment: spending and claimants by year
Spending on Winter Fuel Payment each financial year, in cash terms, from DWP's benefit expenditure tables, with the number of people receiving it where DWP gives a caseload.
£302 million
1,268 thousand
DWP's benefit expenditure tables record spending on Winter Fuel Payment of £302 million in 2024/25, in cash terms. The first year with spending in the tables is 1997/98 (£191 million). DWP's caseload for 2024/25 is 1,268 thousand; the highest in the table is 12,783 thousand in 2010/11. Cash spending was highest in 2010/11, at £2.8 billion.
Spending and caseload by year
| Year | Spending (cash) | Change on previous year | Caseload (thousands) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024/25 | £302 million | -85.2% | 1,268 |
| 2023/24 | £2.0 billion | -0.1% | 11,626 |
| 2022/23 | £2.0 billion | +3.1% | 11,412 |
| 2021/22 | £2.0 billion | +0.9% | 11,256 |
| 2020/21 | £2.0 billion | -0.8% | 11,142 |
| 2019/20 | £2.0 billion | -1.1% | 11,391 |
| 2018/19 | £2.0 billion | -1.3% | 11,568 |
| 2017/18 | £2.0 billion | -1.3% | 11,808 |
| 2016/17 | £2.0 billion | -1.2% | 12,025 |
| 2015/16 | £2.1 billion | -2.1% | 12,215 |
| 2014/15 | £2.1 billion | -1.1% | 12,467 |
| 2013/14 | £2.1 billion | -0.2% | 12,585 |
| 2012/13 | £2.1 billion | -0.2% | 12,683 |
| 2011/12 | £2.1 billion | -22.1% | 12,686 |
| 2010/11 | £2.8 billion | +0.9% | 12,783 |
| 2009/10 | £2.7 billion | +1.3% | 12,681 |
| 2008/09 | £2.7 billion | +30.4% | 12,421 |
| 2007/08 | £2.1 billion | +2.7% | 12,123 |
| 2006/07 | £2.0 billion | +1.7% | 11,750 |
| 2005/06 | £2.0 billion | +1.0% | 11,555 |
| 2004/05 | £2.0 billion | +2.4% | 11,430 |
| 2003/04 | £1.9 billion | +12.3% | 11,486 |
| 2002/03 | £1.7 billion | +1.5% | 11,358 |
| 2001/02 | £1.7 billion | -3.9% | 11,202 |
| 2000/01 | £1.7 billion | +130.3% | 11,106 |
| 1999/00 | £760 million | +290.7% | 10,084 |
| 1998/99 | £194 million | +2.0% | 9,953 |
| 1997/98 | £191 million | 9,759 |
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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