{"metric":"obr_forecast_welfare","title":"Welfare spending forecasts","topic":"public-finances","unit":"£ billion","measure_type":"count","geography":"K02000001","comparison_method":"previous_period","latest":{"period_start":"2024-04-01","period_end":"2025-03-31","period_label":"Year ending March 2025","value":314.75931821253016,"status":"final","vintage":"2026-03-26"},"comparison":{"period_label":"Year ending March 2024","value":296.3526074381409,"vintage":"2026-03-26"},"source":{"publisher":"OBR","publication":"Historical official forecasts database","landing_url":"https://obr.uk/data/","sheet":"Total welfare","table":"Total welfare","row":"Outturn data*","column":"2024-25","raw_value":"314.75931821253016","file_url":"https://obr.uk/data/","file_sha256":"e00b17cb7ec8dfddc4bfd4d212c1e93362147fff81d74a10480e599b26e634db","release_date":"2026-03-26","release_label":"Historical official forecasts database, March 2026"},"definition":"Total welfare spending in cash terms, inside and outside the welfare cap: the outturn as the OBR last knew it, with every official forecast for the same year.\n","does_not_measure":"Any single benefit, or the number of claimants.\n","links":{"page":"/public-finances/obr-forecast-welfare","series":"/api/metrics/obr_forecast_welfare/series","vintages":"/api/metrics/obr_forecast_welfare/vintages"}}