Civometry

DWP · £ million

Benefit expenditure on pensioners under each government

The full published series with each government’s time in office shaded. The table gives the level each government inherited and the last complete period before it left. Changes describe the period, not a cause. Definitions and caveats are on the metric page.

Benefit expenditure on pensioners: Year ending March 1979 to Year ending March 2025ConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeLabourLabourLabourLabourCoalitionConservativeConservativeConservativeLabour050k100k150k19801990200020102020Year ending March 1979: £9.3bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1980: £10.8bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1981: £12.9bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1982: £15.3bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1983: £17.1bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1984: £18.6bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1985: £19.9bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1986: £21.8bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1987: £23.5bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1988: £24.9bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1989: £26.1bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1990: £28.4bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1991: £31.7bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1992: £35.5bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1993: £38.8bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1994: £41.7bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1995: £42.8bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1996: £44.5bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1997: £46.9bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1998: £48.7bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1999: £50.8bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2000: £53.9bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2001: £57.1bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2002: £61.2bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2003: £63.3bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2004: £66.4bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2005: £71.1bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2006: £75.4bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2007: £77.9bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2008: £83.2bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2009: £90.4bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2010: £96.6bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2011: £100.3bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2012: £104.2bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2013: £109.9bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2014: £110.7bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2015: £114.1bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2016: £116.2bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2017: £117.7bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2018: £119.4bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2019: £121.6bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2020: £123.8bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2021: £125.8bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2022: £128.9bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2023: £137.1bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2024: £155.2bn £ million · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2025: £164.9bn £ million · published 26 March 2026
Published valueProvisional or revisedLatestShaded bands: governments (see labels)Hover or use arrow keys to read a value
GovernmentInheritedLeft at / latestChange during government
Labour 2024–5 July 2024 – presentFewer than two periods have been published during this government, so no change is shown yet.
Conservative 2019–202413 December 2019 – 5 July 2024£121.6bnYear ending March 2019£155.2bnYear ending March 2024↑ 27.6%+£33.6bn
Conservative 2017–20199 June 2017 – 13 December 2019£117.7bnYear ending March 2017£121.6bnYear ending March 2019↑ 3.3%+£3.9bn
Conservative 2015–20178 May 2015 – 9 June 2017£114.1bnYear ending March 2015£117.7bnYear ending March 2017↑ 3.2%+£3.6bn
Coalition 2010–201511 May 2010 – 8 May 2015£96.6bnYear ending March 2010£114.1bnYear ending March 2015↑ 18.1%+£17.5bn
Labour 2005–20106 May 2005 – 11 May 2010£71.1bnYear ending March 2005£96.6bnYear ending March 2010↑ 35.8%+£25.5bn
Labour 2001–20058 June 2001 – 5 May 2005£57.1bnYear ending March 2001£71.1bnYear ending March 2005↑ 24.6%+£14.1bn
Labour 1997–20012 May 1997 – 7 June 2001£46.9bnYear ending March 1997£57.1bnYear ending March 2001↑ 21.6%+£10.2bn
Conservative 1992–199710 April 1992 – 2 May 1997£35.5bnYear ending March 1992£46.9bnYear ending March 1997↑ 32.1%+£11.4bn
Conservative 1987–199212 June 1987 – 9 April 1992£23.5bnYear ending March 1987£35.5bnYear ending March 1992↑ 51.3%+£12bn
Conservative 1983–198710 June 1983 – 11 June 1987£17.1bnYear ending March 1983£23.5bnYear ending March 1987↑ 37.0%+£6.3bn
Conservative 1979–19834 May 1979 – 9 June 1983£9.3bnYear ending March 1979£17.1bnYear ending March 1983↑ 83.5%+£7.8bn