Civometry

DWP · households

Housing support caseload 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.

Housing support caseload: Year ending March 1979 to Year ending March 2025ConservativeConservativeConservativeConservativeLabourLabourLabourLabourCoalitionConservativeConservativeConservativeLabour02m4m19801990200020102020Year ending March 1979: 3,408,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1980: 3,314,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1981: 3,556,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1982: 4,151,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1983: 4,431,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1984: 4,750,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1985: 4,825,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1986: 4,860,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1987: 4,900,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1988: 4,860,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1989: 3,996,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1990: 3,886,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1991: 3,950,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1992: 4,120,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1993: 4,380,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1994: 4,601,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1995: 4,692,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1996: 4,757,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1997: 4,740,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1998: 4,588,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 1999: 4,423,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2000: 4,187,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2001: 3,946,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2002: 3,846,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2003: 3,807,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2004: 3,812,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2005: 3,940,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2006: 3,986,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2007: 4,021,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2008: 4,036,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2009: 4,166,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2010: 4,547,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2011: 4,798,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2012: 4,932,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2013: 5,053,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2014: 5,026,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2015: 4,921,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2016: 4,777,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2017: 4,594,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2018: 4,371,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2019: 3,984,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2020: 3,394,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2021: 3,008,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2022: 2,733,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2023: 2,509,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2024: 2,351,000 households · published 26 March 2026Year ending March 2025: 2,072,000 households · 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 20243,984,000Year ending March 20192,351,000Year ending March 2024↓ 41.0%−1,633,000
Conservative 2017–20199 June 2017 – 13 December 20194,594,000Year ending March 20173,984,000Year ending March 2019↓ 13.3%−610,000
Conservative 2015–20178 May 2015 – 9 June 20174,921,000Year ending March 20154,594,000Year ending March 2017↓ 6.6%−327,000
Coalition 2010–201511 May 2010 – 8 May 20154,547,000Year ending March 20104,921,000Year ending March 2015↑ 8.2%+374,000
Labour 2005–20106 May 2005 – 11 May 20103,940,000Year ending March 20054,547,000Year ending March 2010↑ 15.4%+607,000
Labour 2001–20058 June 2001 – 5 May 20053,946,000Year ending March 20013,940,000Year ending March 2005↓ 0.2%−6,000
Labour 1997–20012 May 1997 – 7 June 20014,740,000Year ending March 19973,946,000Year ending March 2001↓ 16.8%−794,000
Conservative 1992–199710 April 1992 – 2 May 19974,120,000Year ending March 19924,740,000Year ending March 1997↑ 15.0%+620,000
Conservative 1987–199212 June 1987 – 9 April 19924,900,000Year ending March 19874,120,000Year ending March 1992↓ 15.9%−780,000
Conservative 1983–198710 June 1983 – 11 June 19874,431,000Year ending March 19834,900,000Year ending March 1987↑ 10.6%+469,000
Conservative 1979–19834 May 1979 – 9 June 19833,408,000Year ending March 19794,431,000Year ending March 1983↑ 30.0%+1,023,000