ISA allowance history starts on 6 April 1999, when ISAs replaced PEPs and TESSAs with a £7,000 yearly limit. This interactive chart shows every annual limit since then, the separate cash ISA limit, and the changes planned up to 2031. Move along the line to see any tax year, tap a gold dot to read what changed, or tick “In today’s money” to compare limits after inflation.
ISA deadline
Maxed it every year?
If you had paid in the full allowance every year since you would have put in
How to use the ISA allowance history chart
The chart works on a phone or a laptop. Here is how to get the most from it.
Step 1: Read the two lines
The blue line is the total ISA allowance. The green line is the most you could put in cash. Where the two lines meet, all of your allowance could go in cash.
Step 2: Tap the gold dots
Each gold dot marks a big change to the allowance. Tap one to read what happened that year, or move along the chart to see any tax year.
Step 3: See it in today’s money
Tick In today’s money and the chart adjusts each limit for inflation. For example, the £7,000 allowance from 1999 works out at about £13,400 in 2025 prices.
Step 4: Use the countdown and calculator
Under the chart, the countdown shows how many days you have left to use this year’s allowance. Next to it, pick the year you started saving to see the most you could have paid in since then.
Step 5: Download the data
You can also download every limit as a CSV file for your own spreadsheet.
Key moments in UK ISA allowance history
ISAs were designed to get more people saving and investing. Since then, the rules have changed many times.
1999: ISAs replace PEPs and TESSAs
The first ISA allowance was £7,000 a year. However, no more than £3,000 could go into cash. The rest had to go into stocks and shares, either in one maxi ISA or split across mini ISAs.
2008 to 2014: slow rises and a boost for over 50s
In April 2008 the mini and maxi split ended and the limit rose to £7,200. Then, from October 2009, people aged 50 and over could save £10,200. This higher limit opened up to everyone in April 2010.
After that, the allowance rose with inflation each April. By April 2014 it had reached £11,880, with up to £5,940 in cash.
2014: the NISA and the end of the cash cap
On 1 July 2014 the limit jumped to £15,000. Even better, savers could split it however they liked between cash and shares for the first time. As a result, a cash ISA became just as generous as a stocks and shares ISA.
2017: £20,000 and the Lifetime ISA
In April 2017 the allowance rose to £20,000, where it has stayed ever since. The same year the Lifetime ISA arrived. It lets people under 40 save up to £4,000 a year with a 25% government bonus.
Other ISAs came along too. Junior ISAs launched in November 2011, and their limit rose to £9,000 in April 2020. Meanwhile, the Innovative Finance ISA followed in April 2016.
2027: the cash ISA limit falls to £12,000
From 6 April 2027, people under 65 will only be able to put £12,000 a year into cash ISAs. The total allowance stays at £20,000, so the other £8,000 would need to go into stocks and shares or another ISA type. People aged 65 and over keep the full £20,000 for cash.
Our guide to the cash ISA limit change in 2027 explains what it means for your savings.
How much could you have put in an ISA since 1999?
If you had used your full allowance every year since ISAs began, you could have paid in £366,560 by the end of the 2026/27 tax year. That is 28 tax years of tax free saving and investing.
Of course, very few people can do that. In fact, HMRC figures show that only around 29% of ISA savers paid in the maximum in 2023 to 2024. Even so, every year you use part of your allowance adds to the pot that is sheltered from tax.
Remember, the allowance is use it or lose it. You cannot carry unused allowance into the next tax year, so the countdown in the chart is worth keeping an eye on.
Is the ISA allowance worth more than in 1999?
Looking back over ISA allowance history, the limit has nearly tripled in pounds, from £7,000 to £20,000. After inflation, though, the gain is smaller. The 1999 limit is worth about £13,400 in today’s money, so the real allowance is roughly 50% higher than at launch.
However, the freeze is eating into that. The £20,000 limit has not changed since April 2017, and prices have risen by about a third since then. In other words, £20,000 today buys roughly what £15,000 bought in 2017.
With the freeze set to run until April 2031, its real value will keep falling. Our UK inflation calculator shows how this works for any amount.
What ISA allowance history means for you in 2026
For the 2026/27 tax year you can save or invest up to £20,000 across all your ISAs. You can split it between cash, stocks and shares, Innovative Finance and Lifetime ISAs, with no more than £4,000 in a Lifetime ISA. The tax year ends on 5 April 2027, and any allowance you don’t use is lost.
ISAs are more popular than ever. According to HMRC savings statistics, around 16.8 million adult ISA accounts were paid into in 2024 to 2025. Together, savers put in around £135.7 billion.
Not sure which type suits you? Read our guide to the different types of ISA, or see how you compare with the average ISA balance in the UK. You can also check the official rules on GOV.UK.
Want more history? Our UK interest rate history chart shows what savers have earned over the same years. You can find every chart on our UK money charts page.
UK ISA allowance history FAQs
ISAs started on 6 April 1999, replacing PEPs and TESSAs. The first ISA allowance was £7,000 a year, with up to £3,000 in cash.
The ISA allowance is £20,000 for the 2026/27 tax year. You can split it across cash, stocks and shares, Innovative Finance and Lifetime ISAs, with up to £4,000 in a Lifetime ISA.
The ISA allowance rose to £20,000 on 6 April 2017. It has stayed at that level ever since and is frozen until 5 April 2031.
Yes. From 6 April 2027 the cash ISA limit falls to £12,000 a year for people under 65. The overall ISA allowance stays at £20,000, and people aged 65 and over can still put the full £20,000 in cash.
The biggest rise in pounds came in April 2017, when the limit went from £15,240 to £20,000. In percentage terms, the biggest jump was in April 2010, when it rose from £7,200 to £10,200 for everyone.
Yes. Your ISA allowance runs from 6 April to 5 April and can’t be carried forward. Any amount you don’t use by the end of the tax year is lost.