Thank you for subscribing!

New figures from the DWP are shining a light on Britain's growing sickness benefits bill

The number of Britons claiming sickness benefits, such as Personal Independence Payments (PIP), has reached an all-time high.

Fresh figures released today by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) reveal that the number of people entitled to PIP across England and Wales has reached an all-time high of 4.09 million.

The data, recorded as of July 31, 2026, shows an increase of 262,045 recipients compared with a year earlier; a rise of seven per cent.

Since comparable records began in January 2019, when 2.05 million people were receiving the benefit, the caseload has approximately doubled.

PIP serves as a benefit for individuals living with long-term physical or mental health conditions and disabilities, providing financial assistance towards daily living tasks and the additional costs associated with their conditions.

The statistics arrive ahead of a Government-commissioned review due this autumn that will examine the escalating costs and functioning of the disability benefits system.

Among the 4.09 million recipients, the vast majority, 3.4 million, or 83 per cent, are of working age, with the remaining 690,000 (17 per cent) having reached state pension age.

Those aged 50 and above represent the largest demographic group, accounting for 55 per cent of all benefit claimants.

The 30-to-49 age bracket makes up close to 29 per cent of the total, whilst 16-to-29-year-olds constitute nearly 17 per cent.

Psychiatric disorders represent the single largest category of disability among PIP recipients, with 1.60 million claimants, 39 per cent of the total, recorded under this classification at the end of July.

Autism spectrum disorders now account for 268,965 claimants, more than trebling from 79,395 when records commenced in January 2019.

ADHD and ADD, categorised as hyperkinetic disorders, have seen an even sharper trajectory, surging from 23,741 to 106,087 over the same period, roughly a fourfold increase.

Mixed anxiety and depressive disorders have also climbed steeply, with 442,666 claimants now listed under this heading compared with 171,833 seven years ago.

After psychiatric conditions, general musculoskeletal diseases formed the second most prevalent category, affecting 764,305 people, approximately 19 per cent of all those entitled to the benefit.

The approval rate for new PIP applications has fallen sharply, with just 35.8 per cent of fresh claims granted in July 2026.

By contrast, 61.4 per cent of new applications were refused, while a further 2.8 per cent were withdrawn before a decision was reached.

Social security minister Sir Stephen Timms, who is leading the review, declared in his interim report published in July that the system, originally designed in 2013, requires "fundamental change" and must be made "financially sustainable".

When pressed on whether the final report might recommend reducing claimant numbers, Sir Stephen said people would have to "wait and see".

The DWP has stated the review will ensure PIP is "fit and fair for the future".