The DWP has released new analysis explaining the surge in PIP claims since the pandemic
The DWP has released new details about ‘changes’ in the number of people claiming PIP as the numbers rise. The benefit is claimed by more than four million claimants in England and Wales, according to recent DWP data.
PIP is designed to assist with daily tasks and additional living costs for those with long-term physical or mental health conditions or disabilities.. A review is under way to try to reform the system. It comes amid scrutiny in government about rises in the number of Brits claiming working-age disability benefits such as PIP (Personal Independence Payment) as questions are asked about what is causing it.
In a parliamentary question to the Department for Work and Pensions that received an official answer this week, Neil Duncan-Jordan, the Labour MP for Poole, asked “what analysis has been undertaken as to the reasons why the number of individuals claiming Personal Independence Payments (PIP) has risen between 2020 and 2024.”
DWP minister Sir Stephen Timms responded on Wednesday, July 15 by drawing attention to the department’s most recent findings on the number of PIP claimants. He outlined trends in working-age disability benefits, along with the factors driving increased claims and spending – adding that officials had conducted “analysis of recent caseload trends and the factors that may be contributing to growth in claims.”
Higher PIP claims and why they are happening
Parliamentary documents the minister pointed the MP to reveal that the receipt of working-age disability benefits (PIP and previously DLA) has grown steadily over the decades since their introduction, though the pace of that growth has accelerated since the pandemic, with expenditure rising in tandem. One official document states: “This increase is both due to more people being awarded and a reducing likelihood of people leaving.
“The higher awards are a mostly driven by higher claims, but there has been a small increase in the likelihood of an award since the pandemic for new claims, and a larger increase for claimants who were previously receiving DLA as a child. While the change in award rates coincides broadly with the pandemic, it may be driven by changes in decision-making approaches introduced a few months before then.”
It further highlights that while the rises in recipients have been broadly spread across age, gender and condition, the most significant jumps in the percentage of the population claiming PIP (or DLA) have been recorded amongst 16 to 19 year olds and women. In terms of conditions, the sharpest increases have been linked to mental health issues such as anxiety and depression, as well as neurodevelopmental conditions like autism – though some of the latter rise may be down to shifts in the way conditions are recorded.
The document goes on to look at the broader increase in self-reported disability and claims for disability benefits over an extended period, noting an acceleration of this trend since the pandemic. It’s highly probable that numerous factors contribute to these changes, with some having long-term relevance while others are more concentrated at specific moments, officials say.
In a section entitled ‘Factors influencing increased claims and expenditure’, the report concludes: “It is not possible to prove or quantify most of the drivers of disability benefits demand – not least because they will interact with each other and not always be obvious to the claimant themselves. However, a number of potential drivers are highlighted, based on the relevance of health and household finances, together with the timings of increases in PIP claims. Many of these have been the subject of valuable analysis and research outside government, but the complex interactions between drivers and limitations on available data have made it difficult to draw firm conclusions.”
The Timms review and PIP
The DWP’s response follows an announcement that disability benefits are “no longer fit for purpose”, according to a review which concluded amid pledges of “bold” reform of the system. Those claiming PIP often find the system to apply for the benefit “dehumanising”, “soul destroying”, and “degrading”, according to the interim Timms report.
The most recent official figures released earlier this year revealed that the number of people in England and Wales claiming the primary disability benefit surpassed four million for the first time – roughly doubling since 2019. The review was launched last year after ministers backed down on proposals to reform disability benefits, including those for people with mental health conditions, following opposition from Labour backbenchers.
Rather than implementing immediate reforms, the review – led by disability minister Sir Stephen – was established to gather opinions on PIP and its effectiveness, with the Government pledging no changes to the benefit until its completion. The final report, which will contain recommendations for reform, is expected in autumn, with the Government insisting the review will ensure PIP is “fit and fair for the future”.
