Disability benefits claimants have risen by almost 100,000 since Labour’s welfare reform climbdown, official figures show.
There were 3.83 million people claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in England and Wales at the end of July – up by two per cent from 3.74 million claimants in just three months.
New figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show that 37 per cent of claimants received the highest level PIP payment of £187.45 per month or almost £10,000 a year.
In the three months between April and July some 210,000 people registered for PIP and there were 230,000 decisions made on whether it should be awarded or not, the figures show.
A psychiatric disorder was the most commonly recorded reason for eligibility for PIP, with 39 per cent of claimants receiving the benefit due to mental health.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was forced to abandon plans to trim the benefits bill by £5billion at the start of July following a major revolt by Labour backbenchers
Benefits reform has now been kicked into the long grass pending a review by welfare minister Sir Stephen Timms (pictured) next year
The DWP said there has been ‘unprecedented levels of new claims in recent quarters’ owing to ‘external situations’ such as the Covid-19 pandemic.
Shadow work and pensions secretary Helen Whately said: ‘Today’s figures show the consequences of Labour’s welfare climbdown – another 100,000 people added to the disability benefits bill in just three months.’
‘It is clear that the system is spiralling out of control, and yet the government has no plan to get a grip.
‘It is high time for the Prime Minister to accept Kemi Badenoch’s offer to work together to reform our out-of-control welfare system and get a hold of public finances.’
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer was forced to abandon plans to trim the benefits bill by £5billion at the start of July following a major revolt by Labour backbenchers.
The proposals to tighten PIP eligibility were shelved pending a review by welfare minister Sir Stephen Timms – despite an official forecast revealing that, without reforms, the number of PIP claimants will soar from 3 million to 4.2 million by the next election.
The Government’s forecast predicted that the cost of PIP payments will rise from £21.8billion to £34.1billion by 2029 and could even lead to the collapse of the benefits system.
Separate figures also published on Tuesday show the number of pensioners receiving Winter Fuel Payments in winter 2024 to 2025 was 1.3 million, a decrease of 9.3 million since winter 2023 to 2024.
Joanna Elson, chief executive of charity Independent Age, said the figures ‘highlight the sheer scale of the cuts made to the entitlement last year’.
A DWP spokesman said: ‘We’re reforming the system by tackling the perverse incentives that encourage ill health, while shifting our focus from welfare to work, skills and opportunities so more people can move into work, as part of our Plan for Change.
‘The Timms Review is also looking at the PIP assessment as a whole to make sure it is fit and fair for the future, and is being co-produced by disabled people and the organisations that represent them.’
