More than four million people are now receiving disability benefits, marking a record high with a surge of nearly 500,000 new claimants since Labour came to power. According to new data from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), a total of 4.09 million individuals in England and Wales were entitled to claim Personal Independence Payments (PIP) as of July 31. This represents a 7% increase from the previous year.
The figures reveal a substantial rise in claims for psychiatric conditions, with over 100,000 additional people awarded PIP for such conditions last year. These claims now constitute nearly 40% of all new disability benefit awards.
Specifically, claims for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have more than doubled in three years, increasing by 135.8% from 13,480 in 2022-23 to 31,790 in 2025-26. Across all psychiatric conditions, 108,660 new claims were awarded in 2025-26, making up 37.1% of new awards made within that year.
Of the total PIP claimants, approximately 83% are of working age. Those aged 50 and over constitute the largest demographic group at 55%, followed by individuals aged 30 to 49 at nearly 29%, and those aged 16 to 29 at almost 17%.
Spending on PIP has also seen a significant increase, rising from £16.3 billion in 2019-20 (adjusted for inflation) to £27.3 billion in 2024-25. Forecasts project this figure to reach £41.5 billion by 2030-31.
The rise in PIP claims has occurred since the pandemic, with over 1,000 new claims being approved daily, largely attributed to an increase in mental health diagnoses. Last year, Labour abandoned plans to reduce the disability benefits bill by £5 billion following opposition from within the party. These proposals to tighten PIP eligibility were deferred pending a government-commissioned review.
A review led by social security minister Sir Stephen Timms is expected to report its findings in the autumn. An interim report released in July described the current PIP system as “no longer fit for purpose” and “stressful” for claimants. However, the interim findings also suggested that claims should be made as easy as possible, a point that opposition politicians have raised concerns about regarding the potential impact on the benefits bill.
Of the 4.09 million PIP claimants, 1.6 million have a psychiatric disorder, representing 39% of all disability benefit claimants. This includes 268,965 claimants with autistic spectrum disorders, 442,666 with mixed anxiety and depressive disorders, and 106,087 with ADHD.
A spokesperson for the Prime Minister stated that the government believes in the necessity of welfare reform but emphasized that this does not involve