Overview
- Official DWP figures, published Tuesday, show about 4.09–4.1 million people were entitled to Personal Independence Payment at the end of July 2026, roughly double the 2019–20 level.
- Psychiatric conditions are the largest category with about 1.60 million claimants, or 39% of the total, and working-age people make up around 83% of recipients.
- Counts for specific diagnoses have climbed sharply since 2019, with autism rising from about 79,000 to 269,000, mixed anxiety and depressive disorders from 172,000 to 443,000, and hyperkinetic disorders including ADHD from 24,000 to 106,000.
- PIP spending has surged in real terms from about £16.3bn in 2019–20 to £27.3bn in 2024–25 and is forecast by the DWP to reach roughly £41.5bn by 2030–31, a trajectory that officials say is unsustainable.
- The Timms review has reported the system is 'not fit for purpose' and is expected to deliver final recommendations this autumn after provisional proposals such as more face-to-face assessments and voucher-style payments, while grant rates for new claims fell to 35.8% in July and the government has already cut the Universal Credit health element for new claimants.