The number of people claiming Personal Independence Payments (Pip) in England and Wales has reached a record high of over four million as of July, marking a 7% increase from the previous year when 3.83 million people were entitled to claim it. The Department for Work and Pensions acknowledges that while the growth rate has slowed compared to earlier years, the system is "not fit for purpose." Helen Whatley, shadow work and pensions secretary, criticizes the government's approach to helping Pip recipients find employment, noting the financial burden of the program, which is expected to cost £41.5 billion by 2030-31.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-16,
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Story summary
As of July 31, 2026, 4.09 million people were entitled to claim Personal Independence Payments (PIP), marking a new record high and a 7% increase from the previous year's 3.83 million claimants. The figures were released by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) ahead of an anticipated government review on disability benefits. Since January 2019, when comparable data first began, the number of PIP claimants has roughly doubled from 2.05 million. Of these claimants, 3.4 million are of working age while 690,000 are state pension age. The benefit is intended to help cover additional costs for individuals with long-term physical or mental health conditions. In response to the figures, Labour has criticized the current sickness benefits system as broken and costly, while Conservative ministers have initiated a review led by Sir Stephen Timms aimed at assessing the efficiency and cost of PIP operations.
Written for “Disability Benefit Claims Increase” on 2026-09-15,
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Leaning score +0.35 for article 10956 (high confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-09-16
- Published
The number of people claiming Personal Independence Payments (Pip) in England and Wales has hit a record high, according to new government figures.
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number → publish → figures
As of July, just over four million people were entitled to claim the benefit, compared to 3.83 million the previous year, an increase of 7%, data from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) showed.
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data → entitle → Work
Pip is designed to support people with the extra costs of being disabled or living with long-term physical or mental health conditions, and eligibility is not affected by a person's income or savings.
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eligibility → design → income
In July, Sir Stephen Timms, who is leading a review on Pip, said in his interim report that the system was "not fit for purpose".
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system → lead → purpose
Of the 4.1 million claimants, those aged 50 and above accounted for more than half.
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those → age → half
Just under three in ten were aged 30 to 49, while 17% of claimants were aged 16 to 29.
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% → age → claimants
Pip seeks to offset the extra costs that can occur for those living with certain long-term health conditions.
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that → seek → conditions
According to the charity Scope, the extra cost of being disabled – known as the disability price tag – has reached more than £1,100 a month.
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cost → accord → 1,100
The DWP said the increase in the Pip caseload had actually "slowed", falling from a rise of 400,000 in the 12 months to July 2024, to 260,000 in the 12 months to July 2026.
But they agreed the system was "no longer fit for purpose", adding that the Timms review's recommendations would "lay the foundation for sustainable reform".
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recommendations → say → reform
But Helen Whatly, shadow work and pensions secretary, said Labour was "too quick to write people off and too slow to help them into work" - adding that it was "costing us a fortune".
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it → say → fortune
Pip has been in the spotlight since the summer of 2025 when the government, led by former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer, proposed reforming and tightening eligibility criteria for the benefit as the cost of running the system increased.
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cost → lead → system
Spending on Pip stood at £16.3bn in 2019-20, when adjusted for inflation to today's prices, and had increased to £27.3bn by 2024-25, government figures showed.
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figures → stand → 2024
It is currently forecast to rise to £41.5bn by 2030-31.
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It → forecast → 2030
But dozens of Labour MPs expressed concerns about the plans and, fearing its own members would vote down the reforms, the government U-turned.
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government → express → reforms
Instead, it commissioned a review into Pip led by Sir Stephen, the minister for social security and disability, to make recommendations that would make it "fit and fair for the future".
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it → commission → future
The interim report published in the summer said the system had become a barrier to work for many, and the process of applying for it was found to be "dehumanising".
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process → publish → it
Under the current assessment system, a health professional scores claimants on everyday tasks such as washing, getting dressed and preparing food using a zero to 12 scale.
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professional → score → scale
Earlier this month, the review's "emerging recommendations" suggested more face-to-face assessments would take place, and while cash payments would remain the foundation, there would also be non-cash support available.
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payments → suggest → place
The Timms review is expected to be published in full later this year.
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review → expect → ?
The Aporia
