Record breaking quarter of a million PIP claims in three months

Details: Published: 25 June 2024

The latest personal independence payment (PIP) statistics reveal a record number of applications, with a quarter of a million new claims being lodged in the three months to April 2024. This is an increase of almost half since April 2021.

The statistics released by the DWP show that at 30 April 2024, there were 3.4 million claimants entitled to PIP, an increase of 3% since 31 January 2024.

Just over one in three cases (36%) received the highest level of award, the same proportion as last quarter.

In the quarter ending April 2024 there were:

250,000 registrations and 210,000 clearances for new claims
35,000 changes of circumstance reported and 31,000 cleared
23,000 registrations and 22,000 clearances for DLA reassessments
120,000 planned award reviews registered and 130,000 cleared
66,000 mandatory reconsiderations (MRs) registered and 64,000 cleared

Over the last five years (May 2019 to April 2024):

42% of normal rules new claims, 70% of normal rules DLA reassessment claims, and 99% of Special Rules for End of Life (SREL) claims received an award (excluding withdrawn claims)
73% of planned award reviews resulted in an increase or no change to the level of award received by the claimant
84% of changes of circumstances resulted in an increase or no change to the level of award received by the claimant.

Also over the last five years:

34% of MRs cleared (excluding withdrawn) have led to a change in award.
25% of appeals lodged saw DWP change the decision in the customer’s favour before the appeal was heard at tribunal (known as “lapsed” appeals)

The number of claims registered per quarter has gone up by almost half (47%) in the course of three years between April 2021 and April 2024:

April 2024 3.4 million claims with entitlement. 250,000 registrations. (England and Wales only, following introduction of ADP in Scotland)
April 2023 3.0 million claims with entitlement. 210,000 registrations (England and Wales only, following introduction of ADP in Scotland)
April 2022 3.0 million claims with entitlement. 200,000 registrations. (Whole of Great Britain)
April 2021 2.7 million claims with entitlement. 170,000 registrations (Whole of Great Britain)

You can download the latest PIP statistics from this page.

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B Wood in Kent · 3 months ago
I’ve been waiting since January 2024 to be reassessed after my initial 3 year award of Pip ..that’s 6 months already..been told today it’s a 52 week wait cos of the backlog. Another hour spent on hold on the phone .. they don’t realise you may have problems waiting on the phone. DWP could easily reduce the number of cases needing reassessment if patient’s with certain conditions were automatically waved through on an annual basis .. patients with Neurological conditions and or dementia are not going to get better.. so why waste time reassessing them ?!
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Clare · 4 months ago
With the long waiting lists Just to get onto the actual waiting list for many NHS departments I waited 11 months for a telephone appointment For gastroenterology It has taken a further 5 months to get all the tests done I am now waiting for a follow up appointment for the results and a plan of action/treatment to help the issue I have All this time my symptoms are getting worse This is not the only NHS waiting list I am stuck on I am not alone in this So Is there any wonder that more people are long term sick and so then claiming benefits Reducing waiting lists will help reduce PIP claims
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E.D.G. Siviter · 4 months ago
I believe the vast increase in PIP claims are two-fold:
1). Yes, as another conributor has commented, some of these claims are due to Covid-19, Covid-19 vaccine long term illness/disability.
2). There is a worrying trend in british media, most particualrly the traditional newspapers and there digital siblings and offshoots. Every single day for as long as I care to remember now newspapers (and particualrly the right-wing newspapers like The Daily Mail and The Express) are constantly publishing articles through their digital portals about how easy it is to claim PIP: What illnesses qualify for a PIP Award: What a claiment needs to know in order to claim PIP.
Being cynical about this, are these right-wing newspapers trying to break the PIP system by encouraging people to overclaim, or they simply being kind and helpful?
I read my news almost exclusively now from the Microsoft News app on my PC, purely because it offers a very broad spectrum of opinion across most, if not all British newspapers and media channels.
It's also a great place to comment on articles and defend, or fight for the rights of disabled people (if you have a Microsoft account you can sign in to).
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Dan Stone · 4 months ago
I suppose it’s good news for people who are expecting their PIP to be reviewed?!
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JJ · 4 months ago
In my opinion (opinion isn't fact) the reason why PIP claims have exploded since 2021 is because of the aftereffects of the Covid saga, something has gone terribly wrong in this country and it cannot be understated.

I am truly worried about how the good hearted, compassionate nature of the British public is being soured towards disabled people on benefits and that is thanks partly to this Conservative Government, the Telegraph, Daily Mail and the Express.
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  KimABT · 4 months ago
  
  @JJ Oh the DM! It purposely triggers the public, the things I've read are inhuman towards the sick & disabled, but esp the elderly -seems to be a knock a boomer campaign going on, never seen this kind of contempt for pensioners before, often saying that a pension is a benefit! As if the pensioner hasn't paid in tax ! Or a 70yo is capable of working on a building site, despite the fact many hitting 65 are finding it hard enough as evidenced by other comments.
  
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CaroAug · 4 months ago
https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/general-election-disabled-people-forgotten-labour-conservatives-starmer-sunak/
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CaroAug · 4 months ago
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cxrrzevxg15o.amp
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CaroA · 4 months ago
About a year ago they say that they we're looking into changing the system so that only those on PIP will get disability benefits. Then they announced that that changes to the benefit system/Work Capability Assessment etc would only affect new claimants. So then there a huge rise in people claiming PIP so that perhaps these claimants would then be eligible to keep their disability benefits and not be these new disability benefit claimants.

It's not rocket science. Was this all done by design to increase the numbers exponentially to then be able to thoroughly scape goat this part of society? To be able to say look how out of control they all are? Or was it negligence stupidity?

They don't add the mitigating circumstance of the change to the pension age, chronic illness after covid either. We live in an age of selfishness and spin....

Thank God for organisations such as Benefits and Work and many others who passionately and kindly support us. I'm just hoping it's not going to be as bad as we all think it may be 🤞
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  blandie · 4 months ago
  
  @CaroA This is exactly it, well said!
  
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Jase · 4 months ago
What is happening is people are waiting on NHS treatment longer and getting in before they migrate from legacy benefits and some who think they've raised the pension age and lost out And the people who see it readily available so give it a shot to see if they'll get something.
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robbie · 4 months ago
Third time lucky?

As I was saying, Sunak should take a look at the effects of paying a large percentage of full salaries during covid. There was so much praise for furlough but people got used to being paid to do nothing and didn't go back to work. Now he's trying to grab it back from long term sick as well as new claimants. He has a lot to answer for where increases in sickness benefit claims are concerned.
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Rosie Jackson · 4 months ago
It is now clear why the Tories want to review the system!! Perhaps if they put some effort into fixing the problems with NHS waiting lists and the timely availability of mental health therapies and social care, the figures wouldn't be so high? Sadly, their gut reaction is to say that claimants are tricking the system with fraudulent claims and/or that the rules are too lax (insert anger emoji of your choice here) and need to be tightened. I wonder how many MPs actually have ANY personal experience of what going through the PIP claim experience is really like?
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mrfibro · 4 months ago
The question begs ! why are so many people putting in claims for PIP ?

Is the nation getting more sick !!

And if so why ? and who has caused it ?
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  mrfibro · 4 months ago
  
  @Anon Both men and women should all retire at the same age, men don't live as long as women do on avaerage.
  
  Furthermore i would say it would be fairer if both men & women were to retire at the age of 62.
  
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  The dogmother. · 4 months ago
  
  @Anon @Anon agree. Ten yrs in menopause with all its symptoms. No sleep, night sweats,to point beds like a swimmingpool , flushes etc. On top of all my other conditions. I can't take hrt because of migraines. Debilitating on its own ,and a lot of ppl don't realise the implications of Menopause, I've also easily broken bones, and I have falls which have resulted in breaks twice inside a year. Due to menopause and fact I'm on esomeprazole and other digestive treatments decades,which can lead to osteoporosis.
  
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  Anon · 4 months ago
  
  @Anon I would disagree on behalf of all the women like myself who are going through a very bad menopause and living on 4 hours sleep permanently for years on end,men don't have this problem and some women are absolutely floored with meno symptoms that are totally debilitating,many like myself are constantly refused hrt which makes it all worse and women are having to give up jobs,good jobs because they can no longer function, I suppose if you aren't affected you won't understand,but many women are affected and we aren't all like certain female celebrities who can go private and pay thousands a year for fully monitored hrt prescriptions and regular blood tests checking their hormones are right every few months
  
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  Edwards · 4 months ago
  
  I see this all the time on tiktok,builders and manual labourers making videos saying they are in their early sixties and can't physically keep doing the job,they know they will have to stop before 67,it's different if your a pen pusher but a manual labourer? My oh is 55 and has done manual labour all his life,he is now taking a break as his body is savaged with aches and pains,sciatica etc,we are living off savings atm,he hasn't caimed anything except 4 weeks sick pay to cover the notice period, but,he is going to have to go back to work very soon.
  
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  Edwards · 4 months ago
  
  @mrfibro It's not that ,once you tell people the only way to keep claiming sick benefit is to claim pip they're all gunna put in a claim aren't they? What did they honestly think was going to happen? You had people who had esa etc who had no intention of ever claiming pip,they didn't want the hassle and they could manage financially,then their benefits are threatened, what are they going to do? A +B = C for these people,it's the only way they can continue to recieve the money they need to live and depend on,whoever thought up that idiotic idea should have had common sense and foresight as to what mess they were creating, now we're all being threatened with losing our pip and much tougher sickness qualification criteria,what an utter mess gor everyone involved
  
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