The number of people claiming the Personal Independence Payment (Pip) has hit a record high of 4.1 million, official figures show.
The rise marks a two per cent increase between May and July from 4.01 million, and comes ahead of government plans to make sweeping changes to the benefit later this year.
Pip is currently under review by social security minister Stephen Timms, whose final report is expected to be presented to the government in the autumn.
Interim findings from the work earlier this year found it is “not fit for purpose,” indicating plans to make major changes to the benefit.
Early recommendations published this month revealed that this could include more face-to-face assessments, alongside vouchers for specific costs rather than the current lump sum cash payments.
Prime minister Andy Burnham has committed to reducing Britain’s welfare bill, with spending on health benefits estimated to be £77.1 billion in 2025/26, up from £36 billion in 2019/20.
Over the same period, the number of Pip claimants has doubled from around 2 million in 2019/20 to the record 4.1 million recorded this week.
Responding to the latest statistics, the prime minister’s official spokesperson said: “On welfare generally, our position is clear. The PM has said before that we’ve got to get serious as a country about welfare reform, but he has also said that doesn't mean crude cuts that simply push people into crisis and create bigger costs elsewhere.
“Our work on welfare across the board is about tackling the structural drivers and changing the nature of the support so that we ultimately deliver a system that sets people up for success rather than pays for failure.”
Sir Stephen’s review of the benefit was announced last year after ministers backed down on proposals to tweak its assessment criteria to make it effectively harder to claim.
Around £5bn was set to be slashed welfare spending through the plans, prompting over 100 Labour MPs to threaten to rebel against the government on the measures.
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) data also shows that the number of claims for the health-related element of universal credit also rose to 3.6 million in June.
This is up 23 per cent, or 680,000, in the year. However, the department adds that 66 per cent of this increase has arisen from the winding down of legacy benefits which have been replaced by universal credit.
Responding to the data, shadow work and pensions secretary, Helen Whately, said: “Our sickness benefits system is broken and Labour refuse to fix it. It’s too quick to write people off and too slow to help them into work. And it’s costing us a fortune.”
Although changes to Pip were withdrawn in July, major changes to UC health were still pushed through by the government. This halved the rate of the element for new claimants, while those with existing claims or the most severe conditions still receive the previous rate.
A DWP spokesperson said: “The increase in the PIP caseload has slowed under this government, falling from 400,000 in the 12 months to July 2024, to 260,000 in the 12 months to July 2026.
“But as the Timms Review report made clear, PIP is no longer fit for purpose and the recommendations from its final report, due in Autumn, will lay the foundation for sustainable reform.
“We are also delivering on our commitment to increase face-to-face assessments, which have more than doubled for PIP from 7% in June 2024 to 15% in July 2026.
“Two thirds of the increase in the Universal Credit Health caseload over the last year was driven by the decision under a former government to migrate sick and disabled people onto Universal Credit from legacy benefits – not from new benefit recipients.”
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