These cuts would precede the Government’s long-promised reforms to sickness and disability benefits, which will be outlined in a Green Paper in the coming months.
According to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), 3.5 million people claimed PIP in 2024, a 400,000 increase from the previous year.
According to DWP figures, around 436,000 people were claiming PIP for either osteoarthritis or inflammatory arthritis at the end of October 2024. The number of claimants in this category has increased by just over a third over the last five years.
Inflammatory arthritis, the most common form being rheumatoid arthritis, occurs when an overactive immune system attacks multiple joints across the body, causing pain, swelling, and stiffness. The condition starts much earlier in life than osteoarthritis.
2. Mixed anxiety and depression
Around 369,000 of those claiming the benefit in October 2024 were recorded as having “mixed anxiety and depressive disorders”, while most of the remaining claimants were classified as having specific conditions such as generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), agoraphobia or panic disorder.
For the majority of people in this category, the reason for the back pain was not specified. However, around 35,700 were recorded as having a lumbar disc lesion—when there is a problem with a disk in the spine.
4. Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD)
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is another condition which has seen a significant spike in PIP claims over the last five years. It is a developmental disability that can affect how people interact with others, communicate, learn, and behave.
Chronic pain conditions accounted for 174,000 PIP claims in October 2024, a significant increase from October 2019, when 105,000 were claimants in this category.
6. Down’s syndrome and other learning disabilities
In October 2024, 172,000 people were claiming PIP for learning disabilities, of which 22,000 were recorded as having Down’s syndrome. This is a genetic condition caused by having an extra copy of chromosome 21 and can cause developmental delays as well as certain physical traits.
The vast majority of those claiming PIP in this category—148,000—did not have their learning disability specified.
In this category, 55,000 were specifically listed as having bipolar affective disorder—a mental health condition characterised by extreme mood changes.
8. Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders
The number of people claiming psychotic disorders as their main disability on PIP claims has increased by a quarter in the five years to October 2024, rising from 102,500 to 128,600.
A minority—14,200 in total—were claiming PIP for schizoaffective disorder, which is when the sufferer experiences symptoms of both bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
Chronic bronchitis is a long-term condition that causes inflammation in the breathing tubes, leading to a persistent cough. Emphysema occurs when damaged air sacs in the lungs cause difficulty breathing. Smoking and air pollution are common causes of both conditions.
10. Stroke and other cerebrovascular disease
Out of these, 77,400 were claiming PIP as a result of a stroke, which usually occurs when blood flow to the brain is blocked and can cause long-term impairment to speech and mobility.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition that causes people to experience difficulty sustaining attention, hyperactivity and impulsive behaviour. The condition is also sometimes referred to as attention deficit disorder (ADD), but this term has largely been phased out.
12. Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a condition where sudden bursts of electrical activity in the brain cause seizures or fits.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental condition that can develop after witnessing or experiencing very stressful, frightening or distressing events.
The number of people claiming PIP for PTSD has more than doubled between October 2019 and 2024, up from 25,300 to 58,800.
14. Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)
The number of people claiming PIP for this condition has almost doubled in the last five years, from 29,300 in October 2019 to 57,300 in October 2024.
Around 56,800 people were claiming PIP for MS in October 2024.
16. Personality disorder
Numerous conditions could fall under this category, including borderline personality disorder—a condition that causes emotional instability, disturbed thinking patterns, impulsive behaviour and unstable relationships with others.
The DWP categorises these PIP claimants by the body part affected, and the majority in this category had suffered an injury to the spine, accounting for 17,900.
18. Diabetes
In October 2024, roughly 40,700 people claimed PIP for diabetes, over double the number five years earlier, when 17,300 people were in this category.
Insulin is a hormone that manages blood sugar levels, and people with type 1 diabetes usually need to take insulin injections to manage the condition. Those with type 2 are sometimes able to treat the condition without insulin injections or other medication.
Cerebral palsy is a lifelong condition that can cause poor coordination, stiff muscles, weak muscles, and tremors. It is caused by damage that occurs to the developing brain, most often before birth.
20. Dyslexia and dyspraxia
Around 36,400 people were claiming PIP for a learning disorder in October 2024, an increase of almost a third from the same period five years earlier.
Some 4,100 PIP claims recorded dyslexia as their main disability, while 3,800 were listed as having dyspraxia.
A further 24,800 were recorded as having an unspecified learning disorder, while 3,700 were claiming for a non-specific speech or language disorder.
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