Overview
- New DWP figures published Monday show Personal Independence Payment, a benefit that helps with extra living costs from long‑term conditions, has at least doubled across 120 diagnoses since 2021.
- The data detail sharp rises for specific conditions, including food intolerances up from 12 to 78 claimants, sleep apnoea from 869 to 3,626, ADHD from about 32,000 to about 95,000, autism from about 85,000 to about 220,000, and anxiety from about 11,000 to about 38,000.
- Scrutiny of oversight has intensified after a 257% rise in payments where DWP staff did not record a disability, while Conservative MP Sir Alec Shelbrooke criticised some claims as illegitimate.
- The DWP said these categories make up a small share of overall PIP and that the trend began years ago, adding that reforms under way aim to save nearly £2bn this parliament.
- The Government has commissioned an independent review of PIP to examine savings options, with findings expected in the autumn.