The number of people claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in England and Wales has risen to a record 4.09 million, an increase of almost 500,000 since Labour took power, according to new Department for Work and Pensions figures. The surge has been driven largely by a sharp rise in claims for psychiatric conditions, including ADHD and anxiety and depressive disorders, prompting renewed criticism from opposition politicians who argue the sickness benefits system is unsustainable and poorly managed.

Claimant numbers rose by 262,045 (7 per cent) in the year to July, with more than 100,000 new awards for psychiatric conditions accounting for 37 per cent of all new claims. ADHD claims more than doubled in three years, from 13,480 in 2022-23 to 31,790 in 2025-26, while 1.6 million of all PIP claimants (39 per cent) now have a psychiatric disorder. PIP spending has risen from £16.3billion in 2019-20 to £27.3billion in 2024-25 and is forecast to reach £41.5billion by 2030-31; Labour shelved planned reforms last year after a backbench rebellion, and a government review led by Sir Stephen Timms, due to report this autumn, has suggested making claims easier rather than tighter.