Disability benefit claimants rise by 100,000 since Labour capitulation

Disability benefits claimants have risen by almost 100,000 since Labour’s welfare reform climbdown, official figures show.

There were 3.83 million people claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in England and Wales at the end of July - up by two per cent from 3.74 million claimants in just three months.

New figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) show that 37 per cent of claimants received the highest level PIP payment of £187.45 per month or almost £10,000 a year.

In the three months between April and July some 210,000 people registered for PIP and there were 230,000 decisions made on whether it should be awarded or not, the figures show.

A psychiatric disorder was the most commonly recorded reason for eligibility for PIP, with 39 per cent of claimants receiving the benefit due to mental health.