The Department for Work and Pensions has confirmed that Personal Independence Payment claims in England and Wales have surpassed four million for the first time, according to new government figures released in April 2026. The total number of claimants reached 4.01 million, an increase of 266,175 compared to the previous year.
Sharp Rise in PIP Claims Since 2019
The number of people receiving PIP has roughly doubled since 2019, when just 2.05 million claimed the benefit. PIP is designed to help individuals with long-term health conditions cover the extra costs of daily living and mobility.
Younger people now account for a growing share of claimants. In April 2026, 16.6% of recipients were aged 16 to 29, up from 14.5% in 2019. Meanwhile, approval rates for new claims have fallen sharply to 36.6%, down from 46.2% two years ago.
Government Reforms and Review
The government has launched the Timms Review to overhaul the PIP system. It has also introduced the Right to Try scheme, which allows claimants to work without immediately losing their benefits. A No 10 spokeswoman said: "The broken system we inherited wrote nearly three million people off as too sick to work, left them off benefits, and saw the welfare bill rise by £88 billion."
Shadow work and pensions secretary Helen Whately criticised the current system and outlined Conservative plans to "review the entire PIP system, remove eligibility for low-level mental health PIP claims, rapidly assess hundreds of thousands of additional claims, and get Britain working again."
