More than 1.5 million people claim Personal Independence Payments (PIP) for psychiatric disorders, according to the latest DWP figures. The data, released in April 2026, showed over four million people were receiving PIP, with more than a quarter of these claims listing a psychiatric disorder as their primary disabling condition. This is roughly one million more claimants than in May 2025, making it the most claimed condition among the main categories of disabilities the DWP computer system tracks.
Top 20 psychiatric conditions on PIP applications
The DWP's full list of 20 psychological conditions that qualify for PIP includes some with fewer than 50 successful claims and others nearing half a million. Here are the top psychiatric conditions and their claimant figures:
- Mixed anxiety and depressive disorders - 435,330
- Autistic spectrum disorders - 258,539
- Learning disability (global) - 173,452
- Mood disorders - 156,155
- Psychotic disorders - 131,910
- Hyperkinetic disorder - 100,207
- Anxiety disorders - 69,454
- Stress reactions - 67,990
- Personality disorder - 58,338
- Learning disorder (specific) - 37,710
- Cognitive disorder - 27,092
- Substance (mis)use disorders - 18,145
- Obsessive compulsive disorder - 12,343
- Eating disorders - 8,376
- Somatoform and dissociative disorders - 2,056
- Conduct disorder - 1,273
- Other psychiatric disorders of childhood - 960
- Encopresis - 68
- Enuresis - 46
- Factitious disorder - 41
Eligibility and payment rates
PIP is not means-tested, and a diagnosis alone may not be enough to successfully claim the benefit, even if you have one of the conditions already in the DWP's system. To qualify, your condition must affect either your daily living or mobility, with some people potentially eligible before they get an official diagnosis.
PIP can provide up to a maximum of £191.30 a week, but not all claimants get this amount, as the support they receive depends on how severely their condition affects them. The benefit is split into two elements: the daily living element and the mobility element. Claimants can claim these individually or together, depending on how they are affected.
Each element has two weekly rates:
- Daily living enhanced rate: £114.60
- Daily living standard rate: £76.70
- Mobility enhanced rate: £80
- Mobility standard rate: £30.30
Due to the different rates, not every claimant gets the same amount of cash support, with some potentially eligible for over £700 a month if they qualify for both enhanced rates. To be eligible, you must also be aged over 16 but under state pension age if you're claiming for the first time. You must also expect the difficulties from your condition to last for at least 12 months from the time they started.
