All 10 of Britain's biggest disability benefit hotspots are represented by Labour MPs, with Liverpool Walton recording the highest rate of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claimants, according to research by the TaxPayers' Alliance.
Liverpool Walton has 152.9 claimants per 1,000 residents, more than twice the national average of 64.8. The constituency also has the highest number of PIP recipients at 15,666, compared with an average of 6,961 across constituencies.
Full top 10 list
The top 10 constituencies, ranked by PIP claimants per 1,000 residents, are:
- Liverpool Walton (Dan Carden) – 152.9
- Blaenau Gwent and Rhymney (Nick Smith) – 141.2
- Easington (Grahame Morris) – 140.1
- Knowsley (Anneliese Midgley) – 136.3
- Aberafan Maesteg (Stephen Kinnock) – 134.2
- Bootle (Peter Dowd) – 129.8
- Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare (Gerald Jones) – 129.3
- Rhondda and Ogmore (Chris Bryant) – 126.5
- Blackpool South (Chris Webb) – 126.3
- Birkenhead (Alison McGovern) – 125.6
Five of the 10 hotspots are in the North West, while four are in Wales. Easington is the only constituency in the North East.
Rising claims and spending
Across England and Wales, more than four million people were claiming PIP in April 2026, costing taxpayers £29.9 billion a year. That was up from 3.37 million claimants in April 2024, an 18.9% rise in just two years.
Annual spending rose by 26.4%, from £23.6 billion to £29.9 billion over the same period. Not one of the 575 constituencies in England and Wales recorded a fall in claimant numbers between April 2024 and April 2026.
Labour constituencies had the highest average rate at 71.9 PIP claimants per 1,000 residents. Reform UK constituencies were close behind on 71.3, compared with 50.1 in Conservative constituencies and 44.1 in Liberal Democrat seats.
Conservative seats see fastest rise
While Labour constituencies accounted for the largest share of claims, the fastest rise was recorded in Conservative-held seats. Claimant numbers in Conservative constituencies jumped by 20.8% to 571,693, while spending rose by 28.1% to £4.3 billion.
Liberal Democrat seats recorded a 19.9% increase to 295,023 claimants, with spending rising by 27.7% to £2.2 billion. Reform UK constituencies saw claimant numbers rise by 19.5% to 60,153, while spending increased by 26.9% to £449 million.
Overall, Labour constituencies accounted for £22 billion of PIP spending, equivalent to 72.7% of the national total, while containing 65.5% of the population.
TaxPayers' Alliance chief executive John O'Connell said: “These figures expose the extraordinary concentration of welfare claims in many Labour held parts of the country. Ministers cannot pretend the scale of the benefits bill isn't a problem for taxpayers.”
Pressure on welfare costs
The figures come as ministers face mounting pressure over the rising cost of disability and sickness benefits. John Healey told Labour's annual conference in Liverpool that cutting welfare spending was “more than an economic must – it's a moral duty”.
Mr Healey added: “It is not progressive to allow a bigger and bigger benefits bill, and a system which offers an income but doesn't offer a future.”
The Department for Work and Pensions has said the Government is reforming the welfare system, including changes to Universal Credit and a return to face-to-face assessments, while investing £3.5 billion in employment support. The Government's Timms Review is also examining how PIP works and whether the system needs reform.
Sir Stephen Timms said in July that the system introduced in 2013 needed “fundamental change” to become financially sustainable, warning that the vital support provided by PIP could be at risk unless soaring costs were brought under control.
