The Labour Government has been accused of handing out approximately £770 million in benefits to claimants with no recorded health problems in 2025, according to reports. The payments were made through sickness benefit top-ups to Universal Credit for 'unknown' conditions, benefiting around 151,850 Britons, a Freedom of Information request by the Conservative Party revealed.
Paper Claims and Missing Data
The majority of claims were filed on paper rather than in person, meaning conditions were not centrally recorded, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said. Officials stated they had sufficient evidence to justify the top-ups despite many claimants having no medical diagnosis on file.
Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Helen Whately accused the Government of 'handing out taxpayers' money' with 'no diagnosis on file and no evidence of why the benefit is being paid'. She added: 'Labour has no grip on welfare spending. Keir Starmer is too weak to face down Labour MPs. The benefits bill is out of control.'
LCWRA Payments
Claimants received £423.27 for the sickness top-up, known as the Limited Capability for Work-Related Activity (LCWRA) Substantial Risk, meaning those with no recorded condition received a collective £771.3 million. Official DWP guidance states the 'substantial risk' category applies primarily to mental health conditions, with physical issues only in 'uncommon' cases.
Backlogs and Delays
While LCWRA claims are meant to be reassessed every six months to three years, significant backlogs mean many reviews are delayed, with new claims prioritised over existing ones.
A DWP spokesperson said: 'No one can claim without the impact of their condition being assessed. Where there is sufficient evidence that a person’s condition severely affects their daily life, their eligibility for benefits can be confirmed through a paper-based assessment alone. This is recorded on the paperwork but marked as “unknown” in the data. Everyone in this group has been properly assessed and found to need support. We have a robust process in place and thoroughly assess benefit claimants to ensure people can access the support they are entitled to, looking at the impact of a person’s condition on their daily living.'
