New disability claims double in a year, with more teenagers seeking help

A third of new claims are for mental and behavioural conditions

Declining health in the UK has prompted new claims for the disability benefit to double in the past year, new figures show.

According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), claims for personal independence payments (PIP) had doubled to 30,000 a month between the summer of 2021 and July 2022.

PIP is a disability benefit that supports people facing higher living costs due to difficulties in mobility or carrying out everyday tasks.

The institute found that the increase in claims has risen across all ages and conditions, but for teenagers, the claim has tripled.

Additionally, around a third of the new claims are for mental or behavioural conditions. However, that figure rises to 70 per cent for claimants under 25.

The institute concluded that the upwards drive in applications has been steered by a “general worsening of health across the population”.

It has also led to a backlog of 250,000 people waiting for their claims to be assessed.

Declining health in the UK has resulted in new claims for the disability benefit to double in the last year (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Sam Ray-Chaudhuri, a Research Economist at IFS and an author of the report, said: “Almost as remarkable as the rise in disability benefit claims itself is how widespread it is. We see a doubling in claims at essentially every age and for most major conditions, from mental illness to arthritis and back pain.

“Worsening health seems to be behind the rise, but precisely why health is getting worse is a puzzle of its own.”

He added that an inevitable consequence of the growing trend will be a “significantly greater spending on disability benefits”.

PIP is a disability benefit that supports individuals facing higher living costs due to difficulties in mobility or carrying out everyday tasks (PA Archive)

The government spends £15 billion a year on working-age disability benefits. However, Mr Ray-Chaudhuri said that figure could grow by “several billion more”.

Labour said the report was a result of years of underfunding the health system, with backlogs adding further pressure to the already strained NHS.

Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow work and pensions secretary, told the Guardian: “Ministers can’t ignore these findings. The backlog in assessments for disability benefits must be tackled and employment support must be reformed, as Labour has proposed, to offer specialist help to those who want to find work.”

A government spokesperson told the Guardian: “There is a strong welfare safety net for people with a long-term illness and disability and over the next three years, the government will invest £1.3bn in employment support for those affected to help more people start, stay and succeed in work.

“We also have a range of employment initiatives to help those with a long-term health condition, including tailored work coach support.”