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Record 3.5 million people now getting PIP, latest statistics show

Details

The latest personal independence payment (PIP) statistics reveal a record number of 3.5 million claims in payment, with over a third of the latest claimants getting the highest possible award. Eight out of ten new claimants got an award lasting two years or less.

At 31 July 2024 there were 3.5 million claimants entitled to PIP in England and Wales, a rise of 3% over the last quarter.

37% received the highest level of award, up from 36% in April.

Success rates

The success rate for new claims was:

  • 46% for all new claims, this is identical to the same period last year
  • 53% for claims that got as far as assessment, an increase from 52% in July 2023

Award lengths

For normal rules new claims in the quarter ending July 2024:

  • 79% of claims awarded were short term (0 to 2 years)
  • 13% were longer term (over 2 years)
  • 7% were ongoing

Clearances

In the quarter ending July 2024 there were:

  • 210,000 registrations and 240,000 clearances for new claims
  • 33,000 changes of circumstance reported and 29,000 cleared
  • 23,000 registrations and 20,000 clearances for DLA reassessments
  • 120,000 planned award reviews registered and 100,000 cleared
  • 68,000 mandatory reconsiderations  registered and 66,000 cleared

This means that whilst the DWP are getting on top of new claims, they are losing ground on planned reviews, changes of circumstances, mandatory reconsiderations and DLA to PIP transfers.  In fact, the number of planned review decisions was 9% lower than in the same quarter last year.

Last five years

Over the last five years (August 2019 to July 2024):

  • 42% of normal rules new claims, 70% of normal rules DLA reassessment claims, and 98% of Special Rules for End of Life (SREL) claims received an award (excluding withdrawn claims)
  • 73% of planned award reviews resulted in an increase or no change to the level of award received by the claimant
  • 85% of changes of circumstances resulted in an increase or no change to the level of award received by the claimant
  • 34% of mandatory reconsiderations cleared (excluding withdrawn) have led to a change in award

You can read the full PIP statistics for the quarter to 31 July 2024 here.

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  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    sam
    · 2 months ago
    why didn’t people get sent questionnaires through the post instead of online only 16000 people filled it in and there over 3 million people on it :( the questions they want to ask is will this send people more ill. labour were all full of promises and it’s ok how much their sat on in their big warm houses but how do they expect people to live on vouchers or one of grants. they say in there that they can get people help but a lot of people can’t move out their doors and only trust close people they know to help them. i hope on monday they just say throw it out and maybe they pip questions better. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Lill
    · 2 months ago
    It's easy to say don't pannick but that light at the end of the tunnel will exist for every person with ill health at some point  it's true if labour  bring in  changes they'll get upheld one way or another we have so many organisations that do have power if you got one of the biggest ones disputing labour will be backed into a corner they'll get no choice but to reverse their plan if some have been following the last government over the years  they'll see ian dunken smith backed out of disability welfare changes I'm sure it was down to organisations tirelessly desputing and campaigning the question is now how did sunak wake up one day and think he'd attack pip claims someone has given the theory it was  the last assault because he knew he was being voted out but every time previously the plans got halted  i saw an article from the 90s when Tony Blair didnt want single parents or people which ever it was  getting benefits he  to was I'm sure a labour  government his MPs voted against him something's going down for labour this time 110% sure on it  .
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Andy
    · 2 months ago
    They are no diffrent too the last bunch of idiots when it comes too health,if your putting nothing in through no fault of your own then they want you cold and starving or dead,there is no such thing as politicians anymore there mostly highly educated bussiness freaks who are more out of touch with planet earth than aliens.im fortunate as I have no dissability s so therefore have stable work,however I have family members who I watch struggling too live every week,I would happily pay more tax too look after the disabled,the disabled have been robbed and tortured for years firstly with the party gate wild animals,and now dick Turpin s crew.And the latest proposal is too go through bank accounts too make sure you don’t have 6 shillings hidden away…….A better idea is for starmer and co too allow the public too monitor there finances including the hidden offshore ones then we can see how well nanny state is really being run….dont intend too annoy anyone guys but cmon give the disabled a break,one more thing if I was fortunate enough too become a doctor I would be out this country as fast as my feet would take me….why because if I stated my patient was unfit for work at present then I would expect that too be respected,,,I would not expect a gov too think I’m a liar and force my patient too a center perhaps 10 miles from home too see a nurse who receives bonus payments too completely lie and wreck my award,the whole system has become a tick the box and hope job……..just one more thing guys the tories turned on the disabled and look what happened are these idiots so far out of touch that they think there immortal…..you turn on the vulnerable starmer and they will turn on you it’s human nature…..sorry too sound harsh.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Jon
      · 1 months ago
      @Andy As disabled people we receive more than 2 and a half times what a standard job seeker receives
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Sheila
    · 2 months ago
    My PIP, went from enhanced to standard , both categories, the assessor, telephoned me to say, she hadn’t read my case. I was asked,  if I had pets? I was not asked how my conditions affect me, just direct, closed,  questions. 
    Such as. ‘ how long would it take her, to walk from carpark, to ….. ‘ . 
    My report from DWP, said I had attended a normal school ( nearly 40 years ago). It was awful. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    maz
    · 2 months ago
    Are transfers from DLA to PIP still on hold? 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    gossamer T
    · 2 months ago
    the silence on welfare/disability benefit reform is deafening. says it all about this lot. just as bad as the last lot!
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Lill
    · 2 months ago
    The government didn't tell people they were going to  means test winter fuel in their manifesto but out of the blue they did that  its not about what the papers say it's what already has happened people should go off that as a possibility I think there is 50/50 and the headlines are not all true  some are stories and if that wasn't true why do different newspapers copy the story then change the wording or leave bits out some even repost stories from months ago .
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Suzanne
      · 2 months ago
      @Lill I agree with the decision. Means testing pensioners like working age people is fair. Claiming pension credit is easy, this will capture those who need the extra payment 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Anon
      · 2 months ago
      @Jon Hope so, I just want to know one way or the other 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Lill
      · 2 months ago
      @Jon I think everyone should just try prepare themselves but at same time don't think to much about it for the moment I have an idea what may happen but prepared for uturns to apparently Rachael reeves has been given 10bn for the autumn budget don't know if that means anything .
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Jon
      · 2 months ago
      @Anon I thought we might get some info of Liz Kendall's plans when she shares the stage with maximus at the labour conference
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Anon
      · 2 months ago
      @Lill We'll get a clearer picture in October when Liz Kendall is outlining her plans on welfare reforms, everything else is just speculation 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Kevin9320
    · 2 months ago
    I've looked everywhere and the only mention of means-testing PIP I can find is on here, understandably based on concerns following the WFA decision.

    The WFA cut is just £300 a year and look at the outcry it has caused. So imagine the outrage if Labour even suggests means-testing PIP.

    Also, means-testing the WFA was easy - if you weren't claiming pension credit you were (incorrectly in many cases) assumed to have failed the means test. Trying the same thing with PIP would require a new form, would have to start with new claims and would probably take ages to get past all the objections and legislative/bureaucratic hurdles.

    They are likely to make PIP difficult to get however. All just my honest opinion 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Lill
    · 2 months ago
    All the media does is get paid to stir the pot nothing has been said yet and there is loads of scare mongering going on yes the benefits system will get changed no doubt about it but I don't think their going to just strip people over night they'd get in trouble by the high courts and with the new book on exposure of DWP failures they'd not want that on their heads i do think they'll means test pip it's a fast way to drop numbers I think with more people being on short term pip awards I think they'll look at them first except terminally ill people will just have  to wait til the 7th Oct that's when pip is being debated in the commons then the autumn statement is 30th Oct it's a worrying time for everyone there's been certain  people saying there's not much to worry about just a few tweaks to welfare system and a health and skills plan for people with ill health the government have admitted it's not going to be overnight but they set a goal for 2028 at the moment it's all discussions between a room of people looking for a plan just remember what happened to the people who tried stopping disability back in 2015/2016 they either u turned or didn't even chance going through with it before people say look at the winter fuel that was done because alot of oaps have money they means tested it to root out the ones who don't need it yes there's a few that lost out by a few £,s  those people shouldn't of been affected but octopus energy and probs other companies will discount their bills .
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    JJ
    · 2 months ago
    It's all speculation at the moment but it seems likely that welfare reforms are on the table, PIP claims shot up after the covid lockdowns yet nobody wants to touch that subject, could it be that the emotional effects of isolation has severely impacted the minds of many young people?

    Why is it the political class and media don't want to talk about that? It's because they're the ones who cheered it all on, all of that created the financial mess we are in and furlough also.

    I'll talk about my situation, I've been on antidepressants of every variety since 2007, I witnessed a horrific event between my mother and father as a kid, father was a sexual abuser and abused me and my brother, we later found out he had a criminal record with those acts on the wrap sheet. I managed to work and study until 2019 when I had a complete breakdown, with my mother looking after me. 

    Zero friends as I closed myself off, only person I talk to is my mother, can't communicate face to face with anyone else, been a hermit for years and have been sectioned also as a threat to myself.

    I was recovering then covid happened then everything got worse, the only thing that has kept me going in between waiting 9 months for counselling and being basically palmed off with antidepressants has been the financial sustenance. I haven't put anything on, or playacted and the same goes for everyone here that's why we worry about this situation. I don't want sympathy, I want to recover, I want solutions but the NHS here in Cornwall is stretched, everyone is moving to Cornwall and the services can't take all these people flighting to Cornwall from the big cities.

    We locked down for those elderly telegraph reading people, the same people who throw the younger generations, generations full of mental illnesses under the bus. They are the selfish people and just because they're elderly doesn't give them the right to be such nasty, spiteful hypocrites.


    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      MariW
      · 2 months ago
      @MJ MJ For much of the COVID-19 lockdown period I felt strong. I was used to an isolated life, having been physically disabled since adolescence. I was a kinder era somehow. People helped get my prescriptions. The vet delivered my cat's prescriptions! I was on the other end of the phone for others, too. It all ended on Freedom Day. People went back to their normal lives. I'm alone and forgotten... and very depressed.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      MJ
      · 2 months ago
      @JJ My story isn't the same but quite similar to yours, but COVID didn't affect my mental health as I kept myself to myself most of the time prior to that anyway, and talk to my mum and a friend, to a lesser extent, on the phone and email, so not seeing them much didn't matter. It was also quite refreshing to see others experience what I go through on long term basis, without getting satisfaction from others misfortune whatsoever, I'm not that person, but it did give perhaps others some more understanding of my life in general.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    vic
    · 2 months ago
    All these story's doing the rounds by the media of record high claims for disability benefit is no doubt is being spoon fed by this horrible new goverment,just like the tories did  .
    So when they announce their master plan in the next budget to tackle getting the sick back into work & benefit cuts their wont be an outcry.

  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    Truth
    · 2 months ago
    Along with the WCA, a major shakeup of PIP will be on the cards this budget without a doubt, either by means testing it, making the criteria infinitely harder to qualify for, or implementing the voucher system instead of money.. Sad, 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Edwards
      · 2 months ago
      @M shirker M shirker,my thoughts exactly, this us going to become a merry go round of forced work followed by health deterioration and withdrawal from the situation ( work) what then? We all know that point as a disabled person when you can't give any more and your body is screaming at you to stop and take time out,I've had 3 nervous breakdowns trying to work with agoraphobia and panic disorder, atm it's so bad with all this shit going on,I can't even make it to the local shop at the top of my road,a massive setback for me considering 2 years ago I managed to go 50 miles on holiday for 4 days,all that's gone down the toilet,stress on stress about all this because I know that pushing with agoraphobia when you're really in a bad place doesn't cure anything and is likely to end up as another period of being completely housebound ,I don't want a repeat of the past when housebound 7 years ago being phoned up by Warrington job centre 7 miles from my house and being told I had to attend or I'd be sanctioned and money would stop,that woman didn't even know what agoraphobia was and kept saying,well you have to attend over and over again,just awful
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Edwards
      · 2 months ago
      @MariW Agreed,I've just posted as to why that can't be simply done,disability cars etc,people gave put money down towards these cars for a 3 year period,our friend has got an electric vehicle on pip and has invested over 3k onto that car as it wasn't fee free whilst on pip
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Edwards
      · 2 months ago
      @Truth They can't just means test pip,people have contracts with disability vehicles and wheelchairs etc that just can't be broken overnight, people have put money down on disability vehicles if they want electric etc there around 3.5k to put towards the vehicle and the question I wast answered,if we have savings now can we give them to our kids before a means testing announcement has been made? Is that allowed because as ot thus present time,pip isn't means tested and theyres nothing stopping us giving money to our kids or spending our money
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      MariW
      · 2 months ago
      @claresturgeon claresturgeon The present government has not stated that they are looking into  means-testing PIP. There is no link! It was an idea that the last government had and discarded. I suppose the idea that PIP might be means-tested has gained currency since the WFP became means-tested. It is a frightening possibility but the social impact would be so great it would be a foolish government that travelled down this route.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      Jon
      · 2 months ago
      @MJ I think they like you to work minimum 18 hours otherwise as you say they are on your back I don't claim housing benefit or council tax I currently receive ESA income related and pip

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