Record half a million adults claim disability benefits for anxiety and depression - up by 14% on last year and double the number since Covid lockdown
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Half a million adults are now claiming disability benefits for anxiety and depression - a new record. The number of Personal Independent Payment (PIP) claims related to anxiety or depressive disorders hit almost 525,000 in October - a rise of 14 per cent from 461,000 a year ago.
This figure has doubled since Covid, according to data published yesterday by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) that will add to concerns about Britain's ballooning welfare bill. Psychiatric disorders now make up 39 per cent of claims, while musculoskeletal issues, including pain, account for a further third of total claims.
The statistics reveal that the group most likely to claim for anxiety or depression are people in their 50s, followed by those in their 30s. The figures follow Sir Keir Starmer pledge last month to 'crack down hard' on the 'bulging benefits bill blighting our society'.
Under the PIP scheme, recipients in need of help due to illness, disability or mental health problems can get up to £172 per week. There are now 3.6million people entitled to the benefit overall, a rise of 3% on the last quarter and a new record. The system was introduced in April 2013 and is intended to help people living with long-term illness, disability or mental health conditions to live a more independent life by covering extra costs that their ailment incurs.
