There are now more than 3.7 million people across Great Britain receiving additional financial support through PIP

20:27, 24 Jul 2025Updated 20:28, 24 Jul 2025

PIP is a benefit aimed at helping with extra living costs if someone has a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability(Image: Getty Images/Maskot)

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) could pay people up to £749 a month if they have one of five eligible PIP conditions. A successful award for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is worth between £116.80 and £749.80 every four-week payment period.

PIP is a benefit aimed at helping with extra living costs if someone has a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability and difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around because of their condition.

The DWP has said demand for PIP has now reached “unprecedented levels of new claims in recent quarters” as 210,000 applications were received between January 31 and April 30, the Daily Record reports.

It comes after DWP figures show there are now more than 3.7 million people across Great Britain receiving additional financial support through Personal Independence Payment – a 2% increase since January (80,127).

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The DWP data also shows that 37% of all claims with entitlement to PIP receive the highest level of award, with both daily living and mobility components received at the enhanced rate, the same proportion as January 2025.

Number of PIP claimants – April 2025

  • England and Wales – 3,735,942
  • Living Abroad – 2, 235
  • Scotland – 2,969 (476,295 claiming ADP)
  • Unknown – 3,521
  • Total – 3,744,671

At the end of April, PIP and ADP – the disability benefit that has replaced PIP in Scotland – were providing financial support to 4,220,966 people.

Some 7% of the 200,000 new claims processed over the three-month period were given an award of up to two years, 12% were longer term (over 2 years) and 7% were ongoing.

Five most-claimed PIP health conditions

The five most commonly recorded disabling conditions for claims under normal rules are:

  • Psychiatric disorders – 1,444,016 claimants
  • Musculoskeletal disease (general) – 707,084 claimants
  • Neurological disease – 476,659
  • Musculoskeletal disease (regional) – 447,794 claimants
  • Respiratory disease – 138,428 claimants

PIP and ADP provide weekly support of between £29.20 and £187.45, some £116.80 or £749.80 every four-week pay period. Both disability benefits are designed to help people with the additional costs of living with a disability, long-term illness, or physical or mental health condition.

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Many people may be unaware that PIP and ADP can provide support for hundreds of health conditions. Both benefits could help people with daily living tasks or moving around, or both.

However, it would not be beneficial to list all 536 conditions recorded by DWP during the PIP application process as an award for the disability benefit is determined by how a person’s health condition affects their ability to perform daily living tasks such as cooking, washing, eating, dressing and engaging with other people in a safe and timely way. There are also awards to help if you have difficulty moving around.

This means that every claim for PIP is unique for each applicant, which could also help people thinking about making a new claim to start the process.

PIP cannot be backdated, but payments start from the date the claim was submitted, to cover the handling time at the DWP.

Disabling conditions recorded by DWP

These are the main disability categories, the umbrella term by which more than 530 other conditions fall under. This list is only an overview of conditions, disorders and diseases and how the DWP lists the main disabilities being claimed for.

  • Haematological Disease
  • Infectious disease
  • Malignant disease
  • Metabolic disease
  • Psychiatric disorders
  • Neurological disease
  • Visual disease
  • Hearing disorders
  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Gastrointestinal disease
  • Diseases of the liver, gallbladder, biliary tract
  • Skin disease
  • Musculoskeletal disease (general)
  • Musculoskeletal disease (regional)
  • Autoimmune disease (connective tissue disorders)
  • Genitourinary disease
  • Endocrine disease
  • Respiratory disease
  • Multisystem and extremes of age
  • Diseases of the immune system
  • Unknown or missing

Who might be eligible for PIP?

To be eligible for PIP, you must have a health condition or disability where you:

  • have had difficulties with daily living or getting around (or both) for 3 months
  • expect these difficulties to continue for at least 9 months

You usually need to have lived in the UK for at least two of the last three years and be in the country when you apply.

In addition to what we have outlined above, if you get or need help with any of the following because of your condition, you should consider applying for PIP:

  • preparing, cooking or eating food
  • managing your medication
  • washing, bathing or using the toilet
  • dressing and undressing
  • engaging and communicating with other people
  • reading and understanding written information
  • making decisions about money
  • planning a journey or following a route
  • moving around

There are different rules if you are terminally ill, you will find these on the GOV.UK website.

DWP will assess how difficult you find daily living and mobility tasks. For each task they will look at:

  • Whether you can do it safely
  • How long it takes you
  • How often your condition affects this activity
  • Whether you need help to do it, from a person or using extra equipment

You will need an assessment to work out the level of financial help you will receive and your rate will be regularly reviewed to make sure you are getting the right support. Payments are made every four weeks.

PIP is made up of two components:

Whether you get one or both of these and how much depends on how severely your condition affects you. You will be paid the following amounts per week depending on your circumstances:

Daily living

  • Standard rate: £73.90
  • Enhanced rate: £110.40

Mobility

  • Standard rate: £29.20
  • Enhanced rate: £77.05

To claim or for more information, visit the GOV.UK website.

PIP and Adult Disability Payment are providing financial support for over 3.7 million people across Great Britain.