The number of Personal Independence Payments claimants increased by 2% compared to January, with 37% of claimants entitled to the highest level of award, new benefits figures show.
This morning, the Department for Work & Pensions released new Personal Independence Payment (PIP) statistics revealing that a total of 3.7 million people were entitled to PIP in England and Wales by the end of April 2025.
The Personal Independence Payment, often referred to as PIP, is a benefit to support extra living costs for those who have a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability, and those who experience difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around due to their condition.
During the first quarter of 2025 there were:
- 210k new PIP registrations and 220k clearances
- 35k changes of circumstances were reported, with 28k cleared
- 23k reassessment registrations under the Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
- 66k mandatory reconsiderations registered
Over the last five years, 43% of new claims under standard rules and 98% of claims under special rules received a PIP award. Standard rules are those highlighted above for PIP assessment whilst special rules are those which apply to claimants with terminal illnesses.
Additionally, a high majority of planned award reviews (76%) and change of circumstances reviews (87%) resulted in an increase or no change to the level of award received by the claimant.
At Polimapper, we have visualised PIP statistics by constituency in England and Wales, revealing geographical trends.
According to the data, the largest number of initial assessment decisions for PIP was seen in Blackpool South at 24.4k. This was followed by Liverpool Walton (23.5k) and Birmingham Erdington (23.4). Conversely, Mid Buckinghamshire saw the lowest number of initial assessment decisions at 4.1k.
The constituency with the highest rate of PIP initial assessment decisions disallowed were Birmingham Ladywood and Birmingham Perry Barr, at 51% and 53% respectively. Explore statistics in your area below.
About this map
The visualisation below shows PIP statistics by Westminster Constituency for initial assessments and review outcomes between 2013 and 2025.
To view statistics in your area double click on the map or click here.
Geodata context
Following last week’s spending review, Chancellor Rachel Reeves has said that the “welfare system is not working today” and planned reforms, including tightening PIP assessment requirements, were necessary.
Reeves has ruled out a U-turn on disability benefit cuts but admits that rules may be tweaked in the future.
“We are reviewing the criteria to get Pips and of course we’ll take into account those representations. We’ve already announced that we are reviewing the criteria for accessing personal independence payments.”
“Even with these changes we will substantially be increasing the amount of money we are paying in sickness and disability benefits during the course of this parliament.”
Merry Cross, from Disabled People Against Cuts: “We’ve already been receiving many desperate emails from disabled people who are wondering how they will survive these cuts,”
“So imagine the emotional toll of waiting years to find out if and when the axe is going to fall on you. We fear it may drive even more people to suicide.”
