The Government has put in place several benefits for those who struggle, whether you are a pensioner or have a disability, you could be entitled to extra help. As per Birmingham Live, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has found that more and more people are claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
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Indeed, according to the DWP’s latest statistics, the number of people receiving PIP has risen to 3.4 million across the UK, with Birmingham having the highest number of claimants, with 76,000 people on PIP. In 2023, 3,437,047 people were claiming PIP, which is 230,000 more than the year before.
What is PIP?
As per Birmingham Live, Personal Independence Payment (PIP) was first introduced in 2013. The goal of PIP is to help those with medical conditions.
Claiming PIP isn’t defined by having certain medical conditions, but by how a person’s condition or conditions affect their daily lives. As a result, an assessment is done, which awards points for a person’s ability to perform specific daily tasks such as cooking, bathing and travelling.
The average wait time from when you first register to getting a decision is around 13 weeks, which includes having the assessment.
How much can you get on PIP?
PIP offers two payments the claimant can either get one of the two or both depending on their situation:
Daily living part
- Standard weekly rate - £68.10, rising to £72.65 a week from April 8
- Enhanced weekly rate - £101.75, rising to £108.55 a week from April 8
Or/and
Mobility part
- Standard weekly rate - £26.90, rising to £28.70 a week from April 8
- Enhanced weekly rate - £71, rising to £75.75 a week from April 8
If you receive PIP payments, you will receive them in your account every 4 weeks, amounting to £691 a month, but this will rise to £737.20 from April. This means that those claiming PIP will receive £8,983, rising to £9,583 a year from April.
These conditions are the most common for PIP
According to Birmingham Live, the following conditions are the most common in those who claim PIP, as per the figures from the DWP from October 2023.
Haematological Disease
Number of claimants: 8,134
Includes: anaemia, sickle cell anaemia, thalassaemia, haemophilia
Infectious disease
Number of claimants: 12,841
Includes: Coronavirus/Covid 19, hepatitis, tuberculosis, malaria, HIV/Aids
Malignant disease
Number of claimants: 107,226
Includes: all cancers including Hodgkin's lymphoma, leukaemia, melanoma
Metabolic disease
Number of claimants: 95,023
Includes: hyperlipidaemia, amyloidosis, porphyria, obesity
Psychiatric disorders
Number of claimants: 1,288,379
Includes: anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, agoraphobia, learning disorders (including dyslexia and dyspraxia), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), bipolar affective disorder, schizophrenia, dementia, anorexia, bulimia, learning disabilities (such as Down's syndrome), autistic spectrum disorders (including autism, Asperger syndrome, Retts disorder), ADHD/ADD
Neurological disease
Number of claimants: 430,576
Includes: stroke, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, motor neurone disease, cerebral palsy, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy
Visual disease
Number of claimants: 58,901
Includes: scleritis, glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, retinal detachment, tunnel vision
Hearing disorders
Number of claimants: 36,456
Includes: deafness, otosclerosis, labyrinthitis, mastoiditis, Meniere's disease
Cardiovascular disease
Number of claimants: 90,218
Includes: aneurysm, tachycardia, cardiomyopathy, heart transplant, angina, pericarditis, deep vein thrombosis, Raynaud's disease
Gastrointestinal disease
Number of claimants: 31,837
Includes: hiatus hernia, gastritis, coeliac disease, Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Diseases of the liver, gallbladder, biliary tract
Number of claimants: 12,915
Includes: hepatitis, cirrhosis, peritonitis, pancreatitis, haemochromatosis
Skin disease
Number of claimants: 22,621
Includes: cellulitis, impetigo, eczema, psoriasis, urticaria, acne, lymphoedema
Musculoskeletal disease (general)
Number of claimants: 682,438
Includes: arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, ankylosing spondylitis, gout, osteoporosis, rickets
Musculoskeletal disease (regional)
Number of claimants: 404,251
Includes: scoliosis, tenosynovitis, golfer's elbow (medial epicondylitis), tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis), carpal tunnel syndrome, back pain, bursitis, amputation
Autoimmune disease (connective tissue disorders)
Number of claimants: 18,876
Includes: systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis (scleroderma), vasculitis, Sjogren's syndrome
Genitourinary disease
Number of claimants: 26,658
Includes: renal failure, endometriosis, fibroids, nephritis, incontinence, ovarian cyst, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
Endocrine disease
Number of claimants: 46,903
Includes: diabetes, goitre, hyperthyroidism, Addison's disease
Respiratory disease
Number of claimants: 140,088
Includes: cystic fibrosis, asthma, pneumonia, asbestosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis/emphysema
Multisystem and extremes of age
Number of claimants: 1,439
Includes: chromosomal syndrome, complications of prematurity, old age
Diseases of the immune system
Number of claimants: 1,181
Includes: allergy, food intolerance, angioedema, hypersensitivity disease
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Sources used:
Birmingham Live: ‘DWP names 20 top medical conditions paying up to £9k in PIP disability benefits'
