Department for Work and Pensions
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Personal Independence Payment statistics

The first official statistics for claims of the new disability benefit – Personal Independence Payment (PIP) – show 37% of standard claims have been successful.

For people with terminal illnesses, however, over 99% of all claims have been approved.

Ministers say the new benefit which includes a face-to-face assessment and regular reviews – something missing from the old system of Disability Living Allowance – will lead to more accurate awards.

DWP has received around 30,000 claims per month on average for PIP.

Minister of State for Disabled People, Mike Penning, said:

Disability Living Allowance is an outdated benefit introduced over 20 years ago. It was very much a product of its time, with the majority of claimants getting indefinite awards without systematic checks to see if their situations have changed – whether improved or deteriorated.

Personal Independence Payment has been designed to better reflect today’s understanding of disability – particularly to update our thinking on mental health and fluctuating conditions.

We are world-leaders in support for disabled people with the UK’s spending on disability-related benefits a fifth higher than the EU average. Our reforms – as part of our long-term economic plan – will ensure this support is better targeted at those who need it most.

More information

Read the first Personal Independence Payment official statistics

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