The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has confirmed 45 eye conditions that could qualify claimants for Personal Independence Payment (PIP). DWP caseload figures show 61,778 people are currently claiming the benefit for these various eye conditions.
In total, more than four million people were claiming PIP as of April 2026, according to Labour Party government figures. Claims for Britain’s main disability benefit are up by more than 7 per cent compared with a year ago.
Spending and Debt Pressures
The DWP expects to spend £32bn on disability benefits for adults and pensioners this year alone. Total spending on sickness and disability benefits is currently on course to climb above £100bn by the end of the decade, which is almost the same as the entire education budget.
It comes as politicians grapple to reduce debt, with total debt now on course to surpass £3tn this autumn. Helen Whately, the shadow work and pensions secretary, said the Tories would make the system “fair and affordable again”. She announced details of a review of PIP as part of the party’s pledge to cut the welfare bill by £23bn.
Political Reaction to PIP Figures
Commenting on the DWP figures, Ms Whately said: “Labour have let a sickness benefit crisis spiral out of control.
“We have a system that’s too quick to write people off and too slow to help them into work – and which is costing us a fortune at a time when we must boost Britain’s defences.”
Full List of 45 Eye Conditions
The DWP caseload figures break down the number of claimants for each eye condition. The full list is as follows:
- Conjunctiva cornea eyelids and lacrimal apparatus - Other diseases of / type not known - 1,315
- Corneal ulceration - 96
- Entropion - 7
- Herpes zoster - ophthalmic - 19
- Keratitis - 115
- Keratoconus - 1,408
- Orbital cellulitis - 9
- Ptosis - 35
- Scleritis - 36
- Anterior Uveitis (iritis) - 253
- Chorioretinal disorders - Other / type not known - 396
- Posterior (choroiditis) - 66
- Glaucoma - 4,141
- Eyes - Injuries to - 597
- Posterior vitreous detachment - 38
- Vitreous disease - Other / type not known - 122
- Vitreous haemorrhage - 123
- Diabetic retinopathy - 2,011
- Hypertensive retinopathy - 53
- Macular degeneration - 3,331
- Optic atrophy - 1,449
- Optic neuritis - 322
- Retina and optic nerve - Other diseases of / type not known - 4,164
- Retinal artery occlusion - 108
- Retinal detachment - 1,108
- Retinal vein occlusion - 145
- Retinitis Pigmentosa - 5,123
- Retinopathy - Other / type not known - 1,040
- Cataract - 1,849
- Astigmatism - 129
- Hypermetropia (long-sighted) - 66
- Myopia (short-sighted) - 489
- Refractive errors - Other / type not known - 134
- Eye movement - Other disorders of / type not known - 454
- Nystagmus - 2,120
- Strabismus (Squint) - 65
- Amblyopia - 179
- Cortical blindness - 9,361
- Diplopia (double vision) - 399
- Hemianopia - 262
- Quadrantanopia - 11
- Scotoma - 15
- Tunnel vision - 563
- Visual field defects - Other / type not known - 4,682
- Vision - Other diseases affecting / type not known - 13,377
