The government led by Andy Burnham is facing calls to remove Personal Independence Payment (PIP) from 276,000 claimants who receive the benefit due to back pain. This condition is projected to cost the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) £1.9 billion annually, equivalent to £5 million per day, according to official figures.
Surge in back pain claims since 2019
The number of PIP claimants citing back pain as their primary condition has reached 276,725, an increase of more than 111,000 since 2019. This surge comes as the government prepares to implement welfare cuts following a review ordered by Sir Keir Starmer in 2025.
Timms Review declares PIP unfit for purpose
The interim Timms Review, published this month, has concluded that PIP is "no longer fit for purpose." The final recommendations are due in November and will be presented to DWP, Andy Burnham, and Chancellor John Healey. Ministers are under pressure to outline how they will reform the benefit system.
Jonathan Eida, a researcher at the TaxPayers' Alliance, commented: "Taxpayers are breaking their backs funding the country’s crushing benefits bill. When every week adds hundreds more to the list, and scammers are caught coaching football while claiming they can’t walk, it’s clear the system is broken. The Government must tighten the criteria and ensure disability welfare only goes to those who truly cannot support themselves."
DWP defends reform plans
A DWP spokesman responded: "The central conclusion of the Timms Review Interim Report is clear: PIP is no longer fit for purpose. The review’s final recommendations are due this autumn and will lay the foundation for deep, sustainable reform. These statistics only include a claimant’s primary condition, but it may be a different health condition that entitles a claimant to PIP. We are working to fix the welfare system so that it supports people who genuinely need it, while delivering fairness to the taxpayer – with reforms set to save £1.9bn by the end of 2030-31."
Impact of proposed cuts
The proposed changes could affect hundreds of thousands of claimants, with savings targeted at £1.9 billion by 2030-31. The government aims to ensure that disability welfare is directed only to those who are genuinely unable to support themselves, addressing concerns about fraud and system inefficiency.
