The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has disallowed 4.5 million claims for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) amid mounting pressure to reduce the welfare bill. The PIP programme, which replaced Disability Living Allowance (DLA) in 2013, continues to see rising costs.
PIP Claims Statistics
According to the latest DWP figures, there have been 4.6 million successful PIP claims since the benefit was introduced. Out of a total of 9.7 million PIP claims registered over the same period, 4.5 million were disallowed. Of these, 7.5 million were new claims and 2.2 million were DLA reassessment claims.
The DWP noted a gradual increase in the total number of people entitled to either PIP or DLA, rising from 3 million to 3.5 million between February 2013 and February 2020.
Political Pressure to Cut Spending
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has called on Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer and his potential leadership rivals to cut welfare spending and redirect savings to defence. In a letter to the prime minister, Badenoch stated it was time to get serious, warning that the military is inadequately funded at a time of growing threats.
She wrote: The funding must also not be backloaded when the pressures are urgent. I have made several offers to work with you in the national interest to reduce benefit spending so we can invest more in our defence. Sir Tony Blair, the longest-serving Labour prime minister, has urged you to accept them.
Badenoch added: Since the Parliamentary defeat of your modest attempt at welfare reform in the summer of last year, it is obvious that your left-wing MPs will not support any real attempt to cut the welfare bills. Therefore, the support of the Conservatives will be critical to delivering substantive reforms that will reduce the benefits bill.
