Prime Minister Andy Burnham has been urged to scrap the £194 weekly Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for two mental health conditions, following an analysis that reveals more than 87,000 16- and 17-year-olds are claiming the benefit. The Times report shows that over two-thirds of those on the top tier of PIP are receiving payments for anxiety and ADHD, prompting the Conservative Party to call for a crackdown.
Majority of Teenage PIP Claims for Mental Health
According to the analysis, a 16-year-old working the legal maximum of 12 hours per week on the under-18 minimum wage earns about £94 weekly—less than half the £194 they could receive by claiming PIP for anxiety without working. This disparity has fuelled criticism that the system incentivises young people to avoid work.
The figures come from The Times investigation into PIP claims among teenagers. The benefit is intended to cover the extra costs of disability and long-term health conditions, but critics argue it is being misused for common mental health issues that do not warrant such high payments.
Conservative Criticism
Helen Whately, the Conservative shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, said: "Our sickness benefit system is broken. Instead of being there for the seriously disabled, thousands of teenagers are getting nearly £200 a week for anxiety and ADHD. This is absurd. Young people are being told they have disabilities and pointed towards welfare. Worse still, those teenagers will be better off than their classmates who manage to get a part-time job."
The Conservative Party has been particularly vocal about the need for reform, arguing that the current system fails both taxpayers and those with genuine disabilities. They have called for a stricter assessment process to ensure PIP is only awarded to those with the most severe conditions.
Government Response and Review
Foreign Office Minister Hamish Falconer defended the government's approach, saying on Monday that he believes Labour MPs will support welfare reform under Mr Burnham. Speaking on ITV's Good Morning Britain, Falconer stated: "I think the PLP, the Parliamentary Labour Party, do recognise that there is an issue that they want to see reform of, and I think they'll support the PM in his intent that he set out over the weekend."
Falconer added: "It is vital that we make changes. There are far too many people who are currently being failed by the benefits system, because if you're not in work then you often will live a much less full life than if you are. Most people I know who are NEETs... do want to work, and the PM has set out why that's so important to him at the weekend."
The Prime Minister himself has insisted he is prepared to reduce the welfare bill but not through "crude cuts". He has promised to "get serious" about the rising cost of benefits, which has become a major political issue.
DWP Statement and Timms Review
A Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) spokesperson said: "PIP is an in and out-of-work benefit, to help with the extra costs of disability and health conditions. The Timms review interim report is clear PIP, as designed in 2013, is no longer fit for purpose, and the final recommendations due this autumn will lay the foundation for reform."
The DWP also highlighted £16.1 billion in NHS mental health services investment this year, along with a target to hire 8,500 more mental health workers, which was achieved three years early. The numbers have further fuelled calls for welfare reform, with the Government review concluding that the benefits system is "no longer fit for purpose". Burnham's DWP threats come as part of a broader push to overhaul the system and reduce the number of young people claiming PIP for conditions like anxiety and ADHD.
