More than 1,000 claimants die waiting for their benefits

More than 1,000 sick and disabled benefit claimants died while waiting to receive vital payments last year, The Independent can reveal, laying bare the crisis in the welfare system.

- ARCHIE MITCHELL ALBERT TOTH

Department for Work and Pensions figures show that between November 2023 and October 2024, 900,000 people applied for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) benefits – the main support for those with an illness, disability or mental health condition.

Applicants faced an average wait of almost four months to have their claims processed – but 1,300 died before receiving a final decision, figures released under Freedom of Information laws show.

Rachel Reeves plans to slash the welfare bill by up to £5bn in her spring Budget and force people back to work, with reports on Friday suggesting the majority of the cuts will fall on those claiming PIP benefits.

The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union said the number of claimants dying before receiving payments was “an absolute scandal”, while campaigners warned the figures are just the “tip of the iceberg”.

And the findings have sparked a fresh backlash against the chancellor’s planned benefit cuts within her own party, with Labour MPs warning they risk lengthening delays in the underpressure system “denying vital support to those who need it most”.

Claimed by 3.6 million people, PIP is worth up to £184.30 a week and is designed to help with extra living costs for those with a long-term physical or mental illness that affects their ability to do everyday tasks or get around.

One man, 40, from Northern Ireland, who first applied for PIP in June 2022 is still waiting for the benefit. Despite being diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome caused by an underactive thyroid, the man, who wished to remain anonymous, was told he didn’t qualify and had his appeal rejected.