Sunak defends tightening disability benefits system

Rishi Sunak has rushed to defend his disability benefits crackdown, saying only those with “genuine” claims should be eligible for support.

- TOM WATLING

After a massive rise in the number of adults reporting disabilities and claiming help through personal independence payments (Pip), the prime minister said those with “less severe” conditions should be engaged in the world of work.

The government Green Paper, published yesterday, proposed a reform of scheme payments through changes to eligibility criteria and assessments, including options to require claimants to get clinical diagnosis and a switch away from cash payments.

The number of monthly Pip awards for mental health disorders has doubled since 2019, from 2,200 to 5,300, in line with an increase in overall awards through the benefit scheme to 33,000 a month.

The annual cost of the payment system is currently at around £22bn, and is forecast to rise by 50 per cent over the next four years as more people, including those with mental health concerns, qualify for the support.

But critics have accused the PM of using mental health as a political culture war ahead of Thursday’s local elections, which are set to see the Tories lose hundreds of seats on local councils.

In an interview with ITV’s Robert Peston, Mr Sunak said: “The broad thrust of what we’re trying to do is say, hang on, you can’t be making claims based on unverifiable assertions. There needs to be some objective evidence, perhaps medical, so that we can say you are genuinely someone who’s in need of support.”