New data reveals that an overwhelming nine out of ten individuals deemed too ill to work and receiving Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefits suffer from mental health conditions. This figure is nearly nine times greater than the 380,000 claimants recorded in December 2019, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since restrictions lifted in January 2022, 91 percent of new claims have been classified under “mental and behavioural disorders.” Additionally, 80 percent of those on incapacity benefits receive up to £5,000 annually in extra payments without any job-seeking requirements.
Released on Thursday and highlighted by The Telegraph, official projections from the Office for Budget Responsibility predict that the annual cost of sickness and disability benefits will escalate to £110 billion by the start of the next decade, fueled by increasing claim numbers.
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This surge comes amid the Labour Party’s efforts to reduce welfare expenditure. However, Chancellor Rachel Reeves faces mounting criticism over proposed cuts. Think tanks, including the Centre for Social Justice, emphasize the urgent need to “repair” the UK by addressing DWP spending.
Joe Shalam, policy director at the Centre for Social Justice, commented: “Britain cannot afford to keep writing off millions of people to long term welfare while the world becomes more dangerous. Behind these numbers are millions of people with talents and dreams who deserve the chance to gain all the advantages that come with work. We already spend more on health-related benefits than the entire defence budget. Repairing broken Britain and helping people realize their potential is ultimately a matter of national security.”
The Centre for Social Justice’s recent report highlights that Britain’s welfare expenditures are expected to increase by £18 billion within a single year. This includes total spending on benefits and pensions, projected to reach around £333 billion in 2024—a rise exceeding the annual budgets of several government departments combined.
The think tank attributes this financial growth to soaring sickness and disability claims coupled with increases in pensions and other benefits, underscoring a pressing challenge for policymakers balancing social support with fiscal sustainability.