David Vance SubstackRead More
Something is very wrong with the Welfare system in the UK but nobody is prepared to do anything to fix it. Last night saw a rebellion on the Labour backbenches over a modest tinkering around the edges of Welfare benefits.
Here are some staggering statistics for you to consider looking back across the past five years when it comes to growth in Welfare payments
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Enhanced PIP payments for autism 2019: 26,256 2025: 114,211
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Anxiety and depression 2019: 23,647 2025: 110,075
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ADHD 2019: 4,233 2025: 37,339
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‘Obesity’ 2019: 2,346 2025: 11,228
You will agree that this is a phenomenal increase and cannot be anchored in anything other than naked opportunism. The rise in Personal Independence Payment (aka PIP) also suggests a shift in assessment practices. This is most likely linked to the move from in-person to phone-based evaluations that took place during Covid era and which hasn’t come back.
Another wild fact is contained in some research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies and it indicates a growth of mental health-related claims among younger claimants (69% of 25-year-olds vs. 22% of 55-year-olds). Isn’t this just massive over-diagnosis without any robust clinical validation and the tax payer picks up the cost,
The inclusion of obesity (from 2,346 to 11,228) and other debated conditions like writer’s cramp or food intolerance in PIP claims, with a 70% appeal success rate, also surely raises questions about assessment rigour. There was a report in 2021 from the DWP that pointed out inconsistencies in phone assessments compared to face-to-face reviews, potentially inflating approvals. I am not in the least suprised!!!
Long story short- the Welfare enthusiasts want more free money and will invent whatever condition they think they can get away with. Most politicians are too afraid to confront these scroungers and so the taxpayer picks up the border of the lazy.
