The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has released new figures showing that as of April this year, a record 3.5 million people were receiving Personal Independence Payments (PIP) each month.
This number has surged since the Covid pandemic broke out in March 2020, with a million more Brits claiming the benefit, primarily due to three groups of conditions.
This number is expected to rise further as more individuals with long-term illnesses, disabilities or mental or physical health conditions apply for financial assistance to cover the additional costs of daily living or mobility needs.
Over this four-year period, there has been a significant increase in the number of people receiving support for psychiatric disorders such as stress, anxiety, mood or depressive disorders, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) or eating disorders.