BRITAIN’S disability benefit bill has crossed a landmark threshold – with more than four million people now claiming Personal Independence Payments (PIP) for the first time in the scheme’s history.
But buried within the record-breaking figures is a striking detail.
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More than 71,000 people are drawing the tax-free cash for conditions that NHS doctors can treat, manage or in some cases cure outright.
Official DWP data shows total PIP claims jumped from 3,743,945 in April 2025 to 4,010,120 in April 2026 – a leap of more than 266,000 in a single year and roughly double the number recorded in 2019.
The bulk of claimants suffer from serious conditions, with mental health disorders making up around 40 per cent of all claims and musculoskeletal diseases accounting for a further 26 per cent.
Yet the same data lays bare a sharp and sustained rise in awards for everyday ailments – from haemorrhoids and headaches to gout, bedwetting and constipation – that GPs routinely deal with in a standard ten-minute appointment.
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Reform UK chairman Lee Anderson MP blasted the numbers as “absurd.”
He said: “Conditions such as constipation, acne, tennis elbow and bedwetting should be treated by the NHS, not funded through the welfare system.”
PIP is a direct cash benefit designed to help people with the extra costs of long-term physical or mental health conditions.
It does not require a doctor’s “fit note” and is awarded based on how a condition affects daily life — not on a specific medical diagnosis.
The biggest single group within the minor ailments category is non-specific back pain, which has rocketed from 32,232 claimants in April 2019 to 52,374 today.
GPs and physiotherapists routinely treat the condition through exercise programmes, physiotherapy, painkillers such as ibuprofen, and in persistent cases, cognitive behavioural therapy or steroid injections.
Sleep apnoea has also seen one of the sharpest rises of any condition in the data, climbing from 581 claimants in 2019 to 3,900 by April 2026 — a near-sevenfold increase.
The NHS treats the condition using Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machines, provided free on the health service, alongside advice on weight loss, cutting alcohol, and quitting smoking.
Irritable bowel syndrome now accounts for 3,288 claimants, up from 837 seven years ago.
The NHS offers a range of treatments including dietary changes, low FODMAP programmes delivered by dietitians, prescribed antidepressants that can ease gut symptoms, and cognitive behavioural therapy.
Gout, a condition caused by a build-up of uric acid in the joints that can be managed through anti-inflammatory drugs, urate-lowering medication such as allopurinol, and lifestyle changes including diet, now has 2,808 claimants — up from 1,362 in 2019.
Psoriasis accounts for 2,295 claims and eczema for 1,690.
Both chronic skin conditions are managed on the NHS through emollient creams, topical steroid treatments, and in more severe cases, light therapy and systemic medications.
The figures for psoriasis have almost trebled since 2019 when 787 people claimed.
Dizziness is recorded for 2,164 claimants, up from 1,034 in 2019, with the NHS recommending treatment depending on the underlying cause — from the Epley manoeuvre for inner ear problems to medication for conditions such as vestibular neuritis.
Headaches are cited by 1,882 claimants, up from 901 in 2019.
For most sufferers, GPs advise staying hydrated, managing stress, and taking over-the-counter painkillers such as paracetamol and ibuprofen.
Tennis elbow affects 442 claimants, with golfer’s elbow affecting a further 114.
Both repetitive strain conditions are treated conservatively with rest, forearm stretching and strengthening exercises, anti-inflammatory gels, and in persistent cases, corticosteroid injections.
Haemorrhoids – or piles – now sit at 118 claimants, rising from just 19 in 2019.
The NHS treats the condition through creams and suppositories available over the counter, rubber band ligation, and surgery in more serious cases.
Constipation accounts for 173 claimants, up from 59 in 2019.
It is routinely addressed through dietary fibre, increased fluid intake, exercise, and pharmacy laxatives.
Rosacea, a chronic skin condition managed through prescription creams, gels and antibiotics from a GP, is now claimed by 23 people. Acne vulgaris — treatable through pharmacy products and, in moderate to severe cases, prescribed topical retinoids or antibiotic tablets — accounts for 21 claimants.
An ear infection known as otitis externa affects 33 claimants and is standardly treated with antibiotic eardrops.
Food intolerance, managed primarily through dietary adjustment under guidance from a GP or dietitian, has risen from 12 claimants in 2019 to 89 today, while allergies without the risk of anaphylaxis account for 26 claims – typically managed through antihistamines and steroid creams.
Bedwetting – clinically known as enuresis – is claimed by 46 people, up from 19 in 2019.
The NHS treats the condition in adults with lifestyle advice, bladder training, and prescription medication including desmopressin, which reduces urine production overnight.
Perhaps the most striking entry in the data is factitious disorder – also known as Munchausen syndrome – where a person deliberately fakes or induces illness in themselves.
The number of people claiming PIP for the condition has nearly doubled, from 22 in April 2019 to 41 in April 2026.
It is a psychological condition the NHS attempts to treat through psychotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy, though it is notoriously difficult to manage because sufferers frequently deny they have it.
The figures come as the government faces intense pressure over the soaring welfare bill, with ministers having already announced a package of PIP reforms – though key changes to eligibility criteria were paused in July 2025 pending an independent review expected to report by the end of 2026.
