PIP claim: The harshest areas for DWP disability benefits - where payments are most often denied

• The areas where people are most likely to be denied PIP have been revealed.
• Almost 300,000 PIP applications were denied last year.
• Birmingham is the city where you are most likely to be denied PIP.
• Whilst for new claims London had the highest number of rejections.

The areas where people in England and Wales are most likely to be denied Personal Independent Payment (PIP) claims have been revealed.

The analysis, by Cool Crutches & Walking Sticks, described it as a “postcode lottery”, with data obtained from GOV.UK, finding 300,000 PIP claims were rejected in 2024, despite one in three disabled people in the UK struggling financially.

PIP, which is not means tested, is available to people who live with a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability. However, the latest findings show that where you live could determine whether or not your claim is more likely to be successful.

Birmingham has been named the city least likely to be approved for PIP. It had the highest rejection rate for both new claims and reassessments with 8,240 denials made last year, followed by Manchester with 4,212 denials and Leeds with 4,196 denials.

For new claims, London ranked highest for rejections, with applications in Wales three times more likely to be successful than those in London, with almost 47,000 denied in London alone, compared to 16,484 rejections in Wales.

Number of rejections for new claims per region:

1. London - 44,155
2. North West - 42,734
3. South East - 34,408
4. Yorkshire and the Humber - 29,273
5. West Midlands - 29,252
6. East of England - 25,842
7. South West - 22,694
8. East Midlands - 22,016
9. Wales - 16,285
10. North East - 15,761

Whilst the South East of England has seen the highest number of disabled people lose their PIP benefits during reassessment, with the North West also experiencing high rates of benefits being removed.

Number of rejections for reassessments per region:

1. South East - 3,219
2. North West - 3,071
3. London - 2,717
4. East of England - 2,036
5. South West - 1,696
6. Yorkshire and the Humber - 1,631
7. North East - 983
8. West Midlands - 972
9. East Midlands - 941
10. Wales - 199

Disability advocate, and co-founder of Cool Crutches & Walking Sticks, Amelia Peckham, is eager for PIP claims to be made easier. She said: “PIP applications are notoriously long and complicated, by the time you reach the interview stage you’ve already completed days of work to gather the information required. In my experience the interview was designed to try and trip me up, to catch me out, and intentionally question every element of my disability.

“As the least fraudulently claimed benefit, with a zero percent fraud rate, it is staggering to hear how many negative experiences are happening. My personal experience was soul-destroying, it undermined my disability, and experience and genuinely compromised both my physical and mental health for years afterward.

“We need a system that is better at screening, that separates different disabilities and accommodates them. One size doesn’t fit all and it’s key the nuances in disability are accommodated with nuances in applications, interviews, and decisions.”

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What is PIP?

PIP is available for people between the ages of 16 and pension age who have a a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability and difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around because of their condition. It is not means tested, you can still get PIP even if you’re working or have savings.

How can you claim for PIP?

If you think you are eligible for PIP you can start your claim by calling the PIP new claims phone line. You will then be sent a form about your condition to complete and return and then might be invited for an assessment. In some areas you can also apply online, you can find out more about this on GOV.UK.

We’d love to hear your experiences of claiming for PIP. Share your thoughts and concerns in the comment section below.