Gentle Britain: One in 10 working-age Britons now claim disability benefits, while claims from under-40s have risen by 150%

The number of Britons receiving disability benefits has risen dramatically. However, no such increase has been seen in other developed countries.

One in ten people in the working population – approximately 3.9 million people – now receive disability benefits.

Data from the Institute for Fiscal Studies also shows that new disability claims for people under 40 have risen by 150 percent in the past four years, and claims for mental health benefits have risen sharply.

But the research highlights how benefit claims in Britain are rising much faster than elsewhere, even though other comparable countries have also seen increases in reported disability claims.

This will inevitably contribute to the growing perception that the British welfare system is susceptible to manipulation by ne’er-do-wells.

One in 10 people in the working population – about 3.9 million people – now receive disability benefits (file image)

The IFS found that the number of people using health care services has increased by 38 percent in just four years, from 2.8 million to 38 million.

Real spending on such benefits has risen by a third over this period, from £36 billion to £48 billion, and is expected to reach £63 billion in 2028.

The increase in applications has occurred in all local authorities in England and Wales, except the City of London, and the official forecast is that growth will continue.

There are now 20 local authorities where more than one in seven 16- to 64-year-olds are eligible for health-related benefits, up from two before the pandemic.

In contrast, the number of benefit recipients has fallen or remained the same in most comparable countries.

Denmark is the only other country with significant growth, but at 13 percent since 2019, this is much slower than growth in the UK.

Data from the Institute for Fiscal Studies also shows that the number of new disability claims for people under 40 has increased by 150 percent over the past four years (file image)

The number of people reporting a disability has also increased in the UK and similar countries, although the increase in the UK has been faster than average.

John O’Connell of the TaxPayers’ Alliance said: “The unprecedented increase in demand for revenue from the state is clearly unsustainable.”

The number of new disability benefits paid to people under 40 has increased from 4,500 per month in 2019/20 to 11,500 per month in 2023/2024.

Health Minister Wes Streeting promised reforms, adding: “If we do nothing, 4.3 million people could be sick at home by the end of this parliament.”