YOUNG ADULTS ACCOUNT FOR 30% OF RECENT PIP ANXIETY CLAIMANTS

People aged 16 to 24 accounted for 7,403 of the 24,681 people in England and Wales who had received Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for up to two years with an anxiety disorder recorded as their primary condition on 31 July 2026, according to an analysis of Department for Work and Pensions data. That amounted to 30% of the group. Another 5,445 claimants, or 22%, were aged 25 to 34. The department listed 72,195 PIP claimants with anxiety disorders as their primary condition overall on that date.

Among those who had received PIP for up to two years, 5,350 were aged 35 to 44, 3,391 were 45 to 54, 2,649 were 55 to 64 and 438 were 65 or older. The anxiety disorder category includes panic disorder and social phobia. Among all claimants whose primary condition was social phobia, 1,238 of 3,554 were aged 16 to 24. For panic disorder, the corresponding figures were 487 of 3,851. The NHS defines social phobia as a long-term and overwhelming fear of social situations.

PIP helps people with extra living or mobility costs arising from a long-term disability or health condition, including a mental health condition. People can claim from age 16 and can receive PIP while working, holding savings or getting other benefits. Department figures put the number of people entitled to PIP in England and Wales at approximately 4.09 million on 31 July 2026, up by 262,045 from a year earlier. A government-commissioned review of PIP’s costs and operation is due later this autumn. Its interim report in July described the system as “no longer fit for purpose”.