The enhanced daily living rate is currently worth up to £114.80 a week
More than 1.5 million Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims are now tied to mental health conditions, according to the most recent figures from the Department for Work and Pensions.
The DWP has released a list of 46 mental health conditions that may make individuals eligible for the benefit, with the enhanced daily living rate currently valued at up to £114.80 per week. Recent government statistics reveal there were 1,559,482 PIP claims related to mental health conditions, while the total number of recipients reached 4,010,098 in April 2026, rising from 3,926,015 at the beginning of the year.
PIP is designed to help those facing additional costs associated with living with a long-term physical or mental health condition, illness, or terminal diagnosis. The benefit contains two components, determined by the extent to which a claimant’s condition affects their independence, reports the Express.
The daily living element covers the extra expenses involved in managing everyday tasks, providing £76.55 weekly at the standard rate or £114.80 at the enhanced level. For those experiencing difficulties with mobility, the mobility component offers £30.20 at the basic rate, increasing to £80.10 for more significant impairments.
Those who qualify for both the enhanced daily living payment and mobility support may receive as much as £187 per week, equivalent to £748 each month.
PIP is designed to assist people of State Pension age who require additional support to continue living independently within their own homes. PIP is not based on National Insurance contributions and is not means-tested, meaning your income, savings, employment status or any other benefits you receive will have no bearing on your eligibility.
However, satisfying these criteria does not automatically guarantee an award, as every claim must pass through the DWP’s assessment process before a final decision is reached. The DWP carries out assessments that examine how difficult claimants find tasks related to daily living and mobility.
To be eligible for PIP, applicants must demonstrate that they have struggled with daily living or mobility activities on the majority of days over a 12-month period. In most instances, this means their condition must affect them on more than half the days within that timeframe.
The benefit is designed to offer financial assistance to those whose condition makes navigating everyday life more difficult. Amongst the listed mental health conditions, mixed anxiety and depressive disorders account for the greatest number of PIP claims, with 435,330 people currently receiving support.
Autism is the second most prevalent qualifying condition, with 227,526 claims, followed by learning disabilities (149,464) and ADHD (100,207). Depressive disorder accounts for 93,364 claims, while schizophrenia is associated with 83,048 awards.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) accounts for 66,816 claims, while personality disorders are linked to 58,338 and bipolar affective disorder to 57,088. Additional conditions featured in the DWP figures include dementia (14,755 claims), obsessive compulsive disorder (12,343), and eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa (5,231).
Full list of mental health conditions that could qualify for PIP (and number of people claiming as of April 2026)
- Anxiety and depressive disorders (mixed): 435,330
- Autism: 227,526
- Learning disability (other/type not known): 149,464
- ADHD/ADD: 100,207
- Depressive disorder: 93,364
- Schizophrenia: 83,048
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): 66,816
- Personality disorder: 58,338
- Bipolar affective disorder: 57,088
- Anxiety disorders (other/type not known): 39,033
- Psychotic disorders (other/type not known): 34,846
- Asperger syndrome: 30,551
- Specific learning disorder (other/type not known): 24,978
- Down’s syndrome: 21,661
- Generalised anxiety disorder: 15,692
- Dementia: 14,755
- Schizoaffective disorder: 14,017
- Alcohol misuse: 13,313
- Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD): 12,343
- Cognitive disorders (other/type not known): 7,813
- Agoraphobia: 7,167
- Mood disorders (other/type not known): 5,704
- Anorexia nervosa: 5,231
- Drug misuse: 4,825
- Cognitive disorder due to stroke: 4,522
- Dyslexia: 4,490
- Speech or language disorder: 4,188
- Dyspraxia: 4,052
- Panic disorder: 3,738
- Phobia (social): 3,453
- Fragile X syndrome: 2,333
- Eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS): 2,314
- Conduct disorder (including oppositional defiant disorder): 1,273
- Stress reaction disorders (other/type not known): 1,168
- Dissociative disorders (other/type not known): 1,009
- Psychiatric disorders of childhood (other/type not known): 960
- Bulimia nervosa: 828
- Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD): 597
- Rett’s disorder: 464
- Phobia (specific): 370
- Conversion disorder (hysteria): 305
- Somatoform disorders (other/type not known): 137
- Faecal soiling (encopresis): 68
- Bedwetting (enuresis): 46
- Factitious disorders (other/type not known): 35
- Munchausen syndrome: 10
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