Across Cambridgeshire, thousands of people rely on Personal Independence Payments (PIP) as a vital lifeline, providing crucial financial support to manage long-term health conditions or disabilities. This essential benefit helps cover the extra costs of daily living and mobility that can arise from these challenges. However, recent data reveals significant variations in this reliance across different parts of the county, set against a backdrop of proposed government reforms and rising claim numbers, particularly linked to psychological conditions.
Understanding the areas where PIP plays a more prominent role offers insight into local needs and the potential impact of national policy changes. As debates continue regarding the future of the welfare system, looking at the numbers on a local level highlights the human scale of these discussions.
Where PIP Reliance is Highest in Cambridgeshire
Recent figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for April 2025 paint a clear picture of PIP reliance across Cambridgeshire. A total of 43,446 people across the county’s parliamentary constituencies are currently receiving this benefit. This number represents approximately eight percent of the working-age population in Cambridgeshire, meaning roughly one in every twelve adults aged 16 to 64 receives PIP.
While this provides a county-wide average, the dependency on PIP varies considerably depending on the specific constituency you look at. Some areas show a significantly higher proportion of residents needing this support than others.
Constituency Breakdown: Uneven Distribution
Breaking down the figures by parliamentary seat reveals the stark differences in PIP reliance:
North East Cambridgeshire: This constituency stands out with the highest proportion of residents receiving PIP. Twelve percent of its working-age population, or one in eight people, rely on the benefit. A total of 7,049 individuals here receive PIP.
Peterborough: Following closely behind, Peterborough has eleven percent of its working-age population receiving PIP.
North West Cambridgeshire: This area aligns with the county average, with eight percent of its working-age residents claiming the benefit.
Ely and East Cambridgeshire: Here, seven percent of the working-age population receive PIP.
Huntingdon: Similar to Ely, Huntingdon also has seven percent of its working-age population receiving the benefit.
St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire: This constituency shows a slightly lower reliance, with six percent of working-age residents claiming PIP.
South Cambridgeshire: One of the areas with the lowest proportion, only five percent of the working-age population in South Cambridgeshire receive PIP.
Cambridge: Matching South Cambridgeshire, the city constituency also has five percent of its working-age population receiving the benefit.
These numbers demonstrate a clear geographical split within the county, with constituencies in the north and west showing higher rates of reliance compared to those further south and east.
The National Context and Explaining the Surge in Claims
Cambridgeshire’s eight percent reliance rate sits below the national average for England and Wales, where one in ten working-age people (ten percent) receive PIP. The national picture reveals even higher concentrations of PIP recipients in other areas, such as Liverpool Walton constituency, where a significant twenty-three percent of the working-age population claim the benefit. Interestingly, national data shows that a large majority of constituencies with the highest proportion of PIP recipients are currently represented by Labour MPs.
Nationally, the number of people receiving PIP has seen a dramatic increase since 2019. In April 2019, there were 2.1 million claimants across England and Wales. By April 2025, this figure had soared by 77% to over 3.7 million.
A major factor driving this significant rise is the increasing number of claims related to psychological issues, particularly anxiety and depression. Across England and Wales, cases where psychological conditions were the primary reason for a PIP claim nearly doubled between April 2019 and April 2025, rising from 743,631 to over 1.4 million. Specifically, claims for anxiety and depression more than doubled nationally over this period.
In Cambridgeshire, this trend is even more pronounced. The number of people receiving PIP for anxiety and depression in the county more than tripled between April 2019 (1,232 people) and April 2025 (4,028 people). This highlights a growing need for support for mental health challenges within the local population.
Proposed Changes to PIP and Potential Impacts
Amidst the rising numbers and costs, the UK government has outlined proposals to significantly tighten eligibility criteria for PIP. The stated aim is to manage escalating costs, which the DWP deems “unsustainable,” and reflect perceived changes in the nature of long-term conditions since PIP was introduced over a decade ago.
Currently, PIP awards are based on a points system, where claimants can combine points from various daily living and mobility activities to meet an eligibility threshold. The core proposed change is that future claimants would need to demonstrate a more substantial impairment in at least one single assessment category to qualify, typically requiring a minimum of four points in one area rather than summing lower scores across multiple areas.
This shift could significantly impact eligibility for people with conditions that cause several minor impairments across different activities, rather than one severe impairment in a single area. For instance, under proposed rules, needing help with only parts of tasks like dressing or washing, or requiring supervision rather than direct assistance, might no longer be sufficient to qualify.
The government suggests that for those no longer eligible for PIP under the new rules, health and care needs would primarily be met by the NHS, citing increased funding in the health sector. However, critics argue that this shift could push vulnerable people into poverty. Labour MPs have supported an amendment to block the proposed changes, expressing concerns that they could lead to an estimated 250,000 people, including 50,000 children, falling into poverty.
The Human Cost of Potential Reforms
For individuals who rely heavily on PIP, the prospect of cuts or tightened eligibility criteria causes significant anxiety. People use PIP for a wide range of essential needs directly related to managing their health conditions and maintaining independence.
For example, a law student named Natasha Muzembe, who has bipolar disorder, publicly expressed her fear regarding proposed welfare reforms. She highlighted how her £739 monthly PIP payment is essential for managing her condition. She uses it for taxi fares when experiencing psychosis, which makes public transport feel impossible, as well as for services like cleaning and medication delivery that she needs due to her health.
Natasha described the idea of targeting vulnerable people as “disgusting” and felt a deep sense of betrayal by the Labour party over their initial stance on welfare reform. Her personal account powerfully illustrates the vital role PIP plays in enabling individuals to manage complex conditions, avoid poverty, and maintain a degree of autonomy in their lives. She argues for supporting people’s health first before pressuring them into work.
The PIP Administration Process and Challenges
Administering PIP involves assessments, reviews, and potential appeals. The DWP conducts reviews for claimants with ongoing awards to ensure support levels remain appropriate as needs change. For those with stable, severe conditions, ‘light touch’ reviews are scheduled typically every 10 years, primarily to confirm details haven’t changed.
However, the system is not without its challenges. The social security tribunal system, where claimants can appeal DWP decisions, faces significant backlogs. Compounding this, statistics show that a high proportion of initial DWP decisions are overturned upon appeal. As of mid-2024, around sixty percent of hearings at the social security and child support tribunal resulted in administrative decisions being reversed in favour of the claimant. This high overturn rate raises questions about the fairness and predictability of initial assessments and decisions, adding stress and delay for individuals waiting for crucial financial support.
Proposed reforms are currently expected to affect new PIP recipients from November 2026. Existing beneficiaries will likely only see changes when their current PIP awards are due for reassessment, as indicated in their award letters.
Frequently Asked Questions
What areas in Cambridgeshire have the most people receiving PIP?
According to DWP data from April 2025, North East Cambridgeshire has the highest proportion of its working-age population receiving Personal Independence Payments, with twelve percent (one in eight) claiming the benefit. Peterborough is next with eleven percent. Constituencies like South Cambridgeshire and Cambridge have the lowest proportions, at five percent each. Across the whole county, eight percent of working-age people receive PIP.
Why has the number of people claiming PIP, especially for mental health conditions, increased significantly?
Nationally and in Cambridgeshire, the number of PIP claims has risen substantially since 2019. This increase is heavily driven by a surge in claims related to psychological issues, particularly anxiety and depression. In Cambridgeshire, claims for anxiety and depression more than tripled between 2019 and 2025. Experts point to various factors potentially contributing to this trend, including increased awareness, diagnosis rates, and the impacts of recent societal challenges on mental health.
What are the government’s proposed changes to PIP eligibility and when might they start?
The UK government proposes tightening PIP eligibility by requiring future claimants to demonstrate a more significant impairment (typically 4+ points) in a single assessment category, rather than combining lower scores across multiple areas. This aims to manage rising costs but could exclude individuals with complex needs causing various minor difficulties. While debated, current plans suggest these changes would affect new PIP claimants from November 2026. Existing recipients would be impacted when their current awards are due for review or reassessment.
Conclusion
Personal Independence Payments provide essential support to a significant number of people across Cambridgeshire, particularly concentrated in areas like North East Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. The notable rise in claims, especially for psychological conditions, underscores a growing need for disability support within the county. As the government considers reforms to the PIP system, the potential impact on vulnerable individuals who rely on this benefit for managing their health conditions and maintaining independence remains a critical concern, highlighting the importance of informed debate and careful consideration of the human implications of policy changes.
