🇬🇧 An industry has emerged in Britain around the process of qualifying for disability status: over 1,000 people a day register for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) benefits.

Charities, consultants, YouTubers, and TikTokers have appeared, advising people on how to successfully claim and secure these benefits. Some of these videos garner hundreds of thousands of views.

Seven million people—more than 10% of the population—are currently receiving sickness or disability benefits. This figure has risen by 60% over the last six years.

This year, the UK will spend over £100 billion on benefits. Projections suggest this figure will rise to £130 billion annually by 2030. No other Western country is seeing such a surge in disability benefit claims. In the US, only 10.6 million people receive federal disability payments, despite the country having a population five times larger.

One in seven new cars sold in Britain is part of the Motability scheme for disabled people, yet only 10% of these vehicles are actually modified for those with disabilities. At one dealership, 25 out of the 26 cars sold in August were registered under the Motability scheme. A 2024 government survey indicated that 25% of the UK's working-age population could theoretically be classified as disabled under current criteria and qualify for these benefits. If deemed too ill to work and approved for PIP, an individual can receive £2,000 a month, tax-free.