PIP: here's how many more Lancashire residents are receiving the disability benefit than five years ago

Significant rises in the number of residents receiving the disability benefit per 1,000 of the local population have been seen in all 14 Lancashire council areas.

The largest jump was in Pendle, where the figure went up 85 percent between January 2020 and April 2025, the latest month for which statistics are available. The lowest rate of increase was in Preston, at 58 percent.

The figures, calculated by the Lancashire Post, show the increasing level of support provided by PIP to disabled people across the county - which mirrors rises witnessed nationally.

The overall highest rate of PIP claims in Lancashire is in Blackpool - and the town has the seventh-highest rate in the whole of England and Wales. Ribble Valley has the lowest Lancashire rate.

The details come after the government rowed back on many of its controversial proposed changes to the PIP system - a benefit which is designed to help anybody with a disability maintain their independence.

It is not an out-of-work payment, with many PIP claimants being employed - often as a direct result of the help the benefit enables them to secure.

Following a revolt by Labour backbenchers, the government has now said there will be no changes to eligibility for existing PIP recipients, only new claimants once its reforms are implemented.

In addition, those changes will not now be finalised until a ministerial review of the system has been completed - a process that will also now have the direct involvement of disability groups.

The government says it wants to help get those people who can work back into the jobs market - with a £1bn support package - while properly supporting those for whom their disability means they will never work.

The PIP claimant rate per 1,000 people across Lancashire - and the increase since 2020 - breaks down as follows:

1.Blackpool

April 2025 - 184.985

Jan 2019 - 105.855

Up 75 percent

2. Hyndburn

April 2025 - 146.546

Jan 2019 - 82.561

Up 78 percent

3. Burnley

April 2025 - 143.021

Jan 2019 - 81.399

Up 76 percent

4. Blackburn with Darwen

April 2025 - 135.807

Jan 2019 - 80.639

Up 68 percent

5. Wyre

April 2025 - 133.369

Jan 2019 - 78.743

Up 69 percent

6. Pendle

April 2025 - 123.999

Jan 2019 - 67.17

Up 85 percent

7. Rossendale

April 2025 - 116.207

Jan 2019 - 68.74

Up 69 percent

8. Preston

April 2025 - 113.999

Jan 2019 - 71.928

Up 58 percent

9. West Lancashire

April 2025 - 113.268

Jan 2019 - 70.308

Up 61 percent

10. Fylde

April 2025 - 111.02

Jan 2019 - 62.533

Up 78 percent

11. Lancaster

April 2025 - 104.05

Jan 2019 - 63.294

Up 64 percent

12. South Ribble

April 2025 - 100.083

Jan 2019 - 60.933

Up 64 percent

April 2025 - 99.754

Jan 2019 - 59.291

Up 68 percent

April 2025 - 65.392

Jan 2019 - 38.082

Up 72 percent

Source: Taxpayers’ Alliance data, with increase calculated by the Lancashire Post