New benefit data has highlighted 32 heart and vascular conditions recorded among people receiving Personal Independence Payment, as the UK government continues a wider review of the disability benefit system.
Figures linked to the Department for Work and Pensions show claimants with conditions ranging from heart failure and abnormal heart rhythms to congenital heart disease and vascular disorders.
The data is likely to be of particular interest to people searching for information on Personal Independence Payment, commonly known as PIP, and how cardiovascular illnesses are treated within the benefit system.
However, appearing on a list of heart conditions does not mean someone will automatically receive PIP. The benefit is awarded according to how a disability or long-term health condition affects a person’s ability to complete specific daily living and mobility activities.
Heart Conditions Recorded in DWP Data
The figures include a wide range of cardiovascular diagnoses. Among the largest groups cited are cardiac failure, with 16,660 claimants, and myocardial infarction, the medical term for a heart attack, with 11,795.
Other conditions with relatively large claimant numbers include ischemic heart disease, cardiovascular disease recorded as “other or type not known,” angina and hypertension.
The 32 groups reported are:
- Aneurysm, including aortic, cerebral and other or type not known: 3,653
- Atrial fibrillation or flutter: 4,523
- Bradycardia: 169
- Cardiac arrhythmia, including pacemaker or implantable defibrillator cases and other or type not known: 2,869
- Heart block: 576
- Tachycardia: 3,647
- Cardiac failure: 16,660
- Cardiomyopathy: 4,469
- Atrioseptal defect: 555
- Coarctation of the aorta: 139
- Fallot’s tetralogy: 222
- Other or unspecified congenital heart disease: 4,044
- Patent ductus arteriosus: 24
- Ventriculoseptal defect: 440
- Heart transplantation: 307
- Hypertension: 6,248
- Angina: 8,846
- Other or unspecified ischemic heart disease: 10,489
- Myocardial infarction: 11,795
- Pericarditis: 257
- Aortic valve disease: 1,341
- Other congenital heart malformations: 1,131
- Mitral valve disease: 650
- Pulmonary valve disease: 227
- Tricuspid valve disease: 78
- Other or unspecified arterial disease excluding coronary disease: 2,122
- Atherosclerosis, including peripheral vascular disease or claudication: 2,092
- Buerger’s disease: 128
- Raynaud’s disease or phenomenon: 2,420
- Deep vein thrombosis: 3,404
- Other or unspecified peripheral venous disease: 1,708
- Other or unspecified cardiovascular disease: 10,528
The wider DWP PIP statistics to April 2026 show cardiovascular disease accounted for about 3% of PIP assessments over the five years from May 2021 to April 2026.
DWP statistics generally record a claimant’s main disabling condition for statistical purposes. A person can still have several medical conditions that are considered when their claim is assessed.
How PIP Eligibility Is Decided
A medical diagnosis on its own is not enough to establish PIP eligibility.
The assessment focuses on the practical effect of a condition. That can be particularly relevant for people with cardiovascular disease who experience difficulties that affect ordinary activities or their ability to get around.
The PIP system considers a series of daily living and mobility activities rather than awarding benefits from a fixed list of diagnoses. That means two people with the same medical condition can receive different outcomes depending on how their condition affects them.
Government information on how PIP payments are calculated says the amount a claimant receives depends on the level of difficulty they have with everyday activities and mobility.
This distinction is important for people searching for a “PIP heart conditions list.” The DWP figures show conditions associated with existing claims, but they should not be read as a list of diagnoses that guarantee an award.
PIP Payments in 2026 and 2027
PIP is divided into two parts.
The daily living component is paid at £76.70 a week at the standard rate or £114.60 at the enhanced rate during the 2026/27 financial year.
The mobility component is paid at £30.30 at the standard rate or £80 at the enhanced rate.
As a result, someone receiving the enhanced level of both parts can receive £194.60 a week. The government’s official PIP rates 2026/27 confirm those amounts.
PIP is tax-free and is not means-tested. According to official government guidance on PIP payments, income and savings do not affect the amount awarded.
The benefit is generally paid every four weeks.
For claimants, the practical issue remains how their condition affects the activities assessed under PIP rather than simply whether their diagnosis appears in DWP statistics.
Review Could Shape Future Pip Rules
The figures have emerged while the government continues the Timms Review of Personal Independence Payment.
The review’s interim findings, published in July 2026, concluded that the current PIP system was no longer fit for purpose. The government said the review had received evidence from nearly 40,000 people and organizations. The government’s July announcement on the PIP review
The review is examining the purpose and operation of PIP, including the experiences of disabled people and people with long-term health conditions.
An August update from the review’s co-chairs said the next stage would involve developing and refining recommendations with disabled people and others who have experience of the system.
Fifteen workshops are scheduled for September and October 2026, including nine in-person sessions and six online sessions.
The review is expected to submit its final recommendations to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in autumn 2026. The government has also committed to reporting the outcome to Parliament.
Until any changes are announced, current PIP rules continue to apply. For people with heart and circulatory illnesses, the key question remains the effect of the condition on daily life and mobility, rather than the name of the diagnosis alone.
