Incapacity benefit claims remain stable as annual cost rises to over £15 million

Treasury figures show gradual increase in spending, while long-term claims continue to dominate

A newly published Tynwald written answer has revealed that the number of people receiving incapacity benefit on the Isle of Man has remained relatively stable in recent years, while the overall cost of the benefit has continued to rise.

In response to a question from Arbory, Castletown and Malew MHK Jason Moorhouse, Treasury Minister Chris Thomas says it is not possible to determine how many individuals are accessing incapacity benefit on a specific date.

However, he provided data based on payments made during February each year.

The latest figures show that in February 2026, 657 people received short-term incapacity benefit, while 1,716 received long-term support, representing a slight increase in long-term claims compared with recent years, while short-term claims remain below levels seen in 2022.

Short-term claims have fallen significantly since 2022, when 961 individuals received support.

Since then, numbers have fluctuated but remained lower, with 614 in 2025 and 693 in 2024.

Long-term claims have been more consistent, ranging between 1,655 and 1,716 over the past five years.

In the previous financial year (2025 to 2026), total spending is estimated at £15.63 million, made up of £3.13 million for short-term payments and £12.50 million for long-term support.

This compares with £13.42 million in 2022 to 2023 and £11.41 million in 2023 to 2024, indicating a clear upward trend in expenditure.

Long-term incapacity benefit consistently accounts for the majority of spending, representing around four-fifths of the total in each year.

Mr Thomas also confirmed that it was not possible within the available timeframe to provide a breakdown of claims based on medical conditions, including mental health.

This is because such information is not recorded on Social Security systems and would require manual review of thousands of medical certificates and claim forms.

He added that while medical reasons for incapacity are included on sick notes, they are not relevant to determining ongoing entitlement and are therefore not systematically recorded.