Meanwhile, people living in Wales were the most likely to claim health benefits without any obligation to look for work.
The data showed that more women of working age were claiming Universal Credit for health reasons than men, although the opposite was true for people over retirement age.
DWP said 38 per cent of applicants were over 50 and a tenth were under 25.
Of the 2.6 million health claims processed by DWP during this four-year period, 16 per cent were rejected, while 19 per cent were classed as having “limited work capacity”.
This means they do not receive extra money, but the State recovers a smaller portion of their benefits once they start working.
The Conservatives want to scrap the so-called work ability assessment that determines the award of Universal Credit benefits as part of a benefits review aimed at saving £12bn per year at the end of the decade.
Labor also promised on Thursday to support more people going to work.
“Too many people are out of work or not earning enough,” he said in his manifesto, blaming “long waits for treatment for health problems, particularly mental health.”
