Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims related to ADHD and autism are increasing most rapidly among young people in affluent areas, according to recent research highlighted to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The trend primarily reflects disparities in access to diagnostic services, with wealthier families more likely to secure quicker assessments through private healthcare.
The most significant growth in claims for ADHD and autism has been observed in prosperous regions such as Wokingham, Warwick, and parts of Hampshire and Surrey. Sally Gainsbury, senior policy analyst at the Nuffield Trust-the organisation that conducted the study-suggested that these figures indicate “substantial inequality in access” to both private and NHS diagnostic services. She noted that “people with better resources and more support are often able to get to the front of the queue quicker.”
In April this year, approximately 205,000 individuals aged 16 to 24 were receiving PIP for disabilities related to ADHD or autism, with the average annual claim amounting to £8,800.
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In response to concerns over disability benefit claims, Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Helen Whately of the Conservative Party has committed to reforming the system. She described the current sickness benefits system as “broken,” criticising it for being “too quick to write people off and too slow to help them into work,” and emphasised the financial cost involved.
The Conservative Party has announced plans for a comprehensive review of the sickness benefits framework. This includes intentions to halt certain claims associated with what they term “low-level mental health” conditions. Whately stated: “We will stop claims for low-level mental health, rapidly re-assess hundreds of thousands of claims face-to-face the moment we enter government, and get Britain working again.”
Similarly, Lee Anderson from the Reform party has advocated for increased scrutiny. He highlighted that over 100,000 people with ADHD are currently receiving disability benefits without any obligation to seek employment, representing a 40 per cent increase since the Labour government took office. Anderson emphasised that individuals with disabilities, including ADHD, deserve support and encouragement to work rather than being labelled unemployable, describing it as a “waste of a life” not to utilise people’s potential.