More Brits are receiving ADHD benefits than full-time soldiers serving in the British Army as PIP payouts hit 100,000

MORE people are now claiming benefit payouts for ADHD than there are full-time soldiers in the entire British Army. The number of people with the disorder claiming PIP has surpassed 100,000 for the first time. That completely dwarfs the 82,000 troops serving full-time as of April. The claims also outnumber the entire combined strength of the Royal Navy and RAF — which stood at just 66,269 full-time personnel. Sign up for the Money newsletter Thank you! And the disparity comes despite growing national security threats from hostile states like Russia and Iran. The figures come amid growing concerns that Britain’s welfare bill is spiralling out of control. The DWP forecasts that spending on PIP alone will reach £31.3billion in real terms this financial year. That is only slightly less than the £32.2billion expected to be spent on new military equipment, infrastructure and research from Britain’s total £65.1billion defence budget in 2026/27. Meanwhile, the overall annual welfare bill is forecast to rise from £333billion to £407billion over the next five years. Yet just days ago, Andy Burnham flatly refused to make “crude cuts” to the system. Most read in Money He insisted that boosting our military defences cannot come “at the expense of social security.” Burnham has also dodged committing to spend 3% of GDP on defence by 2030. Instead, he is backing a much more distant Nato target of 3.5% by 2035. And taxpayers won’t even find out how Labour plans to hit that goal until next year’s spending review. The total number of PIP claims for those with ADHD also dwarfs the 27,000 train drivers across Great Britain and the 24,655 NHS dentists in England. And the number of Brits getting PIP for ADHD alone now matches the entire UK workforce of mental health nurses at 105,000. And it’s not just ADHD driving the welfare explosion. Anxiety-related claims are also soaring, with an eye-watering 504,783 people receiving benefits for the disorder in April. ADHD, anxiety, autism, and stress have been named as the biggest drivers behind the ballooning costs. PIP – the UK’s main disability benefit – hands claimants up to £9,747 a year. The cash can be blown on anything from everyday taxi fares to mobility scooters and cars. Despite ADHD being a neurodevelopmental condition rather than a physical disability, tens of thousands are being handed the top rate of support for extra help getting around. Experts blame a worrying rise in social media “sickfluencers” sharing online tips on how to successfully game the benefits system. But as the welfare state swells, Britain’s Armed Forces are withering. The Conservative Party has pledged to scrap disability benefits for anxiety and ADHD altogether. Helen Whately MP, Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, said: “Britain faces the gravest threats to our national security in decades, yet Labour say welfare comes before defence. “Our Armed Forces have shrunk while the number of people claiming benefits has ballooned. “A strong country needs people to work and contribute, not stay home on benefits. “The Conservatives have a serious plan to cut the welfare bill, including ending PIP for low-level mental health and restoring the two-child benefit cap, so we can put the savings into our Armed Forces.” It comes as an extra 400,000 people claimed PIP in the year to April alone — an 11% spike. It means the total number of Brits claiming the handout has smashed through the four million barrier for the first time in history. Comment now