Wealthiest areas seeing highest rate of new benefit claims for ADHD as bill soars to £296million

TEENAGERS in Britain’s wealthiest neighbourhoods are driving a huge surge in disability benefit claims for ADHD and autism, new research has revealed. The proportion of 16 and 17-year-olds claiming personal independence payment (PIP) for these conditions has more than tripled in the least deprived areas of England over the past six years. Analysis by the Nuffield Trust found the rate in the most prosperous fifth of neighbourhoods rocketed from 0.8% in 2019 to 2.5% in 2025. While claim rates remain highest overall in poorer areas, the pace of growth has been far slower there, rising from 2.1% to 5.1% over the same period. Sign up for the Money newsletter Thank you! Pip is the main benefit for people with a long-term physical or mental health condition, designed to help cover extra living costs and everyday tasks. The total number of 16 and 17-year-olds across England receiving Pip for autism and ADHD has soared from 16,045 in 2019 to 51,148 this year, with spending now estimated at a staggering £296million. Of that total, around £87million was paid to youngsters in the 40% least deprived areas of the country, almost four times higher in real terms than the £22million spent there in 2019. Some of the wealthiest parts of Britain have seen dramatic spikes. In Runnymede, Surrey, claim rates jumped from one in 58 teenagers in 2019 to one in 19 by 2025. Bracknell Forest in Berkshire saw a similar leap, from one in 89 to one in 20. Most read in Money Whereas, in deprived areas such as Liverpool and Knowsley, around one in 12 teenagers were claiming the benefit by 2025, up from roughly one in 35 and one in 57 respectively six years earlier. The report also found that Pip recipient rates for ADHD and autism were higher overall among white ethnic groups compared with other ethnicities. Sally Gainsbury, senior policy analyst at the Nuffield Trust, said the research showed “areas where there is a relatively high proportion of white people have a higher proportion of people receiving Pip for these disabilities.” She said there appeared to be “an association between being white and relatively prosperous with faster growing levels of Pip for ADHD and autism.” The report stated this link “goes some way to explaining why, at local authority level, we saw much lower-than-expected levels of ADHD and autism PIP rates in areas such as Newham, Brent, Leicester, Bradford and Wolverhampton, as these areas have relatively low proportions of the population who identify as having a white ethnicity.” Gainsbury said the findings were “intriguing” given that Pip is supposed to reflect how much a condition affects daily life rather than simply whether someone has a diagnosis. She added: “Our findings could reflect unequal access to diagnosis, which we know is substantial. But they could also point to inconsistencies and uncertainties, both in the welfare system and in wider society, about how disability is understood and assessed when it comes to autism and ADHD.” She warned the confusion had “serious implications for the health system too”, adding: “Demand for diagnosis and treatment has risen dramatically, and services are struggling to keep pace. Overwhelmed systems risk missing people with the most pressing need.” Nuffield Trust chief executive Thea Stein said ministers now faced tough decisions on how to respond. She said: “As diagnosis and recognition of neurodiversity continue to grow, policymakers will need to grapple with the complex picture identified in this report to ensure support is targeted fairly and effectively.” Ms Stein added this would mean “identifying where needs are best supported through the healthcare and benefit system, and where it would be more appropriate to support people through broader changes to work, schools and wider society, to better reflect, respect and value human diversity.” A Government-commissioned review into ADHD, autism and mental health is expected to be published imminently. The Government has been contacted for comment. Comment now