Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 8
UK ADHD PIP Claims Top 100,000, Up 40% Since Labour Took Power
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 8

UK ADHD PIP Claims Top 100,000, Up 40% Since Labour Took Power

3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Jul 8

Summary

  • More than 100,000 people in England and Wales were receiving Personal Independence Payment for ADHD in April, up about 30,000 from roughly 70,000 when Labour took office in July 2024.
  • Just over half of those ADHD claimants were aged 16 to 24, with an independent review linking the rise to better recognition, more people seeking help and support systems tied closely to diagnosis.
  • PIP claims overall have climbed to 4 million from 3.6 million two years ago, while claims tied to ADHD, autism, depression or anxiety rose to 24% of the total from 16.5% in 2020.
  • That growth is feeding the fastest-rising part of the working-age sickness and disability bill, which stood at £58 billion in 2025 and is projected by the OBR to reach £78 billion by 2030.
  • The figures land as Sir Stephen Timms prepares an interim review expected to call for broad PIP reforms, while the government says existing measures will save nearly £2 billion by decade-end.

Insights

As ADHD claims surge, can welfare reform support genuine need or will it simply cut costs for the most vulnerable?
With 2.8 million out of work for health reasons, can pushing people into jobs fix the UK’s welfare crisis?
Did a decade of austerity create the very benefits crisis the UK government is now trying to solve?