Teenage disability claims surge
Surge in teenage autism and ADHD disability claims challenges traditional deprivation links across England
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The analysis found that PIP recipient rates for autism and ADHD were higher among white ethnic groups than among other ethnicities. Sally Gainsbury of the Nuffield Trust said areas with a relatively high proportion of white residents had a higher proportion of people receiving PIP for these conditions.
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The rise was especially pronounced in Hart, Hampshire, and Wokingham, Berkshire, where the proportion of 16- and 17-year-olds receiving PIP increased more than fourfold between 2019 and 2025.
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In Blackpool, one of England’s most deprived areas, 3.3% of teenagers received PIP for autism or ADHD in 2025—more than one-and-a-half times lower than the roughly 5% rates recorded in affluent Runnymede and Bracknell Forest.
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For the wider 16-to-19 age cohort, PIP payments to young people in the least-deprived areas rose from £64 million in 2019 to just over £220 million in 2025, according to the Nuffield Trust analysis.
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Sally Gainsbury said the weakening relationship between deprivation and PIP claims for autism and ADHD may reflect not only unequal access to diagnosis, but also “inconsistencies and uncertainties in the welfare system and in wider society about how disability is understood and assessed.”
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims for autism and ADHD among 16- and 17-year-olds in England have exploded over the past six years. The number of teenagers receiving these benefits more than tripled from 16,045 in 2019 to 51,148 in 2025, according to Nuffield Trust analysis. Annual spending on PIP for this age group and these conditions has reached an estimated £296 million.
The surge is reshaping the traditional link between poverty and disability. Affluent areas now see the fastest growth, with wealthy districts like Runnymede in Surrey and Bracknell Forest in Berkshire recording rates of roughly one in 19 to 20 teenagers receiving PIP for autism or ADHD, compared to smaller proportions a decade ago. Public Sector Executive reports that this reversal challenges long-held assumptions about who claims disability benefits.
Wealth Gap Narrows in Autism and ADHD Benefit Claims
The disparity between rich and poor areas has shrunk dramatically. In the least-deprived areas, PIP recipient rates jumped from 0.8% in 2019 to 2.5% in 2025. Meanwhile, the most-deprived areas rose from 2.1% to 5.1% over the same period. The gap narrowed significantly, though poorer regions still maintain higher overall rates. Daily Mail coverage highlights that this pattern contradicts decades of disability benefit data showing poverty as the primary driver.
Hart in Hampshire and Wokingham in Berkshire experienced the most dramatic increases, with PIP recipient rates rising more than fourfold between 2019 and 2025. In contrast, Blackpool—one of England's most deprived towns—recorded 3.3% of teenagers receiving PIP for these conditions in 2025, roughly half the rates seen in affluent areas. The data reveals a fundamental shift in the geography of disability benefit claims.
White Ethnic Communities Show Higher Claim Rates
Analysis reveals that PIP recipients for autism and ADHD are disproportionately white. Nuffield Trust researcher Sally Gainsbury noted that areas with higher proportions of white residents show elevated rates of people claiming PIP for these conditions. The research indicates ethnicity patterns alongside deprivation measures in shaping benefit distribution. This finding suggests different diagnostic pathways or access barriers across ethnic groups.
The ethnic dimension adds complexity to understanding the surge. It suggests that diagnostic gatekeeping, family knowledge of benefits, and healthcare access may vary significantly by both wealth and ethnicity. Researchers emphasize this pattern appears specific to autism and ADHD claims and does not extend to PIP claims for other disability categories.
Why Less-Deprived Areas Drive Fastest Growth
For the wider 16-to-19 age group, spending on PIP in least-deprived areas skyrocketed from £64 million in 2019 to just over £220 million in 2025. The surge raises questions about unequal access to diagnosis. Gainsbury explained that the weakening link between deprivation and PIP claims may reflect "inconsistencies and uncertainties in the welfare system and in wider society about how disability is understood and assessed."
Affluent families may navigate diagnosis more easily through private healthcare, have better information about benefits, or possess resources to appeal rejected claims. Wealthier areas often have more specialists available. These structural advantages could explain why wealthy communities now claim at rates approaching or exceeding those in poorer regions—a historic reversal that challenges assumptions about disability benefit access.
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