Disability benefit claims for neurodivergent teenagers grow fastest in affluent areas

Claims for disability benefits linked to ADHD and autism are rising fastest among teenagers in some of England’s wealthiest areas, new analysis suggests.

Research by the Nuffield Trust found that the proportion of 16 and 17-year-olds receiving Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for the conditions more than tripled in the least deprived areas, increasing from 0.8% in 2019 to 2.5% in 2025.

Rates remain higher in poorer communities, where the proportion rose from 2.1% to 5.1% over the same period. However, particularly rapid growth in places including Wokingham, Warwick and parts of Hampshire and Surrey is narrowing the gap between richer and poorer areas.

The total number of teenagers receiving PIP for ADHD or autism increased from 16,045 in 2019 to 51,148 in 2025, with annual payments reaching £296 million.

Researchers said the pattern may partly reflect inequalities in access to assessment. Families in wealthier areas may be better able to pay for private diagnoses rather than wait for overstretched NHS services, as well as having greater capacity to navigate the benefits system.

The analysis also found lower claim rates in more ethnically diverse areas. Researchers said further work was needed to understand whether this reflected differences in diagnosis, awareness or access to support.

PIP is not means-tested and is awarded according to how a health condition or disability affects daily life, rather than on the basis of a diagnosis alone. The findings do not establish why individual claims have increased but raise questions about whether young people have equal access to diagnosis and financial support.

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