The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is facing mounting pressure to reform the welfare system following a significant spike in benefit claims for a single condition.
Sharp Rise in ADHD Support Claims
Newly released DWP figures show that claims for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) linked to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have jumped dramatically. In the year to October, the number of people receiving financial support for extra living costs associated with the condition, also classified as "hyperkinetic disorder", rose from 75,722 to 91,211. This represents an increase of approximately 16,000 claimants.
PIP is a non-means tested benefit designed for individuals aged 16 to state pension age who have long-term health conditions or disabilities. It provides support for the additional daily costs of living with a disability, aiming to help recipients lead more independent lives.
Experts Warn of Unsustainable Spending
The sharp increase has prompted warnings from economic and taxpayer groups about the ballooning cost of welfare. Len Shackleton, an editorial and research fellow at the Institute for Economic Affairs (IEA) and a professor of economics at the University of Buckingham, voiced serious concerns.
He told The Express that continuous growth in benefit spending risks undermining funding for essential state services. "If we continue to acquiesce in the never-ending increase in benefit spending, we risk being unable to spend enough on the core functions of the state, such as defence and police," Professor Shackleton stated. "This potentially puts us all in danger."
He proposed two primary solutions: reducing entitlement to benefits or cutting their value. "If this Government is unable to stomach cutting entitlement to benefits, it should cut the value of benefits," he added, suggesting this "could be done by stealth - not uprating for inflation, just as tax bands are not being uprated."
Urgent Calls for Systemic Reform
Campaigners have echoed the call for immediate action. Elliot Keck, campaigns director of the TaxPayers' Alliance, said the data underscores the urgent need for drastic reform.
"This latest data only further demonstrates just how urgently the system needs drastic reform, as the longer these claimants are on these benefits, the harder it will be to wean them off," Mr Keck argued.
He pointed to Conservative proposals to restrict eligibility for those with low-level mental health conditions as being "very clearly on the right lines." "The only way to address this is to look again at who qualifies for these benefits," he stated, adding, "The Government needs to stop burying its head in the sand and confront the fact that the benefits bill is only going to spiral further out of control without drastic action."
The surge in ADHD-related PIP claims places the spotlight firmly on the DWP's management of the welfare system, with experts demanding a review of eligibility and value to prevent costs from overwhelming other public spending priorities.
