ADHD benefit claims climb as UK welfare review nears
Government figures show ADHD-linked disability benefit claims have risen, sharpening a dispute over youth health, work and welfare reform.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
3 min read
ADHD-linked disability benefit claims in the UK have risen sharply, adding pressure to a debate over how the welfare system treats mental health and work. Official figures reported by The Times show claims where ADHD is the main condition rose from 71,528 in July 2024 to 100,207 in April 2026.
The increase has become a political flashpoint before Disability Minister Stephen Timms is expected to publish findings from a review of the disability welfare system. Government data from July 2024 to April 2026 shows at least 40 percent of personal independence payment claimants receive support for psychiatric disorders.
The Department for Work and Pensions said in a June 16 report that PIP claims reached four million in April, up 2 percent from the end of January. Of those claimants, 3.3 million were of working age and 680,000 were of state pension age, according to the department.
The Times reported that the government has approved an average of 40 PIP awards a day over the past two years in cases where ADHD is listed as the main condition. It also reported that about four in 10 ADHD-linked PIP claimants receive the highest daily living and mobility rates, worth up to £194, or $259, a week.
Political pressure over eligibility
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said on Tuesday that her party would block people with mild mental health conditions from receiving disability benefits, citing The Times report as support for that position.
Mindy Ptolomey, a lecturer in disability studies at the University of Leeds, told Al Jazeera that focusing on young ADHD claimants was “disingenuous”. She said benefit payments often return to the wider economy through spending on goods, services and utility bills.
PIP is available to people with long-term physical or mental health conditions or disabilities that make daily tasks or mobility difficult, according to government guidance. A diagnosis alone does not guarantee a payment, and not every PIP recipient is unable to work; work status is considered through a separate assessment process.
Government statistics updated last week say 2.8 million people are economically inactive because of health conditions, including mental health conditions and disabilities. The government has not published a separate figure for the cost of ADHD-related benefits.
Diagnosis delays and rising referrals
The NHS describes ADHD as involving problems with attention, high energy and impulsive behaviour. Symptoms usually begin before age 12, and the NHS says ADHD may be less frequently recognised in women because symptoms can present differently.
NHS figures from May estimated that 2.4 million people in England have ADHD, including people without a diagnosis. The same figures put the number of people aged 5 to 24 with ADHD at about 741,000.
In March, the NHS received 32,375 new referrals for possible ADHD assessment, up 29.5 percent from March 2025. Campaigners say formal diagnosis can take months or years because patients must first see a GP and then be referred for specialist assessment.
Ptolomey told Al Jazeera that some NHS waiting lists are closed and that in some areas a diagnosis could take a decade. She said the UK may be dealing with underdiagnosis rather than excessive diagnosis.
Review follows failed cuts plan
Official statistics say the government expects to spend £77.1bn, or $102.8bn, from 2025 to 2026 on support for disabled people and people with health conditions. It also expects to spend £37.3bn, or $49.7bn, on housing benefits.
The Guardian reported that Timms’s review is expected to find that the disability benefits assessment system is dehumanising and can discourage people from seeking work. It also reported that the review may criticise the points-based system for assessing mobility and daily living needs, especially for fluctuating mental health conditions.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer previously dropped a welfare bill that would have tightened PIP eligibility and saved £4.8bn, or $6.4bn, after 49 Labour MPs opposed it at second reading. Those MPs argued the plan risked pushing more people into relative poverty.
Ptolomey said reform should put disabled people’s needs first, and that young disabled people and young people with ADHD want to take part in their communities.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.