New analysis from the Nuffield Trust has revealed a striking shift in the pattern of disability benefit claims among young people, with some of England’s most affluent communities experiencing the fastest growth in support linked to ADHD and autism.
The study examined how rates of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claims among 16 to 17-year-olds have changed since 2019, and for the first time explored how those trends differ according to levels of neighbourhood deprivation.
While young people living in more deprived areas remain the most likely to receive PIP for ADHD or autism, the gap between rich and poor communities has narrowed significantly over the past six years.
Across England, the number of 16 to 17-year-olds receiving PIP for ADHD or autism has more than tripled, rising from 16,045 claimants (1.3% of the age group) in 2019 to 51,148 (3.4%) in 2025.
Historically, disability benefits have been closely associated with deprivation, with poorer health outcomes, lower educational attainment and financial hardship often concentrated in disadvantaged communities.
However, the latest findings suggest that growth in ADHD and autism-related claims is accelerating most rapidly in wealthier parts of the country.
Between 2019 and 2025, the proportion of young people receiving PIP for ADHD or autism in England’s least deprived fifth of neighbourhoods rose from 0.8% to 2.5%, representing more than a threefold increase.
In the most deprived areas, rates also increased substantially, climbing from 2.1% to 5.1%.
As a result, the difference between the two groups has narrowed. In 2019, young people in the most deprived neighbourhoods were around 2.5 times more likely to receive PIP for ADHD or autism than those in the least deprived areas. By 2025, they were twice as likely.
Some of England’s more prosperous local authorities have seen particularly dramatic increases.
By 2025, around one in 19 16 to 17-year-olds in Runnymede and one in 20 in Bracknell Forest were receiving PIP for ADHD or autism. Six years earlier, the figures were approximately one in 58 and one in 89 respectively.
Despite this growth, the highest claimant rates remain concentrated in some of England’s most deprived communities.
In Liverpool and Knowsley, approximately one in 12 young people aged 16 to 17 were receiving PIP for ADHD or autism by 2025. In 2019, the equivalent figures were around one in 35 and one in 57.
The analysis also identified significant ethnic disparities.
Young people of White ethnicity had higher overall PIP claimant rates than those from other ethnic groups. This contributed to lower-than-expected claimant levels in ethnically diverse areas such as Newham, Brent and Leicester, despite relatively high levels of deprivation.
Researchers suggest that demographic differences may play a role in understanding regional variations in benefit uptake.
The financial implications are also significant.
The Nuffield Trust estimates that £296 million was spent on PIP claims for 16 to 17-year-olds with ADHD or autism in 2025.
Of that total, around £87 million was paid to young people living in the 40% least deprived neighbourhoods, representing a real-terms increase of nearly 300% from £22 million in 2019.
When expanded to include all young people aged 16 to 19, total PIP payments linked to ADHD and autism in the 40% least deprived areas are estimated to have reached more than £220 million in 2025, up from £64 million six years earlier.
Notably, the weakening relationship between deprivation and benefit claims appears unique to ADHD and autism.
Researchers found no similar pattern among PIP claims for other conditions affecting young people, including learning disabilities, anxiety, depression and physical impairments.
This suggests that the increase cannot be explained solely by wider economic pressures or the cost-of-living crisis affecting wealthier households.
Sally Gainsbury, Senior Policy Analyst at the Nuffield Trust said:
“Historically, disability and deprivation have been closely linked, because deprivation is both a cause of disability and poor health as well as an effect of it. But our analysis finds that this link is weaker for ADHD and autism, and has weakened further in recent years.
“PIP is meant to reflect how much a condition affects someone’s day-to-day life, rather than purely whether they have a diagnosis, so it’s intriguing to see that recipient rates have grown most in the areas where people seem to be doing relatively well in terms of employment and education. Our findings could reflect unequal access to diagnosis, which we know is substantial.
"But they could also point to inconsistencies and uncertainties, both in the welfare system and in wider society, about how disability is understood and assessed when it comes to autism and ADHD. This confusion has serious implications for the health system too. Demand for diagnosis and treatment has risen dramatically, and services are struggling to keep pace. Overwhelmed systems risk missing people with the most pressing need.”
The findings are likely to reignite debate among policymakers, healthcare leaders and local authorities about access to diagnosis, the assessment process for disability benefits and growing demand for neurodevelopmental services across England.
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