The Work and Pensions Secretary has signalled a shake-up of disability benefit assessments for people with ADHD, autism and other conditions that were far less widely diagnosed when the current welfare system was designed.
In an interview with The i Paper, Pat McFadden said the current system was struggling to keep pace with a surge in diagnoses of conditions that barely registered when it was built 13 years ago.
More than 100,000 people with ADHD are now claiming Personal Independence Payment (PIP) – the disability benefit designed to help cover the extra costs of living with a long-term health condition or disability – a 40 per cent rise since Labour came to power.
Shorts
Overall, more than four million people now claim PIP and real-terms spending on it is due to rise from £26bn in 2024-25 to £45bn by 2031, according to government forecasts.
