The number of people in Britain receiving Personal Independence Payment (PIP) because of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has passed 100,000 for the first time, prompting calls from some politicians for changes to benefit eligibility rules.
The figures have become part of a wider debate about the size of the welfare system, with opposition figures comparing benefit claimant numbers with the size of the country’s armed forces. The discussion comes as the government continues its plans to reform disability benefits and employment support.
ADHD Becomes the Fastest-Growing Main Disabling Condition Among PIP Claims
The number of people receiving PIP for ADHD, listed in official data as “hyperkinetic disorder,” reached 100,207 in April, according to figures reported by the Birmingham Mail. The number has almost doubled over the past three years, making ADHD one of the fastest-growing main disabling conditions cited by claimants.
The same figures showed that 69,454 people were receiving benefits because of anxiety disorder during the same period. These figures have drawn attention because they are compared with the size of the UK’s military branches, with the Birmingham Mail reporting that the ADHD and anxiety claimant numbers are higher than the 82,000 soldiers in the British Army and the combined 62,000 personnel in the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force.
The rise in claims has led some Conservative politicians to call for tighter eligibility rules. Helen Whately MP, the Conservative Party Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary, said Britain faced serious security challenges while arguing that welfare spending should be reviewed.
“Britain faces the gravest threats to our national security in decades, yet Labour say welfare comes before defence,” Whately said, according to the same source. She added that the Conservatives wanted to reduce welfare spending, including changes to PIP eligibility for what she described as low-level mental health conditions.
Government Says Welfare Reforms Are Already Under Way
The government has rejected suggestions that it is ignoring concerns about the welfare system and said reforms are already being introduced. A government spokesperson said the changes include narrowing the gap between Universal Credit standard and health rates, restoring face-to-face assessments, and investing £3.5 billion in employment support.
The spokesperson said, according to the Birmingham Mail, that the aim of the reforms was to help more people move into work and prevent people from being “signed off and written off.”
The debate has also involved wider political arguments over public spending priorities. Last week, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch criticised comments from Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham after he argued during Prime Minister’s Questions that national security should not come at the expense of social security.
Speaking to the BBC’s Today programme, Badenoch said the country had a problem with welfare spending and argued that spending levels needed to change. The government also disputed claims that armed forces numbers are continuing to fall. Its spokesperson said recruitment is recovering, with more personnel joining than leaving for the first time since 2020, following a four-year decline.
The figures surrounding PIP claims and political responses highlight an ongoing debate over how disability support should operate, how eligibility should be assessed, and how public funds should be allocated.
