More than one in 10 secondary school pupils are now claiming disability benefit payments from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), according to startling new analysis.
This hike in claims for support comes amid a surge in diagnosis of mental health conditions in recent years, including autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Eduin Latimer, a senior research economist at the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), is among the many analysts describing the outlook as "fiscally challenging" for the Government.
The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) projects disability and sickness benefits will approach £100billion by the end of the decade. Comparatively, the UK's current defence budget is £60billion.
One in ten pupils now receive the payments
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This rising burden on public finances will do very little to help Chancellor Rachel Reeves bridge the estimated £50billion gap in the public finances, while Prime Minister Keir Starmer's scaled-back welfare reforms are set to deliver no savings this decade.
This swelling claim bill arises just on the cusp of Ms Reeves's Autumn Budget, where fears are growing of tax increases, despite continuous pledges from the Labour Government to not increase taxes on working people.
Since 2018, claims linked to behavioural disorders have risen by 315 per cent. Government figures show 362,520 children aged 11 to 15 are on Disability Living Allowance, worth between £1,520 and £9,770 a year.
As a result, around 10 per cent of children across this particular age group are now in receipt of DWP benefit support £1,520 to £9,770 annually, The Telegraph's analysis found.
The total includes 42,140 new claimants in the past year, marking a dramatic rise in Britain’s welfare rolls. Conditions including learning difficulties, autism, ADHD, and behavioural disorders now account for four in five disability allowance claims.
Will Shield, associate professor of child, educational and community psychology at the University of Exeter, said the rise reflects better recognition and awareness rather than a genuine increase in prevalence.
“The prevalence of autism and ADHD has stayed stable over time, but there is more assessment and there is more awareness, so therefore there is more diagnosis,” he said.
His view contrasts with Health Secretary Wes Streeting’s recent warning of overdiagnosis of mental health conditions, arguing that too many people are being written off and insists the welfare system must be sustainable.
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Projections have costs reaching as high as £80billion in 2030
|OBR
The Health Secretary’s comments come as research points to historical systemic challenges in identifying mental health disorders in girls.
Diagnostic criteria developed around male behaviours meant inattentive symptoms and overlapping conditions like anxiety were often overlooked.
Experts say this may help explain the sharp rise in claims among young girls as awareness and assessments improve. Charities such as Mind have cautioned that such language risks stigmatising children and families seeking support.
Boys remain twice as likely as girls to receive disability payments, but claims among girls are rising faster.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
The cost of incapacity benefits is set to skyrocket over the next five years | ChatGPTThe number of girls under 16 with behavioural disorder claims has increased from 14,057 in 2018 to 81,267 this year, a 478 per cent rise. Male claimants grew from 41,792 to 150,619 over the same period, a 260 per cent increase.
Louise Murphy, a senior economist at the Resolution Foundation described the teenage trend as unique. She noted that the share of children in their early teens receiving disability benefits is now higher than among people in their 20s, 30s and 40s.
Awards of Disability Living Allowance also act as a gateway to extra support through Universal Credit. Analysts warn that if current trends continue, one million children could be claiming disability benefits by 2028.
The total number of under-16 claimants reached 797,773 in February, an increase of nearly 100,000 in just one year.
A Government spokesman said the system is being reformed so that it is there for people who need it while delivering fairness to the taxpayer and supporting more people into work.
Ministers say they remain committed to ensuring disabled children receive support while keeping eligibility rules strict.