Affluent English areas see fastest rise in young people’s ADHD and autism PIP claims

Some of England’s most affluent areas have recorded the sharpest increases in the proportion of young people claiming Personal Independence Payment for ADHD and autism since the pandemic, according to new research reported by The Guardian. The findings appear alongside a different overall pattern in which claims for these conditions remain proportionally higher in more deprived areas. Those areas have higher levels of poverty, poorer educational outcomes and more insecure employment, the report said.

Experts suggested that the faster growth in affluent areas probably reflects quicker access to diagnoses. Wealthier families may be more able to obtain assessments privately, the report said, although the supplied material does not provide figures comparing private and NHS diagnosis rates. The research concerns claims for PIP, a disability benefit, rather than a direct measure of how many young people have ADHD or autism.

The report does not give the number of claims, the areas with the largest increases or the period used for the comparison beyond saying it followed the pandemic. The findings therefore describe a change in benefit claims and a geographical difference in their growth. Experts’ explanation is presented as a likely reason for the pattern, not as a confirmed cause in the supplied material.