Official statistics in the United Kingdom show that more young people than ever before are claiming disability benefits after being diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) amid growing calls for the benefits system to be overhauled.According to government statistics from July 2024 to April 2026, at least 40 percent of those receiving disability benefits, also known as personal independence payments (PIP), are people with psychiatric disorders.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listMoreover, the number of people claiming disability benefits for ADHD with no requirement to work rose from 71,528 in July 2024 to 100,207 in April this year. The rise is largely down to an increase in the number of young people aged 16 to 24 making claims, according to official government figures reported by The Times newspaper this week.Referring to The Times report on Tuesday, opposition Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said her party would stop people with mild mental health conditions from receiving disability benefits, suggesting that the report had supported her case.But Mindy Ptolomey, a lecturer in disability studies at the University of Leeds, said the focus on young people diagnosed with ADHD and receiving disability benefits was “disingenuous”.“I think there’s also an important point that most social security money – the benefits that people receive – go directly back into the economy, so people are buying goods and services. They’re paying for their utilit …
