New analysis of disability benefit claims across England has found that some of the country’s most affluent areas have experienced the steepest rises in the proportion of young people receiving personal independence payment (PIP) for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism since the pandemic.
Experts who commented on the findings said the trend is likely driven in part by differential access to diagnostic services: wealthier families are more likely to seek and obtain private assessments, shortening the time to a formal diagnosis that can underpin a PIP claim.
The researchers also stressed that despite the faster growth in richer areas, the overall proportion of PIP claimants for ADHD and autism remains substantially higher in more deprived areas, which have experienced long-standing problems linked to poverty, lower educational outcomes and more insecure employment.
The study’s authors and outside specialists framed the pattern as reflecting unequal access to health and diagnostic services across the country. They cautioned that changes in claim proportions do not necessarily mean conditions themselves are more prevalent in affluent areas, but rather that identification and certification processes are occurring at different rates.
Those involved in the analysis said the findings highlight how disparities in healthcare provision and the ability to pay for private assessment can shape who is recorded as needing disability support. The research underlines continued concerns about geographic and socioeconomic inequalities in diagnosis and support for neurodevelopmental conditions among young people.