Norfolk sees surge in teenagers receiving benefits for ADHD and autism
Concerns rise over increasing claims in affluent areas
The number of Norfolk teenagers receiving disability benefits for ADHD and autism has soared in the last six years.
New figures show the proportion of 16 and 17-year-olds receiving personal independence payments (PIP) for the conditions has doubled across the county since 2019.
Some of the steepest increases have also come in the wealthiest areas, where claims were previously among the lowest in the county.
On average across Norfolk’s seven districts, the proportion of 16 and 17-year-olds receiving PIP for ADHD and autism rose from 1.7pc in 2019 to 3.6pc in 2025.
The figures – which come amid a wider surge in claims – have sparked concerns about over-diagnoses.
They also come at a time of heightened political debate about the rising cost of benefits.
The revelations have also raised questions over why claims are rising fastest in the most affluent areas, amid fears parents are paying to jump NHS queues for private diagnoses for conditions.
The steepest increases have come in Broadland and South Norfolk – which are consistently ranked by the Office for National Statistics as the county’s least deprived areas.
In South Norfolk, the rate has more than tripled, from 1.1pc in 2019 to 3.5pc in 2025.
In Broadland, the rate has almost trebled from 1.1pc to 3.1pc.
Great Yarmouth, Norfolk’s most deprived district, continues to have the highest rate of claims in the county, with one in 20 teenagers receiving benefits for the conditions last year.
But it recorded the second smallest rise of anywhere in Norfolk, increasing from 3.2pc, meaning the gap between the seaside town and its wealthier neighbours has narrowed sharply.
Norwich has the county’s second-highest rate, having climbed from 1.9pc to 4.5pc.
Elsewhere, North Norfolk jumped from 1.3pc to 3.5pc, West Norfolk rose from 1.5pc to 3.3pc and Breckland almost doubled, from 1.7pc to 3.3pc.
Rupert Lowe, the Restore MP for Great Yarmouth, raised concerns about the sharp increase.
“I have been clear from the start that those with genuine need must receive proper help from the state,” he said.
“But we cannot have a situation where healthy and capable individuals are refusing to work and getting paid to do nothing.
“In many cases, work is an incredible boost for an individual’s mental health – particularly 16 year olds.
“We should be encouraging young men and women into work, even just for a weekend here and there.”
“Let’s support these youngsters into a job, from which everyone benefits.”
The Norfolk figures reflect a sharp rise across the country, with more than 205,400 people aged 16 to 24 in England now receiving PIP for disabilities linked to ADHD and autism.
Analysis by the Nuffield Trust found the increase has been 28pc faster in England’s least deprived areas than in its poorest.
PIP is designed to help with the extra costs of a long-term condition and is not awarded on the strength of a diagnosis alone.
Claimants must show their condition seriously affects everyday tasks such as preparing food, washing, dealing with other people or getting around safely.
For someone with ADHD, which stands for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, this might include struggling to prepare meals, look after their personal hygiene, deal with other people or travel safely, due to problems with concentration, memory or impulse control.
Autistic people can face similar challenges, as well as sensory sensitivities and difficulty processing information or communicating.
But researchers have said the trend could partly reflect wealthier families’ ability to sidestep soaring NHS waiting lists by paying more than £1,000 for a private assessment.
The figures also come as a review commissioned by health secretary Wes Streeting found private providers were routinely misdiagnosing ADHD in children.
Sally Gainsbury, senior policy analyst at the Nuffield Trust, said: “Historically, disability and deprivation have been closely linked, because deprivation is both a cause of disability and poor health as well as an effect of it.
“But our analysis finds that this link is weaker for ADHD and autism, and has weakened further in recent years.
“PIP is meant to reflect how much a condition affects someone’s day-to-day life, rather than purely whether they have a diagnosis, so it’s intriguing to see that recipient rates have grown most in the areas where people seem to be doing relatively well in terms of employment and education.
“Our findings could reflect unequal access to diagnosis, which we know is substantial.
“But they could also point to inconsistencies and uncertainties, both in the welfare system and in wider society, about how disability is understood and assessed when it comes to autism and ADHD.
“This confusion has serious implications for the health system too.
“Demand for diagnosis and treatment has risen dramatically, and services are struggling to keep pace. Overwhelmed systems risk missing people with the most pressing need.”