Banning individuals with anxiety, ADHD, or autism from claiming disability benefits would not yield significant financial savings and could hinder their ability to work and engage in society, according to a report by the Resolution Foundation.
Key Findings
The thinktank criticized any proposals to exclude certain mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions from eligibility for Personal Independence Payments (Pip) as "crude changes" aimed at unrealistic savings targets. They emphasized that Pip is currently failing on multiple fronts and called for a comprehensive overhaul to manage costs, which are rising at an "unsustainable" rate, and to restore public trust in the benefit system.
- £4.4 billion could potentially be saved if Pip support were better targeted.
- An estimated 670,000 working-age Pip claimants report having no extra costs due to their disabilities.
Current Challenges
Despite the potential savings, the report cautioned against reforms that could undermine the success of Pip in enabling disabled and ill individuals to engage in economically valuable activities such as work, caring, training, or volunteering. Official concerns regarding Pip have increased, particularly due to the rising number of claimants among young people, largely attributed to claims related to mental health, ADHD, and autism.
Since its introduction in 2014, spending on Pip in England and Wales has surged by 183% in real terms. This year, the expected expenditure is £28 billion, projected to rise to £34 billion by the end of the decade.
