Disability payments for parents of children with conditions such as ADHD and autism have risen by almost 200,000 – or 40 per cent – since lockdown.
More than 730,000 minors are now the subject of Disability Living Allowance – a tax-free benefit for families who need help caring for their children.
The figure in November 2019, shortly before the Covid-19 pandemic, was just 534,571, compared to 738,492 at the end of February this year.
This rise has been fuelled by an increase in conditions related to mental health among young boys. The statistics from the Department for Work and Pensions show the largest increase in claimants are for children aged 16 and 17 – a 52 per cent increase – followed by a 45 per cent increase for those aged 11 to 15.
A breakdown of the data shows that 336,909 claims this year were down to learning difficulties – around 45 per cent of the total and up by almost 100,000 from 2019 – with another 182,410 down to behaviour disorder, which is almost three times the figure from five years ago.
Another 72,590 claimants had hyperkinetic syndrome – also known as ADHD – which is up by around 20,000 since before the pandemic. William Yarwood, of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, told the Mail: ‘Taxpayers will be stunned by the stratospheric surge in payouts for disability claims.
Ministers must ensure these payments are carefully targeted at those who genuinely need them.’
Earlier this year a Mail on Sunday investigation found taxpayers are shelling out £292million a year in disability benefits to people claiming to have ADHD – up from just £700,000 per year in 2013.
A government spokesman said: ‘We are committed to ensuring parents with children with disabilities are supported fairly.’