The number of young people claiming disability benefits has doubled over the past decade, a new study has shown.
Across England and Wales, 1.2 million children are living with a disability, with the most significant increase among teenagers, the research from the Resolution Foundation found.
More than 682,000 young people received the Child Disability Living Allowance (DLA) in 2023, up from 333,000 in 2013.
The report noted young people aged 15-16 were more likely than adults in their 20s, 30s or 40s to receive a disability benefit, only surpassed by those aged 52 and older.
Four in five children receiving the Child DLA had been diagnosed with a learning difficulty, behavioural disorder, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), the thinktank said.
Louise Murphy, Resolution Foundation senior economist and author of the report, told Sky News there has been a “huge shift” over the past decade in the number of young people who receive the benefit.
She said: “Certainly over the past decade or so, there has been a change in how we speak about and label certain conditions.
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“I don’t think we need to deny that, but I think what is important to remember is that regardless of some of these societal shifts, this disability, this prevalence of disability, is definitely real.
“It’s having impacts on how people live their lives, feel about their lives. It’s having impacts on the benefits system, and it is showing up in some quite concrete measures.”
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Ms Murphy added: “For example, the number of children being prescribed medication for ADHD and for conditions like anxiety and depression has increased quite significantly.
“And we’ve seen some quite troubling trends. For example, an increase in the number of children being admitted to hospital in relation to self-harm.
“So, it’s certainly real and it’s not just about kind of different language.”
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The figures also revealed the number of people claiming disability benefits dropped by more than a quarter as people transitioned from children’s disability allowances to adult schemes.
Ms Murphy said: “There may be positive reasons for no longer claiming support, but it is a huge worry if young people are leaving the benefits system and missing out on support at the arbitrary cut-off point of age 16, rather than when their condition changes.”
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Data also revealed the percentage of 15-year-olds with a disability increased from 10% to 17% over the last decade, a sharper increase than among young children or the broader working population.
Ms Murphy said: “It is understandable that politicians want to reduce the rise in disability benefit spending. But to do that they will need to understand and address the root causes of rising disability among children.”
