Politics · United Kingdom · 3 hrs ago
Thinktank says excluding people with ADHD or autism from PIP would not save much
The Resolution Foundation says excluding people with anxiety, ADHD or autism from PIP would not bring major savings.
PIP is a UK benefit that helps disabled people meet extra costs, and spending on it in England and Wales has risen sharply.
The benefit is forecast to cost £28bn this year, with official forecasts putting the bill at £34bn by the end of the decade.
Instead of excluding people based on diagnoses, the thinktank says support should reflect how disabilities affect each person, including those with multiple conditions.
It estimates better targeting could save about £4.4bn a year, partly by removing cash support from around one in six working-age claimants who report no extra disability-related costs.
The foundation warns that crude cuts could make it harder for disabled people to work, care for others, train or volunteer.
Officials are considering changes, including whether to exclude under-25s, while a government review of PIP is awaited.
The Resolution Foundation says excluding people with anxiety, ADHD or autism from Personal Independence Payments would not deliver major savings.
The thinktank warns that such exclusions could make it harder for people to get or stay in work and participate in society.
It says better targeting could save about £4.4bn a year by removing cash support from an estimated 670,000 claimants who report no extra costs related to their disability.
Spending on PIP in England and Wales has risen by 183% in real terms since the benefit was introduced in 2014.
The foundation says the system needs a major overhaul because claimants do not trust it and spending is rising unsustainably.
- Who
- The Resolution Foundation, a thinktank, issued the warning. Its research director is Lindsay Judge.
- What
- It said excluding people with anxiety, ADHD or autism from PIP would not produce major savings and could hinder participation in work and society.
- When
- The report was published on 14 October 2026.
- Where
- The figures on PIP spending cover England and Wales.
- Why
- The foundation said proposals to exclude people with certain conditions would be a crude response to savings targets, while PIP costs are rising and the system needs reform.
Resolution Foundation
Supporters of excluding people with certain conditions
Savings
Resolution Foundation
Excluding people with anxiety, ADHD or autism would not deliver major savings.
Supporters of excluding people with certain conditions
The proposals are intended to reduce spending on PIP.
Eligibility
Resolution Foundation
Awards should not be linked to particular conditions because claimants often report multiple conditions.
Supporters of excluding people with certain conditions
Kemi Badenoch has argued that people with “mild” conditions that are not disabling or likely to involve higher daily living costs should not receive PIP.
PIP was introduced.
Attempts by the previous Labour administration under Keir Starmer to secure £5bn in PIP savings collapsed after a rebellion by backbench MPs.
The Resolution Foundation warned that excluding people with anxiety, ADHD or autism from PIP would not deliver major savings.
- Potential annual savings from better targeting
- About £4.4bn
- Claimants estimated to have no extra disability-related costs
- 670,000, or about one in six working-age PIP claimants
- PIP spending rise in real terms
- 183% since 2014 in England and Wales
- Expected PIP bill this year
- £28bn
- Forecast PIP bill by the end of the decade
- £34bn
What people are saying
Pip is a vital benefit for disabled people that enables them to participate in society and live fuller and more active lives.
But the current system is failing on several fronts – claimants don’t trust it, awards don’t fully reflect the nature of disability today and spending is rising unsustainably.
There is no perfect system of disability support, but one that better reflects the fact that people often have multiple and fluctuating conditions must target greater support and engagement where it’s needed, and avoid waste where it’s not.