Warning over rise in children on disability benefits in England and Wales

Resolution Foundation points to growth in claims for conditions such as autism and says adulthood brings financial cliff edge

Children in England and Wales aged 15 or 16 are now more likely to be receiving disability benefits than adults in their 20s to 40s, according to research highlighting a sharp increase in claims resulting from conditions such as autism and ADHD.

In a new report, the Resolution Foundation thinktank points out that the number of children whose families receive disability living allowance (DLA) has more than doubled in the last decade, to 682,000.