More 7-year-old kids receiving disability benefits than 50-year-olds, data reveals – as calls grow to cut welfare bill

2 comments 2 Next MORE seven-year-olds are receiving disability benefits than 50-year-olds new figures have revealed. A total of 69,799 seven-year-olds are now receiving disability support, while 66,670 50-year-olds are on similar benefits figures show amid growing calls to cut the welfare bill. Man putting a coin into a pink piggy bank concept for savings and finance Credit: Getty Parents of children eligible to claim Disability Living Allowance (DLA) do so on their behalf which critics say creates a “pipeline” to Universal Credit . Advertisement Many of the children who received DLA later go on to claim Universal Credit on medical grounds, often after an ADHD diagnosis or other mental health condition. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Email address Please provide a valid email. Your info will be used in accordance with our Privacy Policy You'll now receive top stories, breaking news, and more, straight to your email. Helen Whately, the shadow work and pensions secretary, branded this a “cash-for-labels pipeline to a lifetime on benefits”. She added: “Thousands of children are being told they have something wrong with them and that they deserve benefits as compensation,” she said. read more Uk news BILL SHOCK Fury as almost 2m foreigners on benefits as immigration 'rises without control' BRITAIN'S NOT WORKING UK spends £1.6TRN on working-age benefits as handouts 'numb' failure “It’s damaging for them and unaffordable for the taxpayer.” The number of children who receive DLA is more than double what it was before the pandemic , as claims for ADHD and learning difficulties have also surged. This total is expected to hit one million this year; it is currently at 915,000 – more than triple the 314,000 children recorded in 2010. Before the pandemic, 37,690 seven-year-olds were receiving DLA handouts, making the new figures an 85 per cent increase. Most read in The Sun TAKE NOTE New GCSE exam rule being rolled out in England next month in curriculum shake-up COP 'SHAME' Police Interceptors star 'went dogging with cop after sending her sexual pics' BRIT 'BRONX' Inside 'Hunger Games' estate where locals fear 'chase or kill' balaclava gangs BLING BOAST Albanian burglar poses next to £300k Rolls-Royce as he fights THIRD deportation The Telegraph reports the on average one in 10 children are now in reciept of DLA. Advertisement This follows a recent review that revealed the number of children officially diagnosed with ADHD has surged from less than 0.5 per cent to between three and four per cent over the same period. Around one per cent of young people are thought to have autism , but recorded diagnosis rates have rocketed to more than four per cent. Following the figures, a second report warned that wrong diagnoses risk children not getting the help they need and instead facing a future of benefits. It added that defining a generation of youngsters by their conditions may lead them to believe they cannot achieve things they might otherwise manage. Experts fear that while many youngsters have been overlooked for years, the country is now approaching a tipping point . Advertisement This comes as the Government predicts within five years spending on DLA will surpass £8billion. The annual benefits bill is set to hit £409bn a year by 2030. One recent report found Britain spent £1.6trillion on working-age benefits in the past 20 years — three times more than the investment in infrastructure. This has put pressure on John Healey to cut the benefits bill at his budget in two weeks. Labour has been blamed for fuelling the crisis by imposing punishing taxes on business, such as the National Insurance hike . Advertisement In response The Sun has this week launched a campaign to try to tackle the welfare bill, focused on young people who are not in education, employment or training. RECOMMENDED STORIES A Government spokesperson said: “The rising proportion of young people on Child DLA is not a new trend. “Child DLA exists to help with the extra costs of caring for a seriously ill or disabled child. But we know there is a rising demand, which is why we have trained additional case managers to deal with these claims to a high standard. “We have also outlined reforms to Special Educational Needs to ensure every child gets the right support early on, without a fight, and are investing a record £16.1 billion in NHS mental health services this year.” 2 comments 2