Amid a surge in benefit claims linked to mental health diagnoses, Health Secretary Wes Streeting has initiated a clinical review. Streeting's concern stems from a sharp increase in sickness benefit claims attributed to mental illness, autism, and ADHD. He aims to address the 4.4 million working-age individuals claiming sickness or incapacity benefits, a figure that has risen by 1.2 million since 2019. Streeting's personal experience and conversations with clinicians highlight the rising diagnosis rates of these conditions. He emphasizes the need for a clinical examination to understand the evidence, identify gaps in knowledge, and assess the implications for mental health services, autism, and ADHD support. The review, led by Prof. Peter Fonagy and Sir Simon Wessely, will scrutinize evidence from research, individuals with lived experiences, and frontline clinicians to uncover the driving factors behind the growing demand for diagnoses.
