The Telegraph reports in a morning newsletter headline today that:
One million children to be claiming disability benefits next year
They add, and I make no apology for quoting a free newsletter at length:
A new crisis is emerging that Westminster cannot afford to ignore – and it centres on a quiet but dramatic shift in the number of parents receiving disability benefits for their children.
Fresh forecasts suggest more than one million youngsters will soon be receiving support, driven largely by a surge in claims linked to behavioural and mental health conditions. The pace of the increase has repeatedly caught officials off guard, forcing them to revise projections upwards and raising deeper questions about what is happening.
The trend does not exist in isolation. Schools are reporting a sharp rise in poor behaviour among the youngest pupils, with five and six-year-olds driving increases in repeat suspensions. At the same time, diagnoses linked to autism, ADHD and other behavioural disorders are becoming more common, with worrying growth among very young children.
Privately, concern has been growing across both major parties. Some of Rishi Sunak's advisers had floated reform ideas, but they were seen as too politically contentious ahead of the 2024 election. Taking support away from children is hardly a vote-winner.
Alarm is also rising within Labour's ranks, although the issue remains sensitive, with current reviews focused on working-age adults.
But this is a problem that cannot be sidestepped. It is not just a story about welfare spending. It points to mounting pressure across families, classrooms and public services, with long-term consequences for the economy that are only beginning to come into focus.
The mail's author, Szu Ping Chan, the paper's economics editor, continued:
I will be writing more about these issues in the coming months. Please get in touch if you have thoughts and ideas.
She continued:
When growing numbers of children are struggling to cope, and the state is stepping in at ever greater scale, it suggests something deeper is going wrong.
I accept her point. Something deeper is wrong if this many children are having behavioural problems in our society.
The first thing to say is that the children are not at fault. Nor, I suspect, is it their parents in many cases. The problem is systemic, not individual. The problem comes down to neoliberalism, the alienation it has created within society, and the consequent sense of despair, part of which is transmitted to children and impacts their behaviour.
Let me be a little more specific. The problem that we are facing is that neoliberalism is denying everyone in our society their agency, and younger people, most especially, feel this. They also happen to be parents. They are told they must conform, be consumers, productive agents and compliant. They are repeatedly told what to think, what to do and what to buy. Then the government is surprised that they cannot show initiative at work or competence as parents, when our economic environment and the education system that it depends upon have tried to remove from them all their capacity to think, to accept responsibility, or to identify appropriate courses of action. That is what the removal of agency, on which neoliberalism relies to fulfil its meaningless goal of ever greater consumption, is dependent upon. At the same time, it produces mind-numbing products to fulfil this goal.
What are those mind-numbing products? Start with ultra-processed food, which is intended to, and does, change our physical behaviour, wants and desires in ways that are deeply detrimental to our mental and physical health.
Move on from there to endless electronic entertainment. It started with multiple television channels, all filled with utter drivel most of the time, and went on to social media, most of which is designed to promote false representations of life as it is really lived, a sense of despair with a person's own situation, and a sense of alienation from the world around us.
Then move to our physical environment. We are meant to live and be outside. That is what we were adapted to, and we have not lived long enough as a race to remove this requirement for our physical well-being. And yet work, entertainment, travel and almost every other aspect of life force us to be inside, to live under artificial light, to be immobile, and to be alienated from the world outside. When we do go outside, we are terrified of the sun and the cold, and yet we need natural light and both heat and cold to regulate our bodies. We are denied both. The cocoon that has been created is a recipe for physical and mental disaster, and we are seeing the consequences.
Add to this something else, and that is the culture of outsourcing. The message from the government, the media, and everyone else is that whatever we might seek to do, someone in the market can do it better. Parents now believe that, too. A television channel or a phone might provide their child with better entertainment than they can. It might also talk to them, tell them what colours are, help them to understand numbers and communicate, and yet it cannot. That requires interaction, and electronic media cannot provide that, but parents have absorbed the message that this is a task beyond their ability and that others can do it better than them, which is precisely why they have outsourced it. That is what neoliberalism demanded, and that is what has gone wrong, and the consequences are a disaster.
I could keep going, but my key points are threefold.
The first is that no one should be surprised by this. If you set up an economic and education system in the way we have, this is the inevitable consequence.
Second, I do not blame either the parents involved or the children. Both feel profoundly alienated by the world around them because it is alien, it is unnatural and it does not meet their needs. If they are rebelling against it, that is an entirely rational response.
Third, no solution within the Telegraph's standard repertoire of responses, which is bound to blame parents and to demand reductions in state spending, can in any way address the issues that we are facing. Only a politics for people that is based upon care can do that, and the Telegraph is nowhere near that space at present. As a result, the problems will continue.
And a final thought, autism and ADHD have always been with us. You either have them, or you do not; that has always been true. The Telegraph is wrong to think otherwise. The issue is that those with these conditions are now the canaries in the mine, highlighting the true scale of the crisis we face. They are not the problem. They are signalling that we are living in a world that is truly alien to the people within it because it now refuses to adapt to their needs, but requires that people adapt to the needs of the market, and that is the whole crisis that we are facing.
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All I can see is that if we do not help these generations they will – like biological anti-bodies in a body – treat the life around them as so alien that they will attack it in self defence, causing even more problems.
I’ve noted as I’ve got older just how ingrained people’s views are on age for example. Getting older in work is recognised but seldom allowed for properly by the people you work with. We spend so much time at work at home, that the old ways in which we used to get used to people and share knowledge are being ripped apart.
We are being disaggregated as a social species and those that cannot cope or adapt to that will be left wanting for sure. Speaking to the guard on my regular commute to work, the amount of incidents on trains where people do not seem aware of boundaries, rights and obligations when travelling with strangers has been rising for some time.
Much to agree with
A profound comment indeed. The society I grew up in had serious faults (e.g. xenophobia and misogyny) and until recently we had moved a long way from that. It also had serious positives: considerable resilience, community and a flowering of liberal policy. As a teen, I had adventures, whether on foot, cycle, alone or with friends. I now have students who mostly baulk at the idea of being outside (too dangerous) and live on their phones. They are also less creative and motivated! School hasn’t changed much, still regimented and class ridden. It is society that has radically changed.
When I was 12 I was cycling through Suffiolk all day with girl friend. Our parents never worried about where we were. We covered miles in a summer. WE were fit.
A year or so ago I was on a Cambrian Coast line train. There seemed to be quite a few unaccompanied children on it and The Guard was quite ‘on the ball’ to make sure they got off at the right station – many of which were ‘request’ so it does still happen.
I love that line.
Its interesting to see firstly the recent correspondence in The Guardian about schools doing more on screens and not on paper or with books.
One point I might make especially as I have two ASD children is to what extent are schools set up in a way that doesnt work for ‘neurodivergent’ children OR school management teams chasing ratings are trying to offload them – been there seen that.
This in turn is pushing parents to have to get something done and that means diagnosis leading to benefits and – hopefully an EHCP.
Also worth pointing out amongst other things that unlike Tax Credits where there was no ‘conditionality’ for households where one person was working at least 16 hours pw there is massively extended conditionality in Universal Credit ie no ‘Stay at Home Mums’ (or Dads). BUT if you have a child getting Disability Living Allowance and you care for them for more than 30 hours pw then you are excluded from Conditionality.
So suddenly we are wondering why more children are being ‘Diagnosed’
* Conditionality is the equivalent of the old ‘Signing On’ ie if you are not working OR earnings are below a certain level they you are expected to be looking for work and clogging up employers recruitment processes with applications for jobs you are not suited for or have no interest in.
Thanks
My youngest son, who is 21, struggles daily with ADHD. He had a brain fog the other day where literally he shut down like you’d imagine a robot in a film. He refers to his brain as a separate entity that is disconnected from his body. He’s almost done his first year of music production at university but constantly needs extensions to finish modules as he can’t work to schedules. He is polite, friendly and wouldn’t hurt a fly. He recoils from conflict, the unknown or having to meet new people. Fortunately, he has friends from a very young age who are understanding. My wife, who is a nutritional therapist, and helps him daily, believes most of the genetic variants that cause what we refer to as ADHD, stem from diets imposed on us for the last 70-80 years, that are not real food that our previous generations have passed onto us with the genetic snips now in our genes. The alterations are already in our genes, and are not reversible. It is important that fake food (ultra processed) is ultimately banned from shelves, although that outcome may be a long time coming, as the rare genetic variants causing the struggles for our younger generations will only become more prevalent in future generations. What the government is seeing now and worrying about is something that has been brewing for generations. It’s not going away by some cheap fix or policy magic.
Much to agree with. With Blair suggesting conditions be reframed as compatible with work, I feel very uneasy about what might be proposed for schools. School phobia is a nightmare for children who genuinely cannot function there, and that is part of this, as is existential angst, which is a sane reaction to our world. “Miss, there’s a herd of elephants in the assembly hall” “Get on with your maths”
Could these problems be linked to such things as plastic pollution and other environmental damage?
I have read that we have plastic residues in our organs and that even new born babies have the same.Also that such residues for example in the brain can cause inflammation and may contribute to such illnesses as strokes, whilst there is talk that dementia may be linked in some way to pollution.I believe traffic emissions do contribute to heart attacks and strokes, causing blood cells to clump and block blood vessels.
Younger people are growing up in a plastic filled environment and I wonder what damage this could be doing to growing brains/organs.
Just a few thoughts.Thanks.
Mark
@ Mark Willet,
Something I’ve wondered about too. Not that I’m in a position to enlighten you about the problems it may cause.
I can’t but think the presence of microplastics, from the earliest stages of development, can only be negative.
There is talk among educational circles, particularly among SEN specialists, that a lot of what schools are identifying as Autism or ADHD may, in fact, be related to poverty instead. Another example successive governments worrying about costs, cutting back the State, only to saddle us with further costs. Add in the fact that some, not all, parents of children with behavioural issues are pushing for a diagnosis of their children because they can’t live on regular benefits and poorly paid work, and we have the appearance of a rise in ASD and ADHD beyond what improvements in diagnosis offer.
Then there are the digital companies. They seem to have taken more of an interest in our children than our own elected government. They have inserted themselves into every aspect of our children’s lives, as Westminster has given up on them, providing us with the first generation with less cognitive ability than their parents.
Autism and ADHD are not poverty issues. They are real, and you are obviousy deeply unaware of them and how hard it is to get a diagnosis.
It is insulting of you to say what you have. I would have expected that from Farage
I expect your apology. Whether you stay on this bog is open to doubt.
I think you may have misunderstood me, or I didn’t communicate it well enough. As a parent of a child with ASD, I understand it well enough. There is a concern that instability at home, brought about by the effects of poverty, leads to behavioural issues that are misidentified as autism and ADHD. They can then take up resources that are needed for SEN care, when other interventions may have helped, such as Surestart, for example, or other early years care now unavailable. I believe that we need to care for all children in a number of ways, so that those who need help can get the right help and support. If so many children are struggling due to preventable causes, nutrition, early years education, and despair of parents passed down to their children, for example, then schools are constantly firefighting, and potentially missing some in need while treating others incorrectly. I certainly wasn’t channeling my inner Farage, which I hope my previous comments on this blog would suggest I am far from. I will acknowledge, upon reflection, that this argument could be used as a deflection by schools or by people with certain politics to dismiss children with genuine needs, but without the levels of poverty we are now seeing, perhaps the burden of assessment for SEN departments might decrease, helping them to focus where its needed.
OK noted
Your comment was not your best – and thi si one of my sensitivities
Taking up for Tom B., which may get me band but here goes:
I have friends who work in Special Education in the USA. My friends tell me that the two biggest problems are children (students) that are 1) misdiagnosed with Autism and/or ADHD but have other real problems and 2) children that are not diagnosed at all.
I am not knowledgeable in this area but it seems to me that “politicians and civil service creatures” are more interested in catching “cheaters” than in helping children that need help.
That is fair comment
I live in a very safe rural area and I always love seeing children being allowed to play outside without rigid adult supervision in the way did as children,and I grew up in London.
As a very recently late diagnosed autistic who works as a clerk to governors, I stand by the view that life was easier to manage in the 60s and 70s for those of us considered neurodivergent. I didn’t enjoy my primary school, but it was much less overwhelming than the current system. So whilst such a diagnosis wasn’t a thing when I was at school, it was a very different world to contend with, no screens or digital technology etc.
Current teachers have far less freedom over how they work and are constantly being evaluated in a way that forces conformity to a regime that is not how they would chose to work. Crazy attendance targets penalise much of what they would like to do in terms of flexibility for a child. I’ve seen examples of really good practice getting a child excluded from several schools back into school, but at the detriment to their attendance figures for the whole school.
Real rates of autism and ADHD remain unchanged, but life has become harder, forcing diagnosis to access support and justify needs. Maybe the people attacking rising diagnosis rates should look at and address what is causing this, not attack the children, parents and teachers doing their best? Just a thought.
A great deal to agree with
This is such an interesting discussion. I work with young people with additional support needs (ASD) at a college in Scotland, and this year local secondary schools are looking at an average S1 intake of Over 42% ASD, with one school looking at around 60%. Now this is a catch all description which covers those with temporary needs ( broken limbs etc), and there is a consultation looking at how better to define ASD, to those with long term and life limiting conditions, however SURELY now is the time to say that IF that many young people require additional support, then it’s the educational environment and system that is the problem NOT our young people.
Agreed
Due to the NHS in the state it is in there could be many additional factors not often considered that are causing the so called rise in diagnosis also, such as histamine, mast cell activation, vitamins, nutrients, hormones, and gut-brain interactions, all of which can exacerbate or mask symptoms. All of which are near impossible to get help with on the NHS
There is also the thing that UPF is a no brainer that it’s causing issues and that our food is poor quality. Take broccoli it has a nutrient profile half that of what it did 20 years ago and research has proved this and other veg.
And on top of that I think neurodivergents are the litmus to the world’s ills. We neurodivergents are the ones who can literally FEEL the incoming storm and like wolves howling before a storm we are fractious annoyed loud upset angry and acting out. It’s no wonder the kids are having issues the worlds to much to fast too loud to chaotic and it’s breaking at a rapid pace yet unseen for decades
Thanks to all for a most relevant article!
Might it be that our society is faced with, if not facing, demanding societal and educational matters?
If so, might all societies be reasonably placed on a spectrum between the poles of “Caring” and “Exploitative”?
Where on such a spectrum might our current society be placed?
Since W. W. 2 what might have been its placements?
Might its placement be moved partly towards the exploitative pole, as a consequence of our split educational set up whereby, basically, some 97% of state educated students are taught to submissively not question whereas the other 7% are taught to lead/dominate?
“The privately educated remain significantly over-represented, being five times more likely to hold elite roles than the general public.” [From AI Mode below]
https://www.google.com/search?q=proportion+of+Uk+senior+posts+held+by+privately+educated+persons&oq=proportion++of+Uk+senior+posts+held+by+privately+educated+persons&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOdIBCjQ5MzU3ajBqMTWoAgiwAgHxBUGD7-GqgdXx8QVBg-_hqoHV8Q&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
P. S. I once worked at a “guerilla” primary where the activities were made to suit the individual child and the head used most of his time and effort studying with students who did not, intially, find school learning comfortable/enjoyable. No child left illiterate or unable to perform on stage to an audience.
“There is nothing like applause for building confidence.” [?]
Thanks
For what it’s worth Robert Reich makes a similar point in his latest book ‘Coming up Short’
I have yet to read it