One in 10 secondary school children is now on disability benefits from the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ). 362,520 people aged 11 to 15 are being handed disability living allowance (DLA) from the DWP in England and Wales, including those with autism and ADHD.

This means that 10pc of children across this age group are receiving between £1,520 to £9,770 a year, the Telegraph reports. Data shows disability claims awarded to secondary schoolchildren jumped by 42,140 in the year to February alone.

Among all children under 16, claims hit a record high of 797,773 in February. Eduin Latimer from the IFS said the trend is “fiscally challenging” for the Labour Party government.

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Will Shield, associate professor of

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