FEARS over vulnerable people being forced into work grew today after Health Secretary Wes Streeting announced a review into the rising demand for mental health, ADHD and autism services.

The study into rates of diagnosis and the support offered to people comes as ministers seek to tackle the growing social security bill.

Mr Streeting said that the issue needed to be looked at through a “strictly clinical lens” but in March claimed there had been an “overdiagnosis” of mental health conditions with “too many people being written off” when asked about the welfare system.

PM Sir Keir Starmer on Monday signalled the government will make a fresh push on welfare reform after backbenchers forced ministers to climb down on plans to cut disability benefits.

Last month unions raised fears over disabled people facing benefit cuts for not taking so-called “personal responsibility” to return to work following the publication of a major review on how to keep people in work.

Former John Lewis boss Sir Charlie Mayfield’s report suggested replacing GP fit notes with a “non-clinical case management service” funded by employers.

Today Disabled People Against Cuts co-founder Linda Burnip said: “Of course the number of people suffering from mental illness has increased after 14 years of Tory austerity and massive increases in poverty and deprivation. 

“That, followed by the loss of all hope that a Labour government would improve things. 

“Work, particularly with the cuts to Access to Work funding, isn’t a fix-all solution and any attempts to force unwell people into work is likely to make their mental health worse not better.”

The new independent review will examine what is driving rising demand for services and look at inequalities in accessing support and be led by Professor Peter Fonagy, national clinical adviser on children and young people’s mental health.

Royal College of Psychiatrists president Dr Lade Smith said that it must “rigorously identify gaps in care, explore which methods of treatment and support already work and be led by the best available evidence.”

Centre for Young Lives executive chairwoman Baroness Anne Longfield said: “Nobody could disagree that there has been a very significant worsening of children and young people’s mental health over the last decade, that systems of support are unable to meet demand, and that serious reform is needed.”