The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will confirm its overhaul plan for disability benefits within the next few weeks. Sir Stephen Timms, Minister for Social Security and Disabilities, has confirmed that the details of its plan - alongside a public consultation - will be published ahead of the Spring Forecast in March. Although the exact date has yet to be confirmed. The new forecast - which has replaced the traditional Spring Statement and will be delivered by Chancellor Rachel Reeves - is set for March 26. The update will give those claiming working-age disability benefits, including Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), and Universal Credit, more information on proposed changes they should expect over the coming years.
The confirmation came from Minister of State for the DWP, Sit Stephen Timms, in response to a written statement from Liberal Democrat MP Martin Wrigley. He asked whether any and all proposed changes to the financial support for those claiming benefits for health and disabilities will be preceded by a public consultation. The DWP Minister responded: “We are working to develop proposals for health and disability reform in the months ahead and will set them out in a Green Paper ahead of the Spring Statement. This will launch a public consultation on the proposals. This Government is committed to putting the views and voices of disabled people at the heart of all that we do, so we will consult on these proposals, where appropriate, with disabled people and representative organisations.".
Recently Sir Stephen said that the the plans will "transform" the entire service, with changes proposed to eligibility, decisions and payments. The changes come as part of the government's previously announced Health Transformation Programme. Launched by the previous Conservative administration, the programme intends to simplify the PIP application process. It will also introduce a new single health assessment service for all benefits that require a functional health assessment, with a national rollout planned for 2029.
Details of the changes to disability benefits have not been confirmed as of writing. However, the government has committed to cutting welfare spending by £3billion which was first introduced by the former Tory DWP. Reforms to the work capability assessment are understood to remain central to the overhaul, with changes to PIP also widely expected. The changes are likely to make it more difficult for people to qualify for certain disability benefits, especially for reasons related to mental health.
In a written statement on January 14, Sir Stephen said: "This government believes there is a strong case to change the system of health and disability benefits across Great Britain so that it better enables people to enter and remain in work, and to respond to the complex and fluctuating nature of the health conditions many people live with today. The system must also work to reduce poverty for disabled people and those with health conditions and support disabled people to live independently.
"We want to engage with disabled people, and others with expertise and experience on these issues, to consider how to address these challenges and build a better system,. "This government is committed to putting the views and voices of disabled people at the heart of all that we do, so we will consult on these proposals with disabled people and representative organisations.". Last week, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Liz Kendall, said that the welfare budget has to be put on a “more sustainable course” as she warned the country could not keep meeting the “costs of failure”.
The DWP boss blamed the former Conservative administrations for "failing" to control welfare spending. She told the PA news agency: “We’re going to get the benefits bill on a more sustainable course - and it has to be, we cannot accept these costs of failure, failure for individuals, failure for businesses and failure for the economy. “But the way to do this is to get more people into work through the reforms that we’re putting in place in our Jobcentres and through reform of the benefit system. And we’ll be bringing forward our green paper on reforming sickness and disability benefits in the spring.”.
The planned reforms have received significant backlash from several leading charities, including the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Disability Rights UK. Anela Anwar, chief executive of anti-poverty charity Z2K, who co-ordinated a letter to the DWP said: “It is deeply disappointing to learn that this government wants to revive the previous government’s discredited and dangerous plans to remove vital financial support for seriously ill and disabled people.
