Labour government planning major reforms to how benefits are delivered and who receives them
The DWP is looking to reform a number of benefits (Image: Getty)
The government is planning major reforms to sickness and disability benefits that will begin this year. The changes come from Labour’s ‘Get Britain Working Again’ plan with a consultation on the changes, set to begin in the spring.
Central to the reforms is a plan to cut £3bn from the welfare bill over the next three years. So what changes can we expect as part of these major reforms?
There are likely to be changes to Personal Independence Payments which could make fewer people eligible for the disability payment as the threshold for qualification is raised. Labour also wants to make changes to the Work Capability Assessment, which is used to determine if people can receive additional income-related benefits because of a health condition or disability.
Some campaigners have criticised this approach, reports The Independent. Responding to the white paper Louise Rubin, head of policy at disability equality charity Scope, said: “It’s good to see a positive vision for supporting disabled people who want to work, but we know there’s still a huge amount of anxiety about the changes the government is planning to make to the benefits system.
“The government is pressing ahead with the previous government’s planned £3bn cuts. But not everybody can work. Tightening up conditions so that disabled people are forced to look for work when they are unwell will be disastrous.”
The government has promised a “proper plan to support disabled people to work”, as well as a plan to ensure every young person aged 18 to 21 is either “earning or learning”. Last year Health Secretary Wes Streeting also announced plans to send ‘crack teams’ of doctors to hospitals in areas with the highest numbers off work sick.
In response to criticism of the paper, a DWP spokesperson said: “We’ve inherited a spiralling benefits bill with millions of people with a long-term illness or disability out of work and not getting the support they need.