Labour issues update on DWP PIP and WCA changes which are 'coming into force'

The Labour Party has issued a disability benefit change update – but ‘anxiety’ remains for thousands. Reforms to disability benefit assessments are still set to come into force soon, the new Labour Party government has confirmed.

It comes as the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) gives the latest update on its plans. An overhaul of the Work Capability Assessment remain at the heart of the changes, the department says, as its ‘Get Britain Working Again’ white paper reveals that a consultation will begin in Spring 2025.

The paper says: “The DWP-led health and disability benefits system is not well designed to promote and enable employment. The current system focuses on assessing capacity to work instead of on helping people to adjust and adapt to their health condition.

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"It misses opportunities to work with people to identify what kind of support could make work possible for them.” Iain Porter, senior policy adviser at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, warned: “These positive first steps risk being undermined by the government’s commitment to £3bn of cuts to the health and disability benefits budget if this simply comes from removing support for disabled people.

“Putting arbitrary cost savings ahead of effective reforms leaves a cloud of uncertainty hanging over the disabled people on low incomes who rely on health and disability benefits.” 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.”

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. We’re determined to fix this and, building on our Get Britain Working White Paper, will publish a consultation in Spring on measures to ensure the system is better supporting them – underlined by the fundamental principle of treating people with dignity and respect.

“This government isn’t about sticking plaster politics. This is an incredibly complex challenge – and we will work closely with charities & leading organisations, disabled people and people with health conditions to ensure their voices are heard as we develop our plans.”