Our welfare system is broken, costing almost a third as much as it does to run the NHS in England while leaving people for years on benefits with no offer of support, no hope of a future in work and no opportunity to improve their standard of living. Working-age adults who are in work are three times less likely to be in poverty than those out of work. We need to act to end the inequality that sees disabled people and people with health conditions trapped out of jobs, despite many wanting to work, and ensure our welfare system is there for people who need it, now and long into the future.

As part of our Plan for Change we're introducing the most far-reaching reforms in a generation, with £1 billion a year being invested to give people the best possible chance with tailored support that can be adapted to meet their changing circumstances - including their changing health.

These are the changes we are making to the system – to support sick and disabled people – many of whom want to work – into jobs, while protecting those with the most severe conditions who can never work:

• Scrapping the controversial Work Capability Assessment to end the dysfunctional process which drives people into dependency – delivering on the Government’s commitment to reform or replace it.

• We will not take forward the previous government’s WCA changes.

• Our Green Paper outlines why we think removing the WCA and moving to using the PIP assessment as the single assessment for additional financial support, is the correct decision for the reformed system.

• We will also introduce a new additional eligibility requirement so that a minimum of four points must be scored on at least one PIP daily living activity to focus PIP on those with higher needs. We are consulting on how best to support those that would lose entitlement due to this change.

• We will increase the UC standard allowance for new and existing claims and freeze the rate of the UC health element for those already in receipt at £97 pw until 2029/30. We will reduce the rate of the UC health element for new claims from April 2026 to £50 pw and then freeze at this lower rate until 2029/30.

• For those receiving the new reduced UC health element after April 2026, we are proposing that those with the most severe, life-long health conditions, who have no prospect of improvement and will never be able to work, will see their incomes protected.

• We will legislate to protect those on health benefits from reassessment or losing their benefits if they try to take steps to get into work.

• Investing £1 billion a year by the end of the decade in new employment, health and skills support – one of the biggest packages of new employment support for sick and disabled people ever - including new tailored support conversations for people on health and disability benefits to break down barriers and unlock work, and more intensive programmes of support with health and work.

• The government spent £150 million on Access to Work in 2021/22. This is forecast to rise to £385 million in 2025/26, mainly due to growth in the volume of people in payment and partly due to growth in average payment amounts. The Access to Work scheme hasn’t changed significantly since it was established in 1994. We are consulting on the future of the Access to Work scheme so that it better helps people to start and stay in work through reasonable adjustments, such as aids, appliances and making use of assistive technology.

• We are consulting on plans for a new, simple and clear “Unemployment Insurance” benefit through the reform of contributory working age benefits to provide income protection for people who lose their job having paid into the system, without having to prove they cannot work.

The proposed changes to Universal Credit rates mean that we will not be increasing all benefits in line with inflation as requested in the e-petition. We are, however, increasing the standard allowance of UC for both new and existing claims. Other benefits, including PIP, will be increased at least in line with inflation which is the statutory minimum.

The changes will not come into force immediately – the changes to Universal Credit rates and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) eligibility will be implemented from 2026, subject to parliamentary approval. It is important that Members of Parliament have opportunity to consider and debate all changes before they are implemented.

We are consulting on a number of proposals in the Green Paper. We are keen to hear views from disabled people, as well as those who support them – further information on how to respond is available at Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/pathways-to-work-reforming-benefits-and-support-to-get-britain-working-green-paper)

Department for Work and Pensions