What The Chronic Illness & Disability Benefits Cuts Mean For You

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It’s almost impossible to ignore the furore around recent UK government announcements. Almost all of the tremendous decisions made by the Labour government since they came to power in July 2024, under the tutelage of Kier Starmer, have been met with significant and widespread backlash and outrage. On 18th March 2025, Liz Kendall, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, announced sweeping welfare reforms. Here’s a breakdown of what that will involve and how you may be affected by these chronic illness and disability benefits cuts.

The Intention For Welfare Reform

According to the government, one in eight young people aren’t in education, training or work. Furthermore, 2.8 million people are “economically inactive due to long term sickness – one of the highest rates in the G7”. The pandemic has affected the figures, with the government stating working-age PIP claims have doubled from 15,300 to 35,100 a month, while claims from 16-24 year olds have gone from 2,967 to 7,857 a month. They further estimate the number claiming PIP is expected to “increase from 2 million in 2021 to 4.3 million, costing £34.1 billion annually.”

It’s important, however, to be aware that the government has made a number of statistics-based statements purported as fact, spread further by mainstream media, only to have been outed as incorrect by third party fact-checkers. 

There are elements the government doesn’t tell you in these statements. Such as the huge numbers of individuals acting as unpaid carers, saving the welfare system billions in professional care, support benefits, nursing and care homes. Nor do they tell you there’s an estimated £23 billion – that’s right, £23 BILLION – of unclaimed benefits each year. Or that when claiming to be tackling fraud, their own statistics state there is no fraud in PIP claims, which is literally reported as 0%.

So what exactly are the proposed changes to sickness and disability benefits? Despite significant media attention and widespread backlash, many of the specifics remain unknown. Some changes are supposition, some are clearer intentions, and some may come as a surprise further down the line. So let’s take a look at what we know for now. 

Disability Benefits Cuts Breakdown : What We Know So Far

Personal Independence Payments (PIP)

• From November 2026, eligibility criteria for PIP will be significantly tightened. It’ll become more difficult to quality for PIP’s daily living component, but at present the mobility component will not be affected. 

• The concept here is to cut the lower level of qualifying individuals from receiving PIP. Invisible physical conditions have been referred to, like fibromyalgia, as well as mental health conditions, so it’s anticipated that such individuals may no longer be eligible for PIP.

• While Kendall has refused to reveal how many people this will affect, a third party has estimated that this is likely to mean 1 million people will no longer be eligible for PIP. 

• PIP was designed to help cover extra costs associated with sickness and disability, though many people will point out that the assessment does not cover many such aspects, but only the actions you can and cannot take, like making dinner or washing yourself. As a result of the poor assessment criteria, many chronically ill and/or disabled individuals have their applications rejected, leaving them to appeal or else receive no support for their additional costs. 

• PIP will then become a benefit only for the most severely sick and disabled. Or at least the most severely sick and disabled as decided by the government’s assessment. 

• PIP Assessments will be reviewed. It’s likely this will result in greater numbers of re-assessments. 

• PIP payments were going to be frozen over 2025-2026. The government have now confirmed the payment amounts will not be frozen and will increase in line with inflation for this year.

Universal Credit 

• Capability For Work Assessments Scrapped

The Capability For Work assessment will be scrapped. After applying for Universal Credit and being assessed, individuals are either deemed fit for work and are expected to look for work, or are deemed unfit for work and have no work expectations set upon them for a length of time until they’re reassessed. 

Without declaring people as fit or unfit for work, Kendall claims that payments will no longer be linked to this can/cannot work divide, and any extra income will have to come only through PIP, if eligible. 

What this means in real terms for UC payments for those who cannot work is not clear. Changes aren’t expected to come into effect until 2026.

• Rates Raised & Cut

Those who are looking for work will receive a higher rate of UC. Those deemed not fit for work who were receiving the highest rate will see their payments cut. This applies to new claimants, but those currently on the upper rate will have that rate frozen until 2030, at which point it will be reduced from £97 per week to just £50 per week. 

Meanwhile, the basic UC rate will rise by £15 per week as of April 2026. 

• Reassessments For The Most Severely Disabled 

“I can announce for people on universal credit with the most severe disabilities and health conditions that will never improve, we want to ensure that they are never reassessed to give them the confidence and dignity they deserve.” This is likely to be a very narrow criteria and thus few claimants are likely to fall within this category. 

For all others not deemed as “most severe”, reassessments will be increased and the focus will be on face-to-face assessments rather than remote assessments. According to Kendall, “We will turn these reassessments back on at scale and shift the focus back to doing more face-to-face.”

Reassessments will be recorded “as standard” as proof for any complaints. 

• “Right To Try”

The sick and disabled on Universal Credit can make their own decision to try to start or to return to work with a new “right to try” scheme. They can, theoretically, try employment and see if it works out. If it doesn’t, they won’t lose their benefits and have to start the application process from the beginning. The hope is to remove the fear of losing benefits and going back to square one that may prevent some individuals from trying work when they’re unsure if they’re able to do it or not. 

• Support Package

Liz Kendall has referred to a £1 billion package designed to support individuals with long term chronic health conditions and disabilities to get into work. It’s unclear what this “support” entails. 

• Incapacity Benefit For Under 22s Scrapped

Those under 22 years old will no longer be able to top-up Universal Credit with incapacity benefits as they will be banned from doing so. The government has focused on the increasing number of young people not currently in work/training/education, and they believe this will prevent more school leavers from claiming sickness and go into work instead. 

JSA & ESA

Job seeker’s allowance (JSA) and employment support allowance (ESA) are going to be combined. This should allow individuals who have paid into the system through working and paying taxes to receive slightly higher benefit payments, for some period of time at least. 

This merger will result in a time-limited form of unemployment/income ‘insurance’ paid at a higher rate, and claimants won’t have to prove their inability to work. As per Kendall, this will provide you a little more money “while we help you get back on track” and back into work. 

Kendall has tried to package cuts as being a moral action to help people and thus help the country’s finances : ”Millions of people who could work [are] trapped on benefits”, and the benefits system is ”holding the country back”.

The government says this about the changes: “Changes will unlock work, boost employment, and tackle the broken benefits system to unlock growth as part of the government’s Plan for Change”.

Unfortunately, the reality real people face is looking very, very different. As Diane Abbott said, the government is trying to “balance the country’s books on the back of the most vulnerable people and poor people in this society”.

I imagine there are a number of these going around, but there’s one petition gaining traction on 38 Degrees. Feel free to sign your name to the disability benefits cuts petition if you wish to ask the government to rethink their cuts.

I’ve tried not to impart too much of my own opinion here, though it’s difficult to remain neutral. I can understand the need for reform in some ways, but not like this. It’s sickening and outrageous when the government can claw back so much more from elsewhere… but those are not easy targets like the elderly, poor and/or sick and disabled.

Caz  ♥

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