Charity warns of ‘devastating’ impact of disability benefit proposals

Hundreds of thousands of people with serious mobility problems, or mental health conditions that put them at substantial risk of harm, will be denied support from next year under government proposals, new figures show.

The figures, released by the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) after a request from anti-poverty charity Z2K, show that by 2029, 230,000 people with serious mobility problems preventing them from working will not get any extra Universal Credit, and could be sanctioned if they don’t engage with the Jobcentre.

A further 141,000 people will miss out despite having serious mental health conditions that could put them or people around them at substantial risk of harm if they are forced to meet conditions set by Jobcentre staff.

The changes to the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) – the eligibility test for out-of-work disability benefit – were announced in the Autumn Statement, and are expected to come into force next year.

People placed in the Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity (LCWRA) group after a WCA assessment receive additional Universal Credit and are not at risk of being sanctioned. In November 2023, the Department for Work and Pensions announced its intention to make two changes for future claimants:

• Being unable to move more than 50 metres without the help of another person will no longer qualify someone for this category
• It will be much harder to be placed in the LCWRA group if not doing so would present a substantial risk to someone’s health or the health of those around them, due to the impact on their mental health

The figures come as Z2K launches its ‘Security not Sanctions’ campaign, calling on politicians to reject these changes and ensure the disability benefits system works for the people who need it.

Anela Anwar, chief executive of Z2K, said: ‘The Department for Work and Pensions plans to deny support to hundreds of thousands of people who fall ill or become disabled after next year.

‘This would be devastating for people looking for support because their health or disability has stopped them being able to work. And these figures show that more than 140,000 people would be at substantial risk of harm.

‘Seriously ill and disabled people need security and support, not sanctions, cuts, and high-stakes assessments. Government should focus on the reasons increasing numbers of people are ill and can’t return to work – not removing vital protections that any of us could need in the future.’

Image: Jakub Pabis

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