UK: Disability benefits (UC, ESA and PIP) - news and updates 2024 and 2025

Why all this matters: from Jesse Nicholls of Matrix Barrister Chambers, who gave evidence to the Work and Pension Committee.

Warning content includes discussion about deaths and harm.

www.matrixlaw.co.uk

Work and Pensions Select Committee publishes report on Safeguarding Vulnerable Claimants - Matrix Chambers

The House of Commons Work and Pensions Select Committee report on Safeguarding Vulnerable Claimants has been published
www.matrixlaw.co.uk

Links to the Report and Media coverage on the day of publication 15 May 2025 are on their webpage.

Here's the BBC coverage on it https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8d1q8zl654o

ETA: forgot to add The Guardian's coverage https://www.theguardian.com/society...-protections-for-vulnerable-benefit-claimants
 
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I'd be grateful if anyone can answer my questions about UC and PIP in a thread I made:

Saz94

Thread 'Question re PIP and UC'

I have been putting off applying for benefits since my parents have been looking after me and the system seems very stressful. But know I need to get on it since my parents won't be here forever...

And now that there are these changes coming up in April to UC and possibly in November to PIP (i know this has been put on hold while the government do a review of planned changes, but dunno when the changes would come into force if the govt decides to proceed?). With the changes not affecting "existing claimants".

So it obviously seems that I should get on with my applications ASAP so that I...
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I just read this:

2028/29: Abolition of the WCA
The work capability assessment (WCA) is the current test which gives access to the limited capability for work-related activity (LCWRA) element of universal credit.

The LCWRA element of UC will be replaced for new claimants from April 2026 by the UC health element.

Then, from 2028/29, the WCA will be axed and eligibility for the UC health element will depend upon being in receipt of the daily living component of PIP.

According to the Green Paper, only 63% of people currently receiving the health element of UC or ESA are also in receipt of PIP or DLA.

There is currently no certainty about whether current LCWRA claimants who do not receive PIP daily living will be affected by the change.

2028/29: PIP/UC single assessment​

At the same time as the WCA is abolished, the new PIP assessment that is created by the Timms review will be introduced, if it has not been introduced earlier. This single assessment will give access to both PIP and the health element of UC.
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(From https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/p...ayment-pip/pip-uc-changes/whats-changing-when )

This is incredibly disturbing?! If i understand correctly, then from 2028/2029 whether disabled-unable-to-work people get *any benefits at all* will hinge on whether they meet requirements for the daily living element of PIP?! If you have to get PIP daily living in order to get UC health element... and if you don't get the UC health element then you wouldn't be eligible for the baseline UC either would you because you'd be considered able to work and therefore not needing UC? Which would make hundreds probably thousands of disabled people penniless?!

Someone please tell me I've misunderstood?

I suppose it does at least suggest that current (well, current in 2028) UC claimants *might* not be affected by the change.

It's also a bit unclear and I'm confused - first it says that the WCA will be abolished and eligibility for UC health will depend on pip daily living, but then later it says that at the same time as the WCA is abolished, the new Timms assessment (criteria of which currently unknown, as the Timms review hasn't started yet) will be introduced.
 
Saz94 said:
Someone please tell me I've misunderstood?
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Maybe? They're only talking about the health element depending on PIP.

That's bad enough, but I don't think it means people who don't receive PIP would be left without income or housing.

They may introduce some conditionality, e.g. interaction with UC work coaches, but in practical terms there might have to be some kind of middle category for people they'd consider "potentially able to work at some point".

Otherwise, they'd have to employ thousands of work coaches to chivvy all the people who don't get PIP but are currently too unwell to work into meeting the UC job-seeking conditions, completely pointlessly.
 
Saz94 said:
I just read this:



(From https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/p...ayment-pip/pip-uc-changes/whats-changing-when )

This is incredibly disturbing?! If i understand correctly, then from 2028/2029 whether disabled-unable-to-work people get *any benefits at all* will hinge on whether they meet requirements for the daily living element of PIP?! If you have to get PIP daily living in order to get UC health element... and if you don't get the UC health element then you wouldn't be eligible for the baseline UC either would you because you'd be considered able to work and therefore not needing UC? Which would make hundreds probably thousands of disabled people penniless?!

Someone please tell me I've misunderstood?

I suppose it does at least suggest that current (well, current in 2028) UC claimants *might* not be affected by the change.

It's also a bit unclear and I'm confused - first it says that the WCA will be abolished and eligibility for UC health will depend on pip daily living, but then later it says that at the same time as the WCA is abolished, the new Timms assessment (criteria of which currently unknown, as the Timms review hasn't started yet) will be introduced.
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It does seem that you would need to get PIP in order to be “excused” from the 35hrs per week job preparation and searching that is required to receive UC.
 
Kitty said:
Maybe? They're only talking about the health element depending on PIP.

That's bad enough, but I don't think it means people who don't receive PIP would be left without income or housing.

They may introduce some conditionality, e.g. interaction with UC work coaches, but in practical terms there might have to be some kind of middle category for people they'd consider "potentially able to work at some point".

Otherwise, they'd have to employ thousands of work coaches to chivvy all the people who don't get PIP but are currently too unwell to work into meeting the UC job-seeking conditions, completely pointlessly.
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Oh, i thought they may just leave people to fall into poverty, and say "well it's not our fault they're choosing not to work".

I don't know if i overestimate how awful the DWP are, or underestimate it. (I saw a UC claimant saying on twitter that DWP had asked her to tell them what she had spent 2 quid on in Tesco!)
 
New update from Benefits & Work:

... we have an update on PIP changes.

We reveal that just as the Universal Credit Bill becomes law, Citizens Advice call for it to be delayed.

And we discover that for years the Tribunals Service has been covering up a bug that destroys evidence.

Finally, we’ve now published a detailed section on the severe conditions criteria (SCC) for universal credit (UC) in our members’ guide to the work capability assessment.
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Saw this and am immediately worried again. They want to -initially voluntary- have regular contact with LCWRA to do skills and preparing for work
www.mirror.co.uk

DWP to start asking all on sickness benefits about 'new plan'

Millions of people on illness benefits will be regularly contacted by jobcentre staff for the first time, under a government plan to reduce the cost of benefits
www.mirror.co.uk www.mirror.co.uk
 
MrMagoo said:
They want to -initially voluntary- have regular contact with LCWRA to do skills and preparing for work
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:rolleyes:

Ask them what jobs they have in today for people who can't sit up. Inspector of Light Fittings & Spider Webs, maybe? Paint Roller Technique Assessor, where they don't pass unless they can do a whole ceiling without spattering you?

For a large part of the ill-and-disabled community it's just performative action.
 
Kitty said:
:rolleyes:

Ask them what jobs they have in today for people who can't sit up. Inspector of Light Fittings & Spider Webs, maybe? Paint Roller Technique Assessor, where they don't pass unless they can do a whole ceiling without spattering you?

For a large part of the ill-and-disabled community it's just performative action.
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and what happens if they can't 'perform' the phone call or someone claims a missed call. I can imagine people waking up and checking their phone in case a call came in at random etc. the stress every time there is a call from a hidden number or number they don't recognise

it sounds like hoops that relate to 'having to be well enough to receive sickness benefits' ie a way to exclude the illest

I have to prepare for an important call many days in advance because it wouldn't just involve setting alarms but being well enough to definitely not sleep through it and be able to function to answer or do the little talking involved, even if it is saying I can't really speak and having a back-up plan relating to that. Even with such prep because you are trying to plan for all eventualities of a body that can't actually be controlled or predicted that is hugely stressful even with appointments that technically could be cancelled even if it means something important is having a delay that is going to have an impact. These sound like if someone eg had covid or something else meaning a bad week then it might not be understood 'cos its only a phone call'? and so on.

I now feel like I need to take said info down because are we into the territory of people 'looking for weak points/buttons that can be pressed'

The thing is that I know bullies get thrills from thinking they forced a disabled person to spend an entire week ensuring they could be awake to do that x at that one moment they demanded on threat of worse exertion they can’t keep up with

Then they don’t acknowledge that means it’s in place of all toothebrudhjng, hygiene, eating not the very basic low exertion in bed option, others admin to do with medical appointments and prescriptions bits that have to go out of the window for that entire time and still someone doesn’t come out rested. So it’s just sticking the foot out to prevent someone recovering or getting their feet and basic care underneath them. At best, if it doesn’t decline them to death.

I’m bored of callousness of others not being acknowledged and spelled out because I have felt over the years the main driver of these things is just how many callous people there are out there. Or how much those go are impose their view that they will bully x over those who aren’t callous but will just sit there and play dumb.. and there is always ew supply of them waiting to pretend what they do is new instead of just having the whip handed over
 
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Kitty said:
:rolleyes:

Ask them what jobs they have in today for people who can't sit up. Inspector of Light Fittings & Spider Webs, maybe? Paint Roller Technique Assessor, where they don't pass unless they can do a whole ceiling without spattering you?

For a large part of the ill-and-disabled community it's just performative action.
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Well you can type, cant you?

I can only assume they wish to save money by cutting people off for no reason then making them go through months of appeals, whilst becoming unwell and homeless, on the off chance they get benefits reinstated at a later date.
 
Kitty said:
Ah, yes, I can hold a phone for at least 15 minutes.

Maybe I could send out those text messages for the DWP telling people they still haven't looked at their review.


ETA: I'd love to get sacked from that by making up ever more implausible and comedic reasons.
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What’s worse is the DWP is the biggest source of employees taking their employer to a tribunal for disability discrimination. They would happily employ you, mistreat you, fire you for your absence then refuse you disability benefits without a hint of irony.
 
News from Benefits & Work about free training coming up for members:

Benefits and Work is running a free to members training course on “Tribunal Practice and Procedure: Making Appeals Work” on the following dates:

Part 1: Tuesday 30th September from 9.30 am to 12.30 pm
Part 2: Tuesday 7th October from 9.30 am to 12.30 pm

The training is on Zoom, but due to the number of attendees you will not need to use your camera or microphone during the sessions.

If you have questions during the training session you will be able to use the chat panel.

Places are limited, and we will be allocating them with the aim of getting a mix of participants:
  • members who are representing themselves at an appeal
  • members who are supporting others in a voluntary or paid capacity.
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Great news from DWP! People with limited capacity for work related activity will be offered the chance to train as HGV drivers!

Lots of people have had to leave the job because they can't cope with sitting in a cab for hours on end and then having to do the unloading yourself, so there are now big opportunities!

The government has announced that tens of thousands of universal credit (UC) claimants with limited capability for work-related activity (LCWRA) are to be offered support from jobcentres, including signposting to HGV driver training and on the job training in construction and hospitality. Accepting the support is voluntary and your benefits will not be affected if you refuse.
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HGV training and building work to be offered to claimants with LCWRA

Get the benefits you're entitled to: help with personal independence payment (PIP), universal credit (UC), employment and support allowance (ESA),disability living allowance (DLA). Claims, assessments, reviews, appeals.
www.benefitsandwork.co.uk www.benefitsandwork.co.uk

(Sorry, I need to go now and retrieve my eyeballs from the back of my head.)
 
Kitty said:
Great news from DWP! People with limited capacity for work related activity will be offered the chance to train as HGV drivers!

Lots of people have had to leave the job because they can't cope with sitting in a cab for hours on end and then having to do the unloading yourself, so there are now big opportunities!



HGV training and building work to be offered to claimants with LCWRA

Get the benefits you're entitled to: help with personal independence payment (PIP), universal credit (UC), employment and support allowance (ESA),disability living allowance (DLA). Claims, assessments, reviews, appeals.
www.benefitsandwork.co.uk www.benefitsandwork.co.uk

(Sorry, I need to go now and retrieve my eyeballs from the back of my head.)
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Yeah, I can’t drive so I was pleased to hear about this. I suppose I have to do hospitality training. Or bricklaying.
It feels like the question “how can we get more disabled people, unable to work, into jobs?” Had been given to a group of contestants on The Apprentice. They had half a day to come up with ideas and roll them out to the public.
 
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