The UK Government recently published the Health and Disability White Paper, which lays out proposed reforms to the benefits system. As part of its shake-up, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced plans to scrap the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) to encourage people who need to claim benefits back into work.
Under the new proposals, instead of undergoing a WCA, the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment would be the only one used to decide whether a person will receive the new Universal Credit health element. Minister for Disabled People Tom Pursglove MP also recently confirmed that “PIP will not be means-tested” and will stay separate from Universal Credit.
It’s important to keep in mind that these planned changes in the White Paper are proposals and will be debated in Parliament before coming into force in 2026-27. WCAs currently provide decisions on whether a person is fit for work for the purpose of their Employment Support Allowance (ESA) or Universal Credit allowance.
Labour MP, Vicky Foxcroft, recently asked DWP about responses to the Health and Disability Green Paper consultation, which proposes “making PIP the sole health-based assessment in the benefits system”.
In a written response, Mr Pursglove, said: “We heard the views of more than 4,500 people and organisations and discussed our proposals at over 40 public events. In the consultation, people with long-term or chronic health conditions said that they should be assessed less frequently and that the PIP assessment and Work Capability Assessment (WCA) overlapped, leading to additional stress.
“We know that a large number of people who receive a health or disability benefit currently need to complete two applications and undergo two assessments to receive additional support for their disability or health condition.”
He added how the consultation revealed that people found these assessments “contained unnecessary duplication and that they caused anxiety and distress.
The DWP Minister explained: “This is, in part, due to a fear that trying work or work-related activity could trigger a repeat assessment that could result in the loss of their benefit entitlement.”
He continued: “These issues and barriers cannot be fully resolved by making small changes to the health and disability benefits system, but instead require fundamental changes to the design of the system.”
These themes have been addressed within the White Paper, where the DWP is “committing to remove the financial disincentives that exist within the current system” and “reducing the assessment burden that people currently face”.
He added: “We will legislate to remove the WCA so that in future there will only be one health and disability assessment - the PIP assessment.
“PIP will not be means-tested and will stay separate from Universal Credit.”
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