Proposed changes to disability benefits – what we know so far

The government’s proposed changes to disability benefits, including restricting eligibility for Personal Independence Payments (PIP) and scrapping the Work Capability Assessment (WCA), are deeply concerning.

The proposed cuts within the proposal risk pushing many disabled people into poverty at a time when the cost of living is already high and social care budgets are stretched. PIP is not a work incentive – it helps cover the unavoidable costs of living with a disability. The charity believes reducing this support will not create job opportunities but will make life harder for those who rely on it.

We are deeply concerned that the government have specifically excluded the changes to the PIP and WCA assessments from the consultation. These are the elements of the Green Paper that will cause hundreds of thousands of Disabled people to lose financial support.

As an alternative we urge the government to invest in inclusive employment support and ensure financial protection for those unable to work.

Anything proposing such significant changes to benefits and systems should have disabled voices at the core and should be co-produced with people who have lived experience of disability.

The government acknowledges that the consultation has not been published in any accessible format. This needs to be remedied as a matter of urgency to make commenting and understanding of it universally accessible, particularly those with learning difficulties, neurodivergence, people who are Deaf and use BSL as their first language, and others who rely on accessible formats such as audio, large print, and braille.

We will update our website as soon as an Easy Read version, BSL interpretation, or any other accessible formats of the consultation become available.

Further Information

The government’s consultation on these proposed reforms is now live. Called ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper’, it sets out the changes to the benefits system.

The consultation opened on 18 March 2025 and will close on 30 June 2025.

You can find the full consultation documents here:

Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper – GOV.UK

Disability Rights UK have summarised what the changes may mean for disabled people and you can find further support, information and advice at Scope and Citizen’s Advice.