There were no big surprises for claimants in today’s budget, but a continued lack of certainty about what the future will bring. In particular, there is still no clarity about how the work capability assessment (WCA) will change and no mention whatsoever of changes to personal independence payment (PIP).

WCA

In today’s budget the chancellor announced that “We inherited the last government’s plan to reform the work capability assessment.  We will deliver the savings as part of our fundamental reform to the health and disability benefits system that my right honourable friend the work and pensions secretary will bring forward.”

So, the chancellor appears to be saying that Labour will match the projected savings to the DWP that were to be made by the Conservative’s WCA changes, but she has not confirmed that the savings will be made in the same way. 

ESA to UC migration

It is hardly news, but the budget document does confirm the ESA to UC managed migration has begun.

“The government will accelerate the migration of claimants onto UC from Employment and Support Allowance (ESA), bringing the start date forward from 2028 to September 2024. This move will bring more people into a modern benefit regime, continuing to ensure they are supported to look for and move into work. Around half of ESA claimants will receive more financial support on UC, while others will receive transitional protection to ensure nobody is worse off at the point at which they move over to UC.”

Carers allowance

The weekly earnings limit for carer’s allowance is to be increased to the equivalent of 16 hours a week at the national living wage. 

The chancellor also said that Labour also looking at a way to remove the current cliff edge, where going even a penny over the earnings limit ends eligibility for carer’s allowance.

The budget document states:

“The government is also giving carers greater flexibility to work and increase their financial security by raising the Carer’s Allowance Weekly Earnings Limit to the equivalent of 16 hours at the NLW. The changes will support those receiving  Carer’s Allowance, 70% of which are women, to start work or work more hours.64 This is an increase of £45 per week and will allow over 60,000 more carers to access Carer’s Allowance.65 This will be the largest increase to the earnings limit since Carer’s Allowance was introduced in 1976.”

“The government also recently announced an independent review into overpayments of Carer’s Allowance, which will consider how they occurred and what operational changes can be made to minimise the risk of future overpayments. Alongside this, the government will also carry out further work on the earnings limit to explore what more can be done to help support more carers into work.”

Fraud and error

In her speech, the chancellor confirmed that the DWP will be able to access claimants’ bank accounts.

Reeves said “I can today announce a crackdown on fraud in our welfare system, often the work of criminal gangs.  We will expand DWP’s counter fraud teams using innovative new methods to prevent illegal activity and provide new legal powers to crackdown on fraudsters, including direct access to bank accounts to recover debt.”

The budget document confirms that:

“The government is expanding DWP’s fraud and error staff by 3,000, as part of its £110 million investment in 2025-26 to tackle fraud and error. This is expected to deliver gross savings of £705 million in 2029-30. “

“The government will increase DWP’s powers to recover debt as part of the forthcoming Fraud, Error and Debt Bill. This is expected to save £260 million in 2029-30. “

“The government will invest in DWP to carry out additional checks on Universal Credit claimants who have changes in their circumstances, as part of a £110 million investment in 2025-26 to tackle fraud and error. This is expected to save £250 million in 2029-30.”

Universal credit  debt recovery

The government will reduce the proportion of money UC claimants can have deducted to repay debts from 25% down to 15% of the standard allowance.

“In addition, the government is helping low-income households on UC by allowing them to pay off their debts over a longer timeframe and keep more of their UC each month. The government is creating a new Fair Repayment Rate which caps debt repayments made through UC at 15% of the standard allowance. This will benefit around 1.2 million households as they will keep more of their UC award each month, with households expected to be better off by £420 a year on average. Around 700,000 of the poorest families with children will benefit as a result of this change, supporting the government’s ambition to tackle child poverty.”

Benefits uprating

The chancellor confirmed that working age benefits will be uprated by just 1.7% in April 2025.

“DWP and HMRC working age benefits uprating for 2025-26 – The government will uprate working age benefits by September 2024 CPI of 1.7% from April 2025. This will see around 5.7 million families on Universal Credit gain £150 on average in 2025-26.”

Get Britain working

The Chancellor confirmed that “The government will shortly be publishing the Get Britain Working white paper tackling the root causes of inactivity with an integrated approach across health, education and welfare.”

The budget document states:

“ Get Britain Working White Paper – The government will shortly publish the Get Britain Working White Paper which will set out its £240 million investment to trail new ways of getting people back into work. The government will test new approaches and collect robust evidence on how to tackle the root causes of ill-health-related inactivity, support young people who are ‘not in education, employment, or training’ (NEET), and help people to develop their careers.”

“Get Britain Working Trailblazers – As part of the Get Britain Working package, the government will establish eight trailblazer areas across England and Wales that bring together health, employment and skills services to improve the support available to those who are inactive due to ill health and help them return to work. This will include NHS England Health and Growth Accelerators in at least three Integrated Care Systems to develop evidence of the impact of targeted action on the top health conditions driving economic inactivity.“

You can download the full budget document here

 

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  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 13 days ago
    I was shocked when my friend told me about her recent UC review where she had to provided 4 months of bank statements and then proceeded to be quizzed on them. She said she felt 'imtimaded, and even more vulnerable'. I had no idea that this was happening. I thought that is what is under discussion now but I now see that the idea is to take it further. Not a request, all be it a compulsory request, it will be automatic snooping into bank accounts by the DWP. Very angry about this. No other group of citizens is treated this way. Just goes to prove that people on benefits are the soft targets. We don't matter, non citizens.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 14 days ago
    The delay in benefit changes is welcome but when they say 2025 they already have plans thought out. These plans will inevitably be presented as trying to help disabled people in to satisfying wel paid jobs were allowances will be made for our limitations.
    They really do think we won't see through this utter deceit. We have heard it before and know all that happens is millions get wasted on advisors or worse assessors and training courses either in the dwp or more likely private firms.
    Ultimately there will be built in systems to make benefits much harder to qualify for and even harder to keep. They have no intention of helping anyone they never have. All these ideas never work because they are based on the false belief that we aren't really that limited that if we tried a little more we could move into these imaginary jobs were any limitation we have will accepted and allowances will be made.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 13 days ago
      @Arthur You're spot on.

      Liz Kendall has been parroting that they want to provide sick and disabled people with "well paid decent jobs".

      Why don't they start with giving such "well-paid decent jobs" to those workers in the millions who are working on the miserable minimum wage!!

      The intention of their empty rhetoric is nothing more than cutting the welfare budget by cutting benefits to as many claimants as possible, by forcing them to miserable jobs in the name of supporting them.

      We're not being fooled.

      Liz Kendall is a perfect example of a dishonest.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 13 days ago
      @Arthur We should just be offered consultancy fees on disability policy. We're the ones with the expertise, after all. That would be job done all round.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 14 days ago
    The red Tories now in power are just as immoral as the reactionary bunch they replaced. This government is playing the old divide and rule card with all its phony talk of helping 'working people'. A term which lacks all meaning in the real world.
    It is time for the disabled community to link up with the unions and other groups to fight back against the austerity agenda of this government.  We need to emphasize that the current government seems committed to continuing the human rights violations of disabled people perpetrated by the last government. I would urge all people to read the 14 page report issued by the UN Disabilities Committee in April 2024 which stated that disabled people in the UK face systemic violations of their human rights. Starmer and co do not give a damn about our lives.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 16 days ago
    This government is no better than the last or the one before that and before that etc.....there hasn't been a government that cares enough about the people they are there to serve aka the voters. People with disabilities has always been a target for the government, just like the pensioners have been hit more than once during successive governments. When cameron raised VAT after the eu lifted the cap, it caused more poverty instantly overnight. It was only supposed to be raised until the end of austerity. Now, one of the labour government has said austerity has ended, I bet you won't see the VAT reduced back to pre cameron. I'm sick of us being targeted, I'm sick of successive governments treating us like criminals.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 16 days ago
    I had my initial telephone commitment appointment under UC and it was an awful experience. I was asked what work I can do repeatedly.  I told the person that I migrated from ESA support group and as far as I was aware this question he asked me was not applicable in my situation.  The person then remined me of fit note and assessment and I refered to Regulation 19 to try to passify his robotic approach to me. In the end I was given a work search review telephone appoinment in 1 weeks time.  This is worrying how they ignore everything and dreading the next appoinment.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 14 days ago
      @mbc127 Well done on fighting your corner.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 15 days ago
      @mbc127 Just to update, I did raise my concerns on my journal and got this response and my work search appointment was cancelled.

      "What you say is correct about not needing to provide fit notes because of the information on your ESA claim.

      There has been unexpected procedural issues implementing the legislation you refer to.

      Your Universal Credit (UC) account has been updated to mirror the details of your ESA claim. You are not required to provide fit notes for your UC claim."
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 16 days ago
      @mbc127 You should complain, even though I don't know to whom, I guess.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 16 days ago
      @mbc127 I would call the UC helpline, explain the situation and they should sort it. If the person who answers rhe phone also does not know their own policy, then hang up an call back until you find someone that does, or ask to speak to a manager or supervisor. This has happened to a lot of people and the government have responded and re iterated that you should not be asked to do these activities. Don't worry about the appointment. You won't have to do it. Put this down in your journal aswell if yku haven't already.  
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 16 days ago
    Not sure if this is the right place to post, it’s my first time on here. I receive PIP , but only the daily living part I don’t receive the mobility element, despite the fact that I had a full double hip operation in 2019, which obviously affects my mobility and causes at times severe back pain, has anyone else had a similar experience? Thank you.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 16 days ago
      @Paul This is very common. This is the way PIP works. Most reasonable people would think it was 'obvious' you would have some mobility issues after a double hip replacement. The Assessors don't. They will say that ot is not your condition that matters it us how it affects you. And as such if they denied your mobility it is because you did not convince them that the mobility issues you face are severe enough to be awarded the mobility component. How you go about 'fixing' this depends on when you got your decision. Was it over a month ago? I'd so was it less than 13 months ago? If more than 13 months how much more and when does your award end? Of you could answer those questions I van point you to the area of this site that will help you. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 16 days ago
      @Paul When did you get the PIP award? If less than 13 months ago you can ask for Mandatory Reconsideration of the decision (if you put in the form evidence of how your condition affects mobility). If turned down then appeal. If they look at decision they can either keep it the same, add mobility or end claim altogether so best to get help with it. If had PIP longer than 13 months you can ask for a review but again there’s risk of losing award altogether, depends on the evidence you have whether worth going for it, for example a hip operation is not necessarily automatically mobility issue, it’s what the effects were of it and whether you gave evidence about the effects. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 16 days ago
    Disability rights  UK news from yesterday shows wca change could be delayed hopefully stopped due to a disability campaigner fighting  to stop the wca changes .
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 16 days ago
    Just to try to cut through the huge information pile...
    PIP, sickness benefits that are for inability to work...
    PIP is governed by review dates... Remember this , and worry less...
    WCA... This governs your fitness for work outline... If you stick to your personal commitment there's not much they can change...
    I am about to get my PIP tribunal on 10/12, but it has been postponed 3 times already... Fourth time lucky...🤔
    30 months from my claim date...!!!
    They're no doubt that DWP are mainly about keeping expenditure down, but remember that they have to stick to their own rules... Don't miss out because they say so!!!
    Citizens Advice, excellent  service, has been invaluable, and are reachable online, by phone, or in local office...
    Those housebound may find them reassuring, and they will tell you the truth...
    Finally... Whatever government we have, the benefit "burden" will be a problem to them...
    We should expect changes no matter who is in power...
    DWP interpretation and implementation of any changes is far more disturbing a prospect... So concentrate A) on what DWP announce, when, and on what category of benefits are addressed! B) on timeframes when announced by government, and when application by DWP is expected! The rest is just so much hoo-hah! 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 14 days ago
      @David Macfie Sadly, in my area the local CAB office has been closed down for a town with a population over 150,000! I've tried to reach CAB by phone and found that impossible. There is a dire lack of support to help people with benefits issues.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 16 days ago
    Actually from what I read labour did at least announce they were NOT going to change pip to a voucher system like the conservatives would. This is big news and should be in the newsletter. They announced the WCA would be reformed as planned but dropped the plans to change pip to vouchers. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 14 days ago
      @John Smith I want to see this in writing if true. I do not tru0st this bunch of red tories.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 16 days ago
    I thought being in hospital under a care and treatment order you are considered detained under the mental health act and after 28 days some social benefits stop and you retain any disability payments you are entitled to, the ward also sign posts you to benefit advisers in house, who claim on your behalf because you have no capacity to contract as detained under the mental health act, they as your representative signs all DWP applications on behalf of the individual. If the legislation provides you have limited capacity or less to complete forms and sign for those forms, how is the government going to pass legislation to allow a number of individuals onto the ward, to complete a WORK CAPABILITY ASSESSMENT if your psychiatrist and mental health staff, possibly the courts or a mental health tribunal state otherwise. The WCA as you may not be receiving certain benefits at the TIME of the WCA is a fishing expedition and constitutes irregularly obtained evidence, and should not be used to apply a decision retrospectively 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 17 days ago
    Hazel read your comment about the spring 2025 budget, Labour said they won't be having a spring budget, but only a yearly one, so I guess what we can expect is something on reforming PIP and WCA, in the spring, but not at a budget unless they change their minds and have a budget and of course nothing would surprise me.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 18 days ago
    Read they would be looking at PIP in the Spring 2025 budget.
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 18 days ago
    When we receive our payments we must spend most of those payments.
    A huge proportion eventually winds it's way back to HMRC via various taxes.
    If you have to spend all of your payment the only portion that won't eventually go back to the government is when someone saves it.
    Therefore the idea that we are not economically active is rhetorically divisive nonsense designed to belittle us. Don't fall for it !! We claimants are the most economically active of all !!
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 18 days ago
      @philip True the rich hoard money don't spend it
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 18 days ago
      @Anon Exactly, you could make a strong case that the whole economy would grind to a halt with businesses failing left right and centre without us and pensioners keeping it all going.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 18 days ago
      @philip I've made this point a few times, there is no such thing as a non tax payer. VAT is added to everything except groceries. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 19 days ago
    i think labour might plan do this next sping 2025
    a new non-means tested benefit for all disabled people
    read more in link below.......thoughts? .........


    Key proposals for reform

    The most significant proposals considered in the paper involve a more radical rethinking of how the benefits system assesses work capability, by removing the question of work capability from universal credit (UC) entirely.

    One proposal is to create a new, non-means tested benefit for people who have health problems that prevent them from working. The rate of this benefit would be set below the total amount of money currently received by someone who is deemed to have limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA), but above the basic rate of UC. The payments would continue for a time-limited period if someone were to enter the workforce before being phased out. A claimant would only be put forward for a full WCA – the route to access the additional £416/month LCWRA element – if they had not entered employment after 2 years. The paper does suggest, however, that there could be a route for ‘people with severe health conditions or disability’ to be ‘fast tracked to the WCA regime’.

    A second, more radical option set out in the paper is to eliminate the WCA entirely – including the additional financial support that can currently be accessed via the LCWRA element – and instead increase the generosity of personal independence payment (PIP) to compensate for this.

    These proposals would mean a very significant change to the current operation of the system. There are clear similarities with the approach proposed by the previous government in the health and disability white paper, but there are also interesting differences. It’s worth considering the different aspects of the proposals in turn. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 16 days ago
      @coolday The idea of increasing PIP and doing away with the WCA does not help the thousands who have health issues but unable to claim PIP.  I am on LCWRA and my claim for PIP was denied so where would this leave people like me who are on WCA or LCWRA? 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 18 days ago
      @coolday So replacing PIP with a benefit that pays less then PIP. What a surprise! Labour never change.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 19 days ago
      @darinfan Well I hope they are planning it. It would take 100 years to implement. Spring 2025? Hahahahaha.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 19 days ago
      @coolday There's absolutely nothing to say that Labour are planning this. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 19 days ago
    There was a commenter here who recently said this "they can't force someone who can't work into work". It's that simple. Anyone else getting fatigue from worry? I just don't have the energy for it so I come to the most rational conclusions. 

    Try your best to ignore the doom and gloom especially from rags which take pleasure in this subject.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 17 days ago
      @Jaco Mrs Thatcher encouraged people out of work to claim incapacity benefits, it reduced the unemployment figures 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 18 days ago
      @Dave Dee Anybody else feel Labour are sounding like Thatchers Tories?
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 19 days ago
      @Dave Dee That was probably me.  I confess that I'm a little on edge, even though I think that.  But half the reason for being on edge is that other people's doom and gloom rhetoric is contagious!
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 19 days ago
    I have agoraphobia and can't even leave the house and always feel so helpless and vulnerable now, can't even sleep or eat as I just feel like something bad is coming.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 16 days ago
      @Edwards Just remember you aren't on your own with these feelings or worry, every single one of us is struggling with overwhelming anxiety and worry, that's what they want media and government's. What will be will be, try to remember you can't control there decision's, I am not pretending it is not scary as hell and obviously we are the ones that have to live with these decisions however they are not doing it today, take one day at a time 😊 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 18 days ago
      @K Just don't do what I've done,gone and got so worked up because of agoraphobia and it being impossible for me to work, I've had a nervous breakdown and am currently in a right mess,even struggling to swallow food atm because of severe anxiety and depression, all caused by this exact thing,the uncertainty, the terror, the feeling like my life will be over if they do anything drastic,it's terrified me for so long  and now it's just continuing on and on,how many others have found themselves here with me because of the politicians,all of them !! they do not care about us and the suffering they're causing is unacceptable, they gave pushed me even further away from recovery, luad of absute tossers 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 19 days ago
    I have agoraphobia and can barely leave the house, and only with my partner. Usually once a month at max, and I'm so scared of what could be coming. This has absolutely crushed my mental health 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 19 days ago
      @K But we NEVER know what a govt has planned for benefits.  I don't know why everyone is worried NOW.  The Tories had been in for 13 years when they came up with their plans last year, so the idea that a new govt is more destabilising isn't really true.  When I was having mental health issues over my own health anxiety, I had to do the obvious thing: stop looking it up on the web.  And with absolutely no real info on what the future holds for us online, it might be better for your mental health to simply not go looking for it, too, or to stop reading other people's rather random thoughts on what might or might not be coming.  The answer is we don't know - and reading what X or Y think on a forum isn't going to change that. 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 20 days ago
    Pulling together some of the concerns and comments below, the commitment you have to make.with a UC claim is called the Claimant Commitment (at the job centre or can be by phone) and is tailored to various circumstances, including the group you have been placed in after the WCA. So if you have already had a WCA and been placed in ESA Support Group/WRAG, you must stand firm at the managed migration stage to retain that status, by citing regulation 19, and go into UC LCWRA/LCW.

    There is nothing to fear from the Claimant Commitment if you are in the right group. The Claimant Commitment protects against demands you cannot meet.. It is fighting to get into the right group at each WCA (via mandatory reconsideration and Tribunal stages if/as necessary) which is vital.

    Proposed changes to the WCA, so far, will not affect claimants already allocated a group, who will not be reassessed after any proposed WCA changes. Any reassessments between now and proposed WCA changes will be just like any WCA you have already had, with the same criteria, but where you might have to challenge your decision as to the group allocated. Any challenge you win will be backdated so you will benefit from it from the start of your award.

    Here is the government Claimant Commitment link. It is a long read, but clear enough, and no need for sensational and unnecessary scare mongering. We need to follow the government regulations and insist that they do too:



  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 20 days ago
    Looking online it says you have to sign UC commitment to receive payment
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 20 days ago
      @Jon Jon? Send the link please.
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 20 days ago
      @Jon @Jon will log back on here Thursday teatime I been to see Blackpool illuminations tonight and had a relaxing walk 
  • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
    · 20 days ago
    Just as a side note everyone has to agree to a JC commitment  upon Migrating to UC ,either in person or via phone ,but for support group it's merely to state you will Inform them of any changes  this is Not a work commitment.
    You can ask for an adjustment if you find a F2F at the job center too much and they can speak to you via a phone call. They did this for my brother inlaw who has a very rare painful blood disorder. 
    • Thank you for your comment. Comments are moderated before being published.
      · 18 days ago
      @The Dogmother YEP  ask for phone call  2010 equality diversity act  . reasonable adjustnments . phone call not F2F  & jcp . 

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