What do the government's disability benefits proposals mean?

The government published its Pathways to Work green paper proposals for reforming disability benefits on 18 March. We know from our helpline and social media groups that many members of our community are deeply worried about what these plans may mean for them. 

We share these concerns and will use our platform to make sure your voices are heard. We also encourage you to take part in the public consultation by 30 June 2025. This is an opportunity to feedback on some of the proposals.

But, not all of the proposals are being consulted on. And some will need legislation to come into effect. This means the government will have to bring a bill (proposed law) to parliament. It will be debated, potentially amended and will need approval from both Houses of Parliament, then Royal Assent to become law.

If you feel you'll be negatively impacted by these plans, it may help to know:

• they are proposals
• nothing will change immediately – a white paper will follow later in the year with more details 
• you can take part in the public consultation
• you can contact your MP and help shape the parliamentary debate

Below we have outlined some of the main proposals – you can read the full details in the green paper:

Needs legislation:

The biggest change to PIP is the proposal to tighten its eligibility. Under these plans, qualifying for the daily living component will still require eight points or more. But you will need to score at least four points on a single activity. With the focus moving to those with higher needs, some people will lose their daily living award. 

The government is not consulting on this proposal, although it will need to pass legislation before any change can happen. This is expected in November 2026. It will apply to new claimants, and to existing claimants when they're next reviewed.

For those considering applying for PIP, Citizens Advice England and Citizens Advice Wales say: "If you’re thinking of applying for PIP, you should. You’re more likely to get PIP if you apply before the rules change."

Note that these proposals do not affect PIP's mobility element. 

Have your say:

These are the PIP plans the government is consulting on:

• whether support should be made available for those that lose their entitlement to PIP and what form it should take 
• raising the age to 18 for young people transitioning to PIP from Disability Living Allowance for children.

A review of PIP's assessment will take place at a later date and is not included in these proposals.

Needs legislation:

The government will legislate to change Universal Credit payment rates during this parliament. These plans may take effect from April 2026 and mean: 

• the standard allowance for Universal Credit will rise for all new and existing claimants. This amounts to £98 from April 2026 to £106 by April 2029 (according to the Spring Statement)  
• new claimants of the health element of Universal Credit will receive less money from April 2026 when this falls to £50 a week (from £97). It will be held at this amount until April 2030
• existing claimants of the health element will have their top-up payment frozen from April 2026 until April 2030.

The government states in chapter 2 of the green paper (section 1, 131): 

• they will guarantee that the UC health element entitlement will not change for those in the limited capability for work and work-related activity group (LCWRA) before April 2026 and after their reassessment. They will also ensure this group does not fear losing their benefit rate from working. 
• they will ensure that those with the most severe, life-long health conditions, who will never be able to work, will see their incomes protected. This includes an additional premium for new claims. There will also be no future reassessment. The list of conditions has not been shared.

Have your say:

These are the Universal Credit plans that the government is consulting on:

• whether to delay access to the Universal Credit health element for young people until they are 22 years from 2027
• should most recipients of Universal Credit (full award or health element) participate in a mandatory support conversation.

The work capability assessment is expected to be scrapped in 2028. It means if you need an assessment for the health element of Universal Credit, you will have a PIP assessment. This proposal is not being consulted on and will require legislation before it can take effect. 

The green paper plans to replace the Employment Support Allowance and Jobseeker’s Allowance with a new benefit called Unemployment Insurance. This would not require a health assessment and would be based on your National Insurance contributions. Self-employed people would also be able to access the new benefit.

If it goes ahead, it is not expected until 2028. 

Have your say:

You are asked for your views on how long should it last and what support should be provided, including help to get back into work.

Have your say:

The government is consulting on the future role of Access to Work and what this would mean in terms of support from Department for Work and Pensions. It considers the role of employers, grants for workplace adaptations and using bulk purchasing power to reduce costs for aids, appliances and assistive technology. There is no proposed starting date. 

Welfare is partly a devolved policy area so a lot depends on whether you live in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales. These proposals only apply to areas in which the UK government is directly responsible. It is possible that these proposals may have a knock-on effect on allocated budgets to individual UK nations, and devolved governments have been known to replicate UK government proposals too. It is certainly a complex situation, but if you want to have you say – whether you are currently directly impacted by these plans or not – you are free to do so.

You can find the full list of public consultation questions here and if you would like to share your views, you can do so via this online form. Alternatively, you can email your responses to consultation.pathwaystowork@dwp.gov.uk or write to:

Disability and Health Support Directorate 
Department for Work and Pensions 
Level 2 
Caxton House 
Tothill Street 
London 
SW1H 9NA 

You can find our full statement here. We are in contact with campaigning charities and we will respond to the public consultation in due course. But in the meantime, we want to focus on you. As you know, stress and anxiety can have a real impact on your MS symptoms. You can find advice on these symptoms here. You can also find links to specialist support here or get in touch with our helpline. If you are worried about the financial implications of the recent benefits proposals, a benefits adviser can give you specialist advice tailored to your specific situation. This isn't something you should face alone. There is support available.   

• Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working green paper
• Pathways to Work: Annex A: Summary of Policy Measures and Consultation Questions (includes a breakdown of the proposals, whether they will be consulted on, and proposed timescales)
• Disability Rights UK news article
• Scope news article
• Office for Budget Responsibility: Economic and fiscal outlook - March 2025
• Department for Work and Pensions: Spring Statement 2025 health and disability benefits reforms - impact assessment