Health and disability green paper: Work and Pensions Committee Chair “mindful” of effects of reform on vulnerable
18 March 2025
Today the Government announced reforms to health and disability social security support when they published ‘Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working’. This has particularly focused on changes to incapacity and disability benefits as well as health assessments. The Government has said that the reforms will enable more people with chronic long term health conditions, or who are disabled, to return to and stay in work.
- Read: Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working Green Paper (PDF)
- Inquiry: Get Britain Working: Reforming Jobcentres
- Work and Pensions Committee
In her statement, Work and Pensions Secretary, Liz Kendall, emphasised her commitment that those people who are severely disabled and unable to work will be supported.
Chair comment
Responding to the green paper, Debbie Abrahams said,
“Our social security system needs to be reformed so that it provides an essential safety net for people when it’s needed. As such I welcome the Work and Pensions Secretary’s Green Paper which I will be scrutinising in detail over the coming days.”
“I am mindful that these proposals set out the single largest cut in social security support (£5bn a year by 2029/30) since 2015. Evidence of the effects of previous cuts in support to people with health conditions or disabilities in 2017 and for changes in eligibility criteria for incapacity benefits in 2010, revealed some adverse impacts, including worsening health conditions and even suicides.”
“I will be wanting to be reassured that these will not be repeated.”
“We also need to ensure that businesses are receptive to the changing needs of a more diverse labour market.”
“With a stagnant Disability Employment Gap of 28%, we need to do much better.
“Any announcement of reforms can cause huge amounts of worry and anxiety, particularly among vulnerable claimants. We have to recognise that there is an issue with trust in the Department, which, we were told, it is now trying to put that right by putting safeguarding at the heart of what it does.”
“As part of the Select Committee’s ‘Get Britain Working’ inquiry series, we will be looking to undertake a mini-inquiry on this Green Paper.”
Further information
Image: House of Commons/Roger Harris