“Double amputees run marathons,” Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said while setting out a plan to reduce the welfare budget by £36bn. The proposals outline how a future Conservative government would change sickness and disability benefits.
Conservatives target welfare savings through benefit reforms
The Conservative plan aims to address what Badenoch described as a welfare system that is “crushing our economy.” The largest portion of the savings, totaling £13.7bn, would come from reforms to sickness and disability benefits, including the potential removal of payments for mild mental health conditions and routine back and joint pain.
The party also intends to save £9.5bn by restricting benefit access for foreign nationals without EU settled status and £3.1bn by reinstating the two-child benefit cap.
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Additional measures include £1bn from tackling fraud and £1bn to be invested in mental health services and family hubs to support those who lose cash payments for certain conditions.
Did You Know? The number of cases of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for children has risen from 521,476 in 2020 to 914,000, leading the Conservative party to label it the fastest-growing benefit in the UK’s welfare system.
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Labour and poverty groups criticize the plan
Labour described the plan as a “charter for homelessness and human misery that would push people into hardship and end up costing the state more.” The Child Poverty Action Group also criticized the plan, with policy director Sara Ogilvie stating the changes could prompt the “biggest overnight increase in child poverty since records began.”
The Conservative leader emphasized that the party intends to focus on a system that assesses individuals based on “what they can do, not what they cannot.”
Kemi Badenoch will cut £36 billion from the welfare bill and get Britain working again. pic.twitter.com/6EZy7pormd
Welfare spending forecasts remain uncertain
Whether the £36bn savings target is met is uncertain. The Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts that the welfare bill will rise to £431 billion by the 2031-32 financial year.
The government is expected to report back in the coming weeks on reviews into disability benefits and getting more of the 45% of young people who are not in employment, education or training (Neets), led by Stephen Timms and Alan Milburn respectively.
Which groups face the proposed disability benefit cuts?
Which groups would be most affected by the proposed disability benefit cuts?
The proposed reforms target new claims and reassessments for individuals with “milder mental health issues,” neurodiversity conditions like ADHD, and physical issues such as routine back and joint pain. Children with behavioral disorders, learning difficulties, or ADHD would also be affected, with eligibility for cash payments restricted to those with the highest needs.
How does the Conservative plan address foreign national benefit claims?
The party aims to save £9.5bn by restricting access to the benefit system for foreign nationals without EU settled status.
£50,000. That's what the working-age welfare bill will cost every household over this Parliament. How is that fair? pic.twitter.com/niQBlAyS4t
What else is included in the Conservative welfare proposal?
The plan includes reducing local housing allowance payments by £4.5bn and reintroducing the two-child benefit cap to save £3.1bn.
How might these proposed changes to the benefit assessment system alter the daily lives of those currently receiving support?