Green Paper Discussion (from 24th March, 2025)
Last week, the Government published a Green Paper and a consultation about changes to disability benefits.
The Pathways to Work Green Paper includes proposed changes to:
- Universal Credit (UC)
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
We have a comprehensive guide to what the proposed changes are on our website Changes to disability benefits, and have summarised some of this below:
What do these proposed changes mean for disabled people?
These proposals would mean that access to disability benefits changes for a lot of disabled people. Changes to the PIP eligibility criteria mean that it will be much harder to get PIP. This may make the assessment more stressful as well.
Scrapping the WCA means that disabled people will only have to go through the PIP assessment for disability benefits. While fewer assessments may be less stressful, this means that disabled people must qualify for PIP to get the health element. The restricted eligibility for PIP will mean it is much harder to get any disability benefits at all.
Disabled young people aged between 18 and 21 will be some of the most affected. Many young disabled people aged between 18 and 21 who do not get PIP may not be eligible for any health-related benefits at all. Most young disabled people on Universal Credit aged 18 to 21 will also have to look for work until they are 22.
There is still a lot of detail about these changes that we don’t know yet. The Government has yet to publish an Impact Assessment of the proposals. This will tell us more about how disabled people might be affected.
When are these changes happening?
It is important to know that none of these changes will happen immediately.
The Government is proposing to start bringing in some of these changes from 2026 and 2027. We can't be sure at this stage, but we expect this means most changes won't happen until at least 2026.
It is important to remember as well that this Green Paper is only the first step towards changing disability benefits. The consultation will run until 30 June 2025. Afterwards, the Government will analyse the results. Their plans may change as a result of our feedback.
Changes to PIP and the WCA, which government are not consulting on, will need legislation to become law. This means MPs will have to debate the proposals in Parliament. This may mean the proposals are changed.
How can I get involved?
Cuts to disability benefits are not inevitable. Your voice is important, and it can make a difference. Take action to save our lifeline.
- Add your name to our petition
- Invite your MP to our parliamentary event
- Respond to the consultation by 30 June 2025.
Please note that the Government has acknowledged that the consultation form is not accessible and that more accessible versions will be out soon.
Previous comments on the proposed changes can be found here: The Green Paper Discussion
Comments
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TThank You, I've done tgat niw except consultation which I'll do soon.
What I don't understand (just thinking aloud really) is, I can't remember where I saw it, maybe UC letter, but I read 'this is the amount/minimum ? amount that the law says you can (must ?) live on'.
So how can they now say that oh you can now legally live on less. Unless its because they'll change that law too.
1 -
Chess playing champion and former accountant Chancellor Rachel Reeves known as Rachel from accounts has just said she took FREE concert tickets because it was a "security risk". You can not make this stuff up. While she uses the sick and disabled as pawns to recover the economy on using the most vulnerable in society. She thinks this is a chess game. You can't make this up at all.
6 -
It is a game to them. We are all pieces on a chess board. When you see them in parliament jeering and shouting, often smirking, trying to score points off each other at ordinary peoples expense, it's abhorrent.
5 -
Lcwra for new claimants reduces from April / may 2026
New pip criteria for new and existing claimants from Nov 2026
Existing lcwra claimants , amount frozen , criteria not changing for reassessments , reassessments will be happening up until 2028 .... Pip assessment then takes over , need to get at least one 4 in daily + standard qualifying points to receive health element .... Basically keeping what we have now .....
Im on CBESA / new style ESA + lcwra .... I could loose 416 pounds a month , people will be absolutely clobbered by these cruel cuts .... Surely they can't get away with this 😫
1 -
@Danny123 I need to find whatever letter I had from DWP that stated 'this is the minimum amount that the law says you have to live on' (wasn't connected with PIP at all).
1 -
I would add:
they are proposing a new unemployment insurance, which will merge the JSA and ESA CB for an unspecified time limit. After that you could apply for UC if you meet the criteria.
There’s a chance that current ESA contribution based claimants, if that proposal goes ahead, will lose their entitlement eventually. As well as any NI contributions for their future pension.
So if you are on ESA contributions based I would reply to their green paper pointing that out.
this is widely going under the radar at the moment.4 -
Sorry just seen that I've already said that 🙄 my apologies.
0 -
I don't know if anyone else has seen Stuart Mcgoo's latest video on youtube. I found it last night when I couldn't sleep for panic and it did actually make me feel a little better. It is quite long, over an hour, but he calmly goes over everything in the green paper and discusses it and how damaging it would be and why. He used to work for the dwp and is claiming PIP himself, so has a good understanding of everything and clearly deeply cares for the disabled. He obviously can't guarantee anything, but does believe most of it will be challenged, especially the damaging 4 point rule. I'm sorry, but can't link it or anything as I don't know how, but his channel is "Stuart Mcgoo (Talk to Stu)" and the video is "Universal Credit-PIP-ESA News March 2025- Green Paper Deep Dive" on Youtube.
6 -
just watched the bit regarding ESA CB and he didn’t have an understanding of the change proposed.
Not impressed with his knowledge. If he used to work for DWP…
1 -
I've discovered Gary Economics and he explains why Labour economic policies will not work 💕
https://youtu.be/XCnImxVWbvc?feature=shared
4 -
Thanks I will look it up.
0 -
Sorry, I was half asleep last night. I just thought it might help some people with the angst.
2 -
Dear All,
I have Astigmatism &Exophoria(Eye issues), and I’m currently trying to understand the questions in the Green Paper consultation, especially given the proposals to abolish Work Capability Assessments and the fact that PIP is not currently an out-of-work benefit. I’ve tried using Voiceover, but I’m still struggling to make sense of the questions.
Specifically, I’m having difficulty understanding the following due to the appalling wordings 😡 :1.A new baseline expectation of engagement (Question 8):
• How we should determine who is subject to a requirement only to participate in conversations, or work preparation activity rather than the stronger requirements placed on people in the Intensive Work Search regime.2.Support conversations(Question 9):
• Should we require most people to participate in a support conversation as a condition of receipt of their full benefit award or of the health element in Universal Credit?
3.Exemption criteria(Question 10):
• How should we determine which individuals or groups of individuals should be exempt from requirements?
Any guidance or thoughts would be greatly appreciated!
Best wishes,0 -
it sounds like they are going to need to design an assessment for that otherwise they could face legal action
1 -
We appear to be the subset no-one even recognises, far less cares about. 😐️
4 -
I might be wrong, but as they are scrapping the work capability assessment that is done within the first 3/4 months of application, the PIP assessments will have to be taken place much sooner. Is that something feasible, considering the current time frames?
2 -
That’s my worry. That organisations will not fight our corner and future claimants in our position.
This change is a tremendous loss for the welfare protections for everyone.
3 -
Ok I'll give it a shot. Warning heavy levels of sarcasm incoming. Sorry.
Question one means "hey you know how we already have these groups called job seekers UC, lcw and lcwra and how they mean how much we at the DWP will harass them? Well since we are really wanting to mess up the whole benefits system and hate not being able to harass everyone we want your input in how to change that. So how much harassment do you think we can get away with?"
Question two. "We want to do this thing called a support conversation which is a nice way of saying 'call up everyone on any benefit and potentially traumatise them by talking about what we think they should be doing with their lives. Should we make it so everyone has to do this under pains of having money taking off them? Even if it sends them into a breakdown? You know because we really hate that substantial risk thing..."
Question three. "Ah yeah you know how we already asked if we should go by previous assessments that say some people should be left alone, well we are asking again because we hate doing that. Like we said substantial risk is something we want to just pretend doesn't exist so we'd love it if you said we can harass everyone with this OBVIOUSLY NICE PLESANT CONVERSATION! no please stop crying we are doing this because we want to help..."
Lol not overly helpful to you but it was quite cathortic to write
7 -
I would say that was pretty accurate myself 💕
1 -
Wow @SadOldPanda,You truly deserve a PhD for your efforts in deciphering that! Unfortunately, my disabled brain and my “wonky eyes” are telling me it’s time to step back for today. I’ll try reading again tomorrow and the next day. But seriously, thank you for your patience and support.
I can’t help but feel that the government is turning a blind eye and taking pleasure in the suffering they’ve caused for disabled people… but I’ll leave it at that to avoid stepping over the line(SCOPE RULES!!!).
Thanks again!3
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