The Green Paper Discussion (the document link is here too!)

Ok here is my thoughts on the green paper, I have ignored things like access to work, changes to job centres etc. and focused on the parts that affect benefit awards. I have decided not to compare to the Tories plans as those of course are no longer the future, but will mentioned when it is a duplicate/copy of what the Tores had planned, to indicate that in the end these are not all Labour's ideas. I didnt put this in a new thread to stick to Scope principle, but people are free to link to this post as I have quoted all the key points from the paper.

--37. First, we will scrap the Work Capability Assessment (WCA). This will end the state categorising people into binary groups and labelling them as either ‘can or can’t work’. Instead, any extra financial support for health conditions in UC will be assessed via a single assessment – the PIP assessment – and be based on the impact of disability on daily living, not on capacity to work.[footnote 44] This will de-couple access to the health element in UC (current LCWRA rate referred to as UC health throughout) from work status, so people can be confident that the act of taking steps towards and into employment will not put their benefit entitlement at risk. We will implement this change via primary legislation. Further details will be published in the forthcoming White Paper. We are not consulting on this measure.--

So this is a duplication of the Tories plan, remove the WCA and require PIP daily living to be eligible for the health top up, although it is not quite the same as the Tories plan, as a further point below mentions those who currently have the health topup (LCWRA) might be able to keep it without PIP daily living. This new health topup will not affect mandatory activity. No consultation, so they will rush this in.

--we will increase the UC standard allowance for new and existing claims. This would mean the single person 25+ rate of UC standard allowance increasing by £7 per week (pw) (from £91pw in 2024/2025 to £98pw in 2026/2027)
for people who already receive the UC health element the rate of the UC health element will be frozen at £97pw until 2029/2030 but this group will receive an increased UC entitlement in cash terms as a result of the increased standard allowance--

As expected a increase in the standard allowance, and some kind of reduction in the LCWRA component, this is now to be implemented as a 3 year freeze instead of the leaked 25-50% reduction. LCWRA claimants will still get a cash increase as the base allowance is part of their payments. As I predicted to start in April 2026. So if migrations go to plan, hardly anyone will have TP protection to mitigate it.

--we will guarantee that no-one who has been found LCWRA prior to April 2026 and remains LCWRA following reassessment will see their UC health element entitlement changed--

What this means is if I interpreted it correctly, that people who have LCWRA before April 2026, will be eligible to keep it as a health topup without PIP daily living, however they will need to have one more assessment that maintains the LCWRA status. As detailed below this assessment will keep the same descriptors as is currently.

--for new claims the rate of the UC health element will be reduced by £47pw (from £97pw in 2024/2025 to £50pw in 2026/2027). However, this group will benefit from the higher standard allowance, which will partially offset this reduction.--

From April 2026 onwards, new claims will have a significantly reduced LCWRA heath top up, the freeze is only for existing claimants, this is likely at the more severe end of the scale to fund the freeze for existing claimants.

--for those receiving the new reduced UC health element after April 2026, we are proposing that those with the most severe, life-long health conditions, who have no prospect of improvement and will never be able to work, will see their incomes protected through an additional premium.[footnote 46][footnote 47] We will also guarantee that for both new and existing claims, those in this group will not need to be reassessed in future--

There will be a special category for people with very extreme conditions, this will have an additional premium to compensate for the freeze on LCWRA. There is already a special category which the Tories introduced to provide lifelong LCWRA status without reassessment, it is possible this will be pushed to the same group, but isnt detailed, as it also mentioned people in this group will never be reassessed. It doesnt mention if work activity will be required, but since "never being able to work" is mentioned my prediction is this group will have immunity or only light touch work related activity.

--This change to the UC Health rate for new claims will be combined with much more active engagement and support (our third step) so that entry onto the UC health element is not a one-way street where people are abandoned and very unlikely to ever work again, as is the case now. This group will continue to benefit from a substantial work allowance, which means they can earn up to £673 a month (or £404 a month if they get help with housing costs) without their UC income being affected (and without paying any income tax).--

Like the Tory plans. As mentioned above, those in receipt of the health topup wont be by default exempt from work related activity.

--Our ambition is that additional resource will mean a very different offer for the around 700,000 people a year who currently undergo a WCA. Instead of queuing for a benefit assessment, disabled people and people with a work-limiting health condition will have a support conversation. This will focus on their goals and act as a gateway to a range of personalised support to help achieve them, for anyone who wants it. This support conversation will centre on employment, but in the context of someone’s wider health and independent living aspirations.--

Currently to get a reduced more sympathetic work related activity program, a claimant needs a WCA to get in the LCW group, this will be replaced with an initial conversation to get similar adjustments. So should be an improvement for those who would go in LCW providing the person on the other side makes a correct decision.

--Fourth, as part of restoring faith in the social security system, people need to know that if they have paid in, they will get support when they need it. We are consulting on establishing a new, simple and clear “Unemployment Insurance” benefit through the reform of contributory working-age benefits.--

nsESA and cbESA are also affected by these reforms.

--Unemployment insurance would be a new non-means tested entitlement for people who have contributed into the system. It would be created by replacing contribution-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) and Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) with a new single entitlement, paid at the current ESA rate (currently £138pw) and will be time-limited. --

For people who have paid enough contributions, they will get financial support equal to what support group ESA is set to, regardless of their health and without assessment, however as a balancing act this is a time limited award, the length of time isnt specified, my guess would be 3-12 months. Since nsESA and cbESA do continue to pay NI for the claimant, it is possible when existing claimants lose their nsESA award, they may transition to this unemployment insurance.

--We will therefore shift the balance towards doing more face-to-face assessments, while ensuring we continue to meet the needs of our people who are claiming, who may require a different method of assessment (e.g., due to the need for a reasonable adjustment). In addition, in advance of scrapping the WCA, we will restart re-assessments to make sure that people are accessing the benefits and support they should be, which will mean better outcomes for people who undergo a WCA and for taxpayers. We will smooth and improve the assessment process for people who have severe and lifelong health conditions that will never improve. We are not consulting on these measures.--

Refocus on face to face appointments as the main form of assessment as was the case before covid. In addition automatic WCA's will resume. There will be no consultation probably so that is rushed in as quick as possible.

--establish in law the principle that work will not lead to a reassessment. For people receiving UC, PIP (in England and Wales), or NS ESA (whilst and if it is in place), we will introduce legislation that guarantees that trying work will not be considered a relevant change of circumstance that will trigger a PIP award review or WCA reassessment. We will make these changes as soon as possible, so that they apply in the current system and as well as in the reformed system. By legislating, we aim to give people more confidence that they will not be reassessed because they have tried work. This change will also be communicated to work coaches delivering the benefit as well as to benefit recipients themselves to best support people into work--

Like the Tory plans change the law so trying to go back to work doesnt trigger a new WCA. Although this is not as robust as the Tory plans, as the Tory plans were to stop WCA's for life, whilst the labour plans will still have automatic WCA's meaning an attempt to work could still be used against you on a future automatic WCA.

--As described above, we will introduce a new eligibility requirement to ensure that only those who score a minimum of 4 points in at least one daily living activity will be eligible for the daily living component of PIP. We will introduce this change through primary legislation. It will apply to new claims and for existing people who claim, future eligibility will be decided at their next award review. This change means that people could lose entitlement to the daily living element of PIP and potentially other entitlements linked to this award.--

PIP daily living will now require at least one descriptor to score 4 or more points to qualify, no mentions of changing or removing descriptors when this is introduced. For existing claims this will apply on their next review.

--We are mindful of the impact this change could have on people and so want to consider how we can best support those affected. This includes options for transitional protection for those who are no longer eligible for PIP and the entitlements linked to their award. In addition, we also want to consider how to support those with lower needs in a large number of PIP activities, as part of these changes. We are consulting on whether those who lose entitlement need any support and what this support could look like (see consultation question 2).--

There is the possibility for existing awards of PIP that if the rule change loses eligibility TP protection might be offered, a consideration is also possible for a lower level daily living award for 2 point only descriptors. This paragraph makes it clear this is not currently planned and is currently only under consideration, likelihood this was added following the recent disagreements in the Labour party.

--Therefore, we will launch a process to review the PIP assessment. This is a major undertaking which will take time and require extensive engagement, so any changes to the PIP assessment would only be introduced following the reforms set out in this Green Paper. To make sure we get this right, we will bring together a range of experts, stakeholders and people with lived experience to consider how best to do this and to start the process as part of preparing for a review.--

Actual descriptor changes are yet to be decided and plans will not start in earnest until the announced changes are already in place. So descriptor changes will come later than the 4 point requirement change.

--Whilst the WCA is still in place, we will restart reassessments as they play an important role in taking account of how changes in health conditions and disabilities affect people over time. This includes where there is a deterioration in someone’s health condition but also any improvements, which may mean they would benefit from more active engagement and support to return to work.
We will turn on WCA reassessments as we build up capacity to do so. We will initially prioritise reassessments for people who are most likely to have had a change in their circumstances including those who have short-term prognoses, for which we can reasonably anticipate a change in health condition has occurred (e.g., those with risks from pregnancy complications or those who have recovered following cancer treatment). Over time, we will then prioritise available reassessment capacity for other cohorts who are likely to change award.
Given the move to a multi-channel approach was driven by a public health emergency we now think we need to revisit this position and recalibrate – to focus on returning to doing more face-to-face assessments, while preserving alternative health assessment channels to meet the specific needs of people who require a different channel, for example as a reasonable adjustment.--

As mentioned above automatic WCA's are to resume, but they wont be turning it back on for everyone all at once, it looks like they will prioritise the lowest hanging fruit first, such as short prognosis, pregnancy, it is also conditional on the capacity to carry out these reassessments. Because of this my prediction is there will be some people who get to keep the health topup without another reassessment, I think the highest hanging fruit might escape reassessment prior to the WCA being scrapped.

BBC have created a quick glance breakdown

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyd2p7dz3vo

Worth pointing out this is the Green paper, Scope and others have laid out what they feel

which is Brilliant, The next year some elections will take place including the Senedd in Wales.

If you haven't now is exactly the time to email the local MP, speak from the heart and tell them exactly how you feel these policies will affect you,

How many times have disability benefits been "reformed" already, they axed DLA

for the grand saving of 0.01 billion they thought i would save over 10 billion.

See the issue? today was the perfect time so say a longcovid taskforce would be created to help and look support for those affected, instead she axes UC for younger people.

So the story about PIP being the new gateway benefit for UC was correct and that story came out in July 2024, Well before Trump was Elected, So all the Froth around these cuts being linked to Global changes are just that, She actually grandstanded about no PIP vouchers

but had no issue that stupid idea causing huge worry to everyone. Vouchers in America are a disaster, they DO NOT WORK. But instead of saying that is a non starter they left it hanging there.

How this has been handled from the leaky dripping of some policies to not denying the more worrying stories like vouchers, Ed Milibands face said it all, the guy looked like he was sitting on a seat of nails. Lucy Powell Likewise they know this is going to cost them.