The Universal Credit Bill becomes law. Here are the changes to disability benefits you need to know

The 4-point PIP rule was included in draft legislation. That made it a formal proposal, not speculation. Protesting a published clause in a bill is not the same as responding to a signal without legislative framing. That distinction matters. I’ve never said we shouldn’t challenge the White Paper. I’ve said I prefer to respond to published proposals, not assumptions. That’s not hypocrisy, it’s consistency.

 I raised concerns about the Green Paper, met with my MP, and supported Scope’s public challenge. I’ve acted, and I will continue to do so. The Timms PIP review may well change eligibility criteria, but until that happens, the current descriptors remain the basis for scrutiny.

That’s why the FOI data is relevant, but it doesn’t define future eligibility, and it doesn’t confirm how DL PIP will be used as a gateway. That’s why I’ve said the White Paper matters. It will show what’s being carried forward, what’s being formalised, and who is affected.

I must respectfully correct your claim that “The WCA scrappage was NOT in the UC Bill and has NOT been passed via Primary Legislation.” There is no standalone “WCA scrappage bill” because the repeal is being delivered through amendment to existing legislation, not via a separately titled instrument. This is a standard parliamentary mechanism for structural reform, particularly where dismantling provisions are embedded within broader welfare legislation. The claim is demonstrably inaccurate and risks misleading members about the current statutory position.

The information outlined below reflects statutory amendments already enacted and scheduled for implementation. All of it can be confirmed via official sources on GOV.UK, which remains the most reliable source for verifying legislative status and statutory detail.

The Universal Credit Act 2025 contains explicit statutory amendments that abolish the Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity element for new claimants and replaces it with the Universal Credit Health Element. These changes are not speculative proposals, they are embedded in primary legislation, duly passed, and scheduled for implementation from April 2026.

From April 2026, the legal framework governing new claimants will undergo substantial reform under the Universal Credit Act 2025. This legislation abolishes the Limited Capability for Work and Work-Related Activity element and replaces it with a reduced Universal Credit Health Element. These are not speculative proposals awaiting approval, they are enacted provisions embedded in statute.

Equally significant is the introduction of the Chance to Work Guarantee, which removes most WCA reassessments for existing ESA and UC claimants awarded LCWRA. This too is not aspirational, it is legislated and binding.

It is important to clarify that these changes do not amount to a simple abolition of the LCWRA element. Rather, it has been restructured and rebranded as the UC Health Element, with revised eligibility criteria and markedly lower payment rates. For new claimants, this will equate to roughly half the current LCWRA amount. Existing claimants will retain their full entitlement via transitional protection. This is not a cosmetic adjustment, it represents a fundamental shift in both eligibility and financial support.

Together, these measures constitute the first two phases of the WCA repeal. The final phase, realigning eligibility with Personal Independence Payment Daily Living criteria and transitioning remaining claimants, is scheduled for 2028/29, subject to the Timms consultation on PIP reform. Nonetheless, the trajectory is already legislatively defined and the foundational reforms are in place.

Your claim that “nothing has changed”  disregards the deliberate, phased nature of this reform programme. In practice, from April 2026, new claimants will face a fundamentally altered system, one that reflects not peripheral tweaks but a central transformation in welfare policy.

You have suggested that there remains potential to halt the dismantling of the WCA. In light of this, what specific measures do you propose to repeal legislation that has already been enacted and is scheduled to apply to new claimants from April 2026?

Personally, I am focused on opposing the forthcoming white paper, once published, if it contains any further damaging reforms. My MP is also arranging workshops so constituents can take part in the Timms PIP review. At present, I believe this is the only remaining route with any traction. What remains now is not halting the reforms, but mitigating their impact and resisting further erosion through the white paper and PIP consultation.

However, I am genuinely interested to hear your plans, particularly if you believe there is still a legislative pathway to halt all of the above,  which is now largely embedded in statute and no longer a matter of future speculation. If you are advocating for repeal, it would be helpful to outline the steps you believe remain available, how they align with the current legislative timetable, and what practical actions myself and other members might take to assist.