The official 2024 budget discussion.

Amending SDP transitional protection regulations? **** does that mean?

so we have to wait until next year for anything concrete. FFS

from copliot .

1. Benefits Increase: Benefits, including PIP, will see a 1.7% increase in line with the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) measure of inflation from September 2024. This means recipients will get higher payments from April 2025.
2. LCWRA Reforms: The Work Capability Assessment (WCA) reforms, which were announced in 2023, will take effect in 2025. These changes will make it more difficult to qualify for LCWRA, potentially affecting around 450,000 people2. The government plans to abolish the WCA entirely by 2029, replacing it with a new system where medically unqualified work coaches will assess claimants2.
3. Chance to Work Guarantee: Existing LCWRA claimants will not face reassessment and can try work without fear of losing their benefits or health top-ups1. Reassessments will only occur under very limited circumstances, such as a change in health condition, pregnancy risk, or suspected fraud

If a claimant has been declared as having LCWRA under the new risk provisions;

What does this mean though? Does this mean that if you were in the LCWRA only because of risk, that you will be subject to the new rules? This is the one that confuses and worries me.

lastly for all you numbers people interested in the details (basically anyone who has a Rachel reeves type brain - so most of you will want the skip the following id imagine)

(Last note - all benefits still presumed to be increased in cpi - translation: no welfare benefit freezes for now)

Thank you for the highlighting, that made it much easier to read through all the points. (I noticed at one point she wrote trail instead of trial…lol).

I didn't notice much mention specifically of PIP or how these new fraud powers will impact that benefit. Maybe she's hanging onto that until the spring white paper, or maybe the main focus of the new fraud plans are targeted at UC.

I read over the WCA/ESA stuff a few times. It looks like they're moving ahead with the transition but not necessarily changing anyone's income for the worse, at least at the moment. What isn't contained here is clear information about how they are going to change WCA going forward and what the longterm implications will be.

The trailblazer areas will be in cities because they always are. 100k disabled people doesn't seem like a large number, either. What were the disability stats again? How many million are we?

I noted that she wants to keep disabled people in good jobs. Well, then maybe she could stop cutting public services…a lot of disabled people in employment work for local government, and many of us are on temporary contracts because of this chronic lack of funding.

Copilot is the Microsoft AI.

you are very welcome

as I said before - this budget hits employers hiring (or keeping on) employees pretty badly

Kendall’s biggest problem isn’t ’encouraging’ disabled into work………….its persuading employers to take us on (and dwp can’t sanction employers with as much ease as claimants)

Kendall may want to think about making further education/training more accessible and cheaper for disabled ppl in the meantime so at least our cv better positions us to get these ‘better paid jobs’ (and adding more help for those wanting to work for themselves and reforming the minimum income floor which deters claimants from trying)

@apple85 just wanted to say thank you for all your work today. It’s very much appreciated