A proposed shake-up of the benefits system could cause strain on the mental health of claimants and lead to a "broken" welfare system, according to a charity. A spokesperson said they were “appalled” at the proposed new approach to sanctions, outlined in a White Paper.
The comments follow the recent publication by the UK Government of the Health and Disability White Paper. The paper lays out proposed reforms to the benefits system. As part of its shake-up of the welfare system, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) announced plans to scrap the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) with the aim of encouraging people who need to claim benefits back into work. WCAs currently provide decisions on whether a person is fit for work for the purpose of their Employment Support Allowance (ESA) or Universal Credit (UC) allowance.
It’s important to keep in mind that these planned changes are proposals and will be debated in Parliament before coming into force in 2026/27.
