The UK Government has written a new plan called "Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working". Published on March 18, 2025, it talks about big changes to benefits for disabled people and people with long-term health problems.

Summary of Proposals

The Government says the changes will help: 

• More people get into work 
• Make the benefits system simpler 
• Make sure the country can afford it 

Let us know what you think using our consultation form at the bottom. We will use your feedback in our submission. 

The Main Changes the Government Wants to Make

1. Removing the Work Capability Assessment (WCA): will be removed in 2028 or 2029 without consultation.

• This test checks if someone’s health or disability means they are unable to work.
• A new system will be based on the daily living questions from the current Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment>.

2. Changing Personal Independence Payment (PIP): starting November 2026 without consultation.

• To get the daily living part of PIP >, you will need to score at least 4 points on one daily living activity section and score a total of at least 12 points across all the sections.
• People with the most serious, life-long illnesses won’t have to keep being reassessed.
• More people will be asked to go to face-to-face assessments (many will be virtual) , during this time.

3. Changes to Universal Credit (UC) – starting for NEW CLAIMANTS from April 2026 without consultation. 

• From April 2026, new claimants will get less money in the health part of UC – only £50 a week.
• People already getting it will keep the current amount (£97), but it will be frozen (not increased) until 2029/30.
• The basic UC amount (called the Standard Allowance) will go up by £7 a week by 2026/27.
• The government is thinking about stopping under-22s from getting the health part of UC until they turn 22 . They suggest that these young people will be offered expanded work and training opportunities.

4. New Unemployment Insurance 

• This will replace the old ESA and Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA).
• It will only be for people who have paid National Insurance.
• It will be time-limited, meaning you’ll only get it for a short while.

5. “Right to Try” Guarantee 

• A new law will let people try going to work without losing their benefits straight away.

6. Better Employment Support 

• The government will spend £1 billion more each year by 2029/30.
• People will get one-on-one help to find jobs or improve their skills.
• New “Support Conversations” will help people talk about what kind of work they could do.

7. Helping Employers 

• The government will look for ways to help workplaces become more accessible for disabled people.

Who Will These Changes Affect Most?

1. Disabled people already getting benefits

• If you get PIP or UC now, when it is time for a review, you might have to go through new assessments.
• Some people may lose money if they don’t meet the new rules.
• But if you have a very serious, long-term illness, you might benefit from not being reassessed again.

2. Carers 

• If the person you care for loses their PIP, you might also lose Carer’s Allowance or the Carer Element in UC.

3. Young people with disabilities 

• If you are under 22, you might have to wait longer to get extra money through UC.

4. Unemployed people 

• People who have worked and paid into the system will get the new Unemployment Insurance, but only for a short time.

5. Employers

• Businesses may be asked to do more to help disabled people get and keep jobs.

What Are People Worried About?

• Losing money: Stricter rules could mean some people lose benefits, even if they still need help.
• More poverty: The changes could make life harder for many people and families who are reliant on the financial support PIP provides.
• Stress: Reassessments and changes can cause anxiety, especially for people with long-term illnesses. 
• Carers losing support: If someone loses PIP, their carer might also lose support.
• Confusing system: Changing both UC and PIP at the same time might be confusing and feel unfair.
• Unfair for young people: Disabled young people may have to wait until 22 to get financial support.

When Will These Changes Happen?

Some things will happen soon or are still being talked about, like:

• How to help people who lose PIP in 2026
• Support for young people under 22
• Helping employers
• Details of job support services

Other things will go ahead more directly, like:

• The new 4-point PIP rule in November 2026
• Scrapping the WCA in 2028/29
• Freezing or cutting parts of UC
• Bringing in Unemployment Insurance

What Could Happen to People with Long-Term Disabilities?

• Some people might lose benefits under the new PIP rules.
• Others may get less money from UC, especially new claimants.
• People with serious, lifelong illnesses might have some good news because they won’t need to keep going to assessments.
• Trying to work might be less risky with the “Right to Try” rule.
• Pressure to work and less money could make life harder.
• Risks of impact on mental health, poverty, and losing access to support services like free transport or the Motability scheme.

Final Thoughts

These changes could help some people but may also make life harder for others, especially: 

• People with less visible or changing conditions
• Unpaid carers
• Young disabled people
• Those who become unemployed after working
• The Government says it wants to support those who really need it and help more people find work. There is a risk that some people may lose vital support.

We used AI to assist us with this summary. It was checked for accuracy by members of our Advocacy, Information and Support teams. 

Read SMA UK’s Response to the government’s “Pathways to Work” Consultation 

Rumours about SEND reforms: Disabled Children’s PartnershipJune 2025

There have been a number of stories in the press in recent weeks about the shape of proposed reforms to the special educational needs and disability system.  These have included suggestions that the government is intending to limit access to Education Health and Care Plans or to abolish them altogether – with similar rumours about the Tribunal.

We recognise that these stories will be extremely worrying to many parents and young people.  We have put out strong responses setting out our opposition to such changes.

However, it is important to recognise that these are – for the time being at least – just rumours and there have been no official announcements.  Moreover, if these changes were to be pursued, they could not happen overnight and would require changes to the law which would take time.  We hope this offers some reassurance, at least in the short term.

What we do know

The government has now confirmed that it will set out its plans for SEND reform as part of a wider schools “White Paper” in the autumn.

The government has set aside funding from its “Transformation Fund” for two years from next April to fund reforms.

The government has said that a key part of its reforms will be to make mainstream provision more inclusive, and it has committed £740million of capital funding for more specialist places in mainstream schools

What now?

We are pressing government to engage widely and meaningfully with families and young people – and experts in the sector – as it develops its plans. We will continue to speak up against suggestions that would remove or weaken rights and protections.

How you can help

3.5 million people aren’t getting the care and support they need. That’s three and a half million people who are missing out on vital day-to-day support. Help for older people with tasks like getting out of bed, washed and dressed; and for disabled adults of working age support to go out to work, volunteer or see friends. Many millions of unpaid carers in our country also lack opportunities to take breaks to recharge their batteries.

The Government has just launched an independent commission into social care. It’s a really important opportunity. If we act now, we can help shape the future of social care.

It’s time for all MPs to work together and commit to creating a future for social care that works for everyone who needs it, so that older people and disabled people, as well as their carers, can live full, safe, happy lives.

We’re inviting MPs to join us in parliament on 3rd July at our Show Us You Care event. This event is an important opportunity for your MP to: 

• Hear from people who live the reality of social care every day – the good, the bad, and the urgent need for change. 

• Understand the state of social care in your area, with access to tailored data and support to help them connect with local carers, care users, and services. 

• Learn how the Care and Support Alliance’s 60+ member organisations can help them show leadership over the next three years by engaging with the Casey Commission, holding the Government to account and championing social care in Parliament.

Together, we can show politicians how important social care is – and give them the tools they need to make change happen.

In collaboration with Pro Bono Economics, the Children’s Charities Coalition has launched a new report on children’s services spending.

The analysis has revealed that, despite a small rise in the last three years, local authority spending on early intervention services in England has fallen by more than £2 billion since 2010/11.

This constitutes an overall drop of 42%, with spending per child having fallen by more than half. At the same time, local authority spending on residential care placements has continued to balloon.

Worryingly, this has disproportionately impacted the most deprived parts of the country, where spending per child has fallen by more than 50%, whilst the least deprived areas saw a drop of less than 30%.

The Children’s Charities Coalition is therefore urging the Chancellor to use the upcoming Spending Review to make serious long-term investment in children’s social care.

Doing so will allow local authorities to rebuild early intervention services and prevent more children and families from reaching crisis point.

You can read the full report here. A long road to recovery- CSFA April 2025

The charity Contact launched its campaign which we shared with the SMA Community for families to get involved.

Read more >

Read what you said and we reported >