Former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith has urged the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to stop providing cash benefits for weight-loss jabs, arguing that the welfare system should focus on treatment rather than long-term financial support for obesity.
Cash Benefits Under Fire
Speaking to The Telegraph, Duncan Smith said: "New weight-loss medicines are changing what is possible. Britain cannot afford a benefits system that pays people to stay still." He emphasized that cash support should be reserved for those with the greatest and most enduring extra costs, and that treatable conditions should first be addressed with proper help to recover, live independently, and work where possible.
Duncan Smith highlighted that almost 5,000 people currently receive Personal Independence Payments (PIP) with obesity recorded as their main disabling condition, according to DWP caseload figures.
GLP-1 Treatments as an Alternative
Duncan Smith pointed to GLP-1 treatments such as Mounjaro and Wegovy, which are being rolled out or approved for wider use, including in pill form. "They are not magic cures. They must be used with the right supervision, diet, exercise and proper support. But for many people they transform lives by reducing weight, improving health and restoring independence," he said.
He questioned why the state should default to long-term disability cash when it could offer treatment that may help someone walk further, feel better, get back to work, and need less support.
Expert and Government Responses
Dr Crystal Wyllie from ZAVA commented: "Obesity is an epidemic across the world, but within the UK, we can see a natural link to unemployment, with 4,413 UK residents claiming PIP for obesity." She cited a Gallup poll showing that longer unemployment correlates with higher obesity rates, reaching up to 32.7% after one year of unemployment.
Dr Wyllie welcomed recent restrictions on multibuy deals for unhealthy foods, which came into effect on 1st October, expected to deliver health benefits of £2 billion and NHS savings of £180 million over 25 years.
A Government spokesperson said: "Personal Independence Payments are awarded based on how a condition impacts a person’s day-to-day needs, as opposed to the condition itself. We are also taking strong action to tackle the obesity crisis as part of our 10 Year Health Plan, which will shift the focus of care from sickness to prevention, and have launched the Timms Review – co-produced by disabled people and their representative organisations - to make sure PIP is fair and fit for the future."
