Reform has unveiled plans to allow certain health conditions to "automatically qualify" for the highest level of support in a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Universal Credit shake-up. The proposal, announced by Reform Treasury spokesperson Robert Jenrick on Monday, would see five conditions fast-tracked through the disability needs assessment.
The conditions listed for automatic qualification are: "profound untreatable deafness, blindness, severe physical or intellectual disabilities, and terminal disease." The move is part of a broader reform package for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
Reform's vision for welfare
In a joint foreword, Mr Jenrick and Reform leader Nigel Farage criticised the current welfare system, arguing it is "nothing to be proud of." They wrote: "Britain used to be proud of our welfare state. It provided security to people who fell on hard times, dignity to those who could not support themselves, and help to those who could return to work. Just as importantly, it was fair to the people who paid for it."
The pair highlighted that "millions of working-age people are now dependent on benefits" and that "disability and incapacity claims have almost doubled in less than a decade." They also noted that "more than a million foreign citizens receive Universal Credit" and that "billions of pounds are lost every year to fraud and error."
Impact on claimants and the system
According to Mr Jenrick and Mr Farage, the current system "is failing almost everyone." They said it fails workers who "pay ever-higher taxes to support a growing welfare bill" and fails the severely disabled because the system is "overwhelmed by assessing and managing mild ailments." They added that it fails claimants themselves, as work provides "independence and dignity," and a system that allows those who could work to remain dependent is "not compassionate."
The Reform leaders described the situation as "a moral and fiscal catastrophe." They reassured that "our constituents who need and rely on PIP should, and will, see their awards protected," but stressed that "the system as a whole is not sustainable." They noted that successive Conservative and Labour governments have known about these problems, but "since Covid, neither has been willing to confront them. We will."
