GMLC campaign volunteer Elliot Ross writes on the Universal Credit Bill currently making its way through Parliament, following a dramatic day in Parliament in June 2025 where significant concessions were made. Alongside 47 Labour MPs who rebelled in July, we argue that the Bill is still harmful to disabled people and we should continue to oppose it.
In March 2025, the Government announced plans for significant changes to the disability benefits system. Its Green Paper outlined plans to cut costs and tighten eligibility for a number of benefits, including for Personal Independence Payments (‘PIP’) and Universal Credit (‘UC’). The release of these proposals led many community groups, leaders, and select Labour MPs to speak out against them, raising serious concerns about their impact on the quality of life and independence of disabled people in the UK. Concerns were also raised around a continued austerity agenda and its impact on levels of poverty in the UK. GMLC has published its own response to the Government’s proposals in its public consultation, ‘Pathways to Work’. The UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities raised alarm around the impact of proposals in an open letter. The Government’s own impact assessment showed that its original proposals would lead to 250,000 more people living in relative poverty.
Under the original plans, the government proposed to cut the rate for the health element of UC by almost half, whilst freezing the rate for existing recipients. The minimum age from which someone could claim the health-related element of UC would be raised from 18 to 22 years old. The Work Capability Assessment would be replaced by the assessment for PIP, meaning that claimants who don’t reach the level required to receive PIP would not be entitled to receive the health element of UC.
PIP was also to be subject to more stringent criteria. The government proposed to reduce the pool of eligible applicants by requiring an applicant to score 4 on one of the daily living activities to receive the daily living element of PIP. A summary by Citizens Advice highlights the practical impact of this proposal – ‘someone who needs assistance to cut up food, wash their hair and body below the waist, use the toilet and dress/undress their lower body wouldn’t receive PIP under the new rules’. Under these plans, claimants would also be vulnerable to a loss of income and support through losing out on Carer’s Allowance for their carer – which is conditional on PIP eligibility.
As of July 2025, the Government has all-but passed a reduced version of the Bill and the new provisions will come into force in April 2026. The ‘Universal Credit Bill’ has been classed as a ‘Money Bill’ by the Speaker of the House of Commons, making it subject to less scrutiny and bypassing the need for approval from the House of Lords.
Since March 2025, the government faced substantial opposition to the original Bill and the proposed changes to PIP were eventually removed. Concessions and amendments were tabled by a number of politicians. Following proposals which were tabled by Marie Tidball MP, a full review of PIP (the ‘Timms Review’) has been scheduled to take place in autumn 2026. This will be co-produced with a focus on input by groups and experts representing disabled people. 47 Labour MPs decided not to vote for the Bill in July despite the concessions – but the Bill moved to the next stage anyway as it had enough support to proceed.
The proposed changes to the health-related element of UC have been maintained in the Bill. This means that new claimants from April 2026 will receive around half of the amount of support given to current claimants. For current claimants, the weekly rate will be frozen until 2029/30. The age from which someone can claim the health element of UC has been increased from 18 to 22. The proposals contain a ‘Severe Conditions Criteria’, introduced to protect a specific group from the reduction and freeze of the benefit, who meet a high level of need and who will not require subsequent re-assessment under the new Bill.
Austerity is a political choice and GMLC stands against disability benefit cuts. By introducing the Universal Credit Bill, the Government creates further stress and uncertainty, hardship and poverty for disabled people.
A new impact assessment issued by the Government estimates that, as a result of the upcoming changes to UC, 150,000 more people will be living in relative poverty by 2030. Disabled people are already more likely to be in poverty and to be shouldering additional costs to support their quality of life and independence. In choosing to exclude those under 22 from eligibility for the health element of UC, the government is creating additional challenges and shifting responsibility for young and more vulnerable people. In focusing solely on encouraging access to work and cutting benefit costs in this Bill, the Government must acknowledge that this does not change people’s needs (who require support) nor alleviate financial (and other) challenges in people’s lives in the UK.
The PIP review in autumn 2026 is extremely important. Keeping in mind the lessons learnt during the passing of the UC Bill, there will a big fight to advocate for the rights of people with disabilities.
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If you need advice on your disability benefits claim, either to fill in a disability benefits form or to appeal a negative decision, you can contact GMLC on reception@gmlaw.org.uk or 0161 769 2244. You can also see our fact sheets on welfare rights here, and on Work Capability Assessments and PIP Mandatory Reconsiderations to Appeal here.
