Badenoch pledges £13bn in savings from tighter disability benefit eligibility
Kemi Badenoch has pledged that a Conservative government would save £13 billion by tightening eligibility for disability benefits, including for mild anxiety and routine back pain. She says people with less severe conditions should be helped into work and offered treatment, while the party presents welfare spending as a dividing line with Labour.
The proposals would affect conditions that account for 43 per cent of Personal Independence Payment claims, replacing some benefit payments with £1 billion for therapies and occupational health. The article says PIP spending for anxiety rose from under £100 million in 2019 to nearly £427 million last year, while claims for ADHD and autism also increased sharply. Face-to-face assessments would be introduced; forecast working-age sickness and disability benefit spending is £71.4 billion by 2029.
- Badenoch says benefit changes could save £13 billion.
- Mild conditions would no longer qualify for PIP.
- The plans include £1 billion for treatment and work support.
New here? Start with this
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a UK benefit that helps people with the extra costs of living with a long-term health condition or disability. It is assessed on how a person’s condition affects daily life, rather than whether they are in work.
The Conservatives say some people with less severe conditions should receive treatment and help to work instead of benefit payments. Their proposal would change eligibility for conditions linked to 43 per cent of PIP claims and fund therapies and occupational health support.
The debate is about how to support disabled people while managing the rising cost of benefits. Labour and the Conservatives differ over the role of benefit payments, treatment and employment support.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Supporters could argue that disability benefits should focus on people with the greatest needs, and that clearer, tighter eligibility would make spending more sustainable and fair to taxpayers. They may say that directing some funding towards treatment and help into work could improve people’s wellbeing and independence, especially where conditions are less severe.
The case against
Critics could argue that conditions such as anxiety, back pain, ADHD and autism can seriously limit daily life and work, even when they appear mild or fluctuate, so tighter rules risk denying support to people who need it. They may also question whether therapies and occupational health can replace reliable benefit payments, and warn that face-to-face assessments could add stress or misjudge people’s needs.
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by Daily Mail as “Kemi Badenoch: I will save £13billion by slashing handouts for mild anxiety and ‘routine’ back pain”.