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Work Capability Assessment

Asked by Siân BerryGreen PartyDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled Answered 9 December 2025UIN 96020

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether he plans to remove the work capability assessment.

Answered by Sir Stephen Timms

We announced in the Pathways to Work Green Paper that we are abolishing the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) and that following this, eligibility to the new Universal Credit Health Element would require the claimant to be in receipt of a Daily Living award on Personal Independence Payment (PIP).

Work is continuing to determine the detail of how this reformed system would work and discussions are also under way with the Scottish Government about the interactions between the devolved and reserved systems. We will set out further details of the reformed system, and the timing of WCA abolition, once we are in a position to do so.

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