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Social Security Benefits: Disability

Asked by Steve WitherdenLabourDepartment for Work and PensionsTabled Answered 5 January 2026UIN 99938

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how he plans to reduce disability benefits by up to £580 million a year.

Answered by Sir Stephen Timms

We are reducing the frequency of Personal Independence award reviews to deliver more WCA re-assessments after they were stopped during Covid-19. We will also significantly increase the share of face-to-face assessments, enabling assessors to better understand the impact of conditions upon claimants. The combined impact of all these measures is expected to see a reduction in spending across the UK of £1.9b between 2026/27 and 2030/31.

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