Reform UK has unveiled a plan to overhaul the nation's welfare system, aiming to achieve £50 billion in savings through significant changes to disability payments and employment support. The proposal, detailed in a 50-page document, includes investing in talking therapies, physiotherapy, and job support to reduce reliance on Universal Credit (UC) and Personal Independence Payments (PIP).
Under the proposed reforms, individuals with "lower-level conditions" would no longer receive direct cash payments. Instead, local councils and mayors would manage accounts to cover essential needs such as transport and equipment. The plan also introduces an incentive for employers, offering a "strong economic incentive" to facilitate the return of employees who have been off sick.
A key component of the proposal is a "single, rigorous disability needs assessment," to be conducted in person, for those who have been claiming benefits for two years without returning to work. This assessment aims to identify and screen out fraudulent claims. A new, regularly reviewed payment would be available for those deemed "gravely ill and severely challenged."
According to estimates by the party, approximately 2.16 million current claimants would retain their full cash entitlement, while 2.89 million would see their payments modified or withdrawn following these assessments. PIP, which is currently paid to 3.7 million people in England and Wales with long-term physical or mental health conditions, is not means-tested and does not affect other benefits. The benefit includes a daily living component and a mobility component, with claimants eligible for one or both.
"We will not pretend this is painless," stated Jenrick, a proponent of the changes, adding that "dumping our young people onto welfare isn't compassion; it's neglect." The party's broader aim is to cut the benefits bill to offset the cost of maintaining the state pension's triple lock.
Opposition parties have criticized the proposal. A Labour spokeswoman dismissed the £50 billion savings claim as "fantasy economics," asserting it is "built on stripping support from disabled people and shifting costs onto employers." Labour has stated its own welfare reforms deliver "credible, independently-costed savings."
This proposal follows recent governmental attempts to adjust welfare assessments. In March 2025, the government's effort to tighten daily living assessments for PIP was scaled back following pressure from Labour MPs. Jenrick characterized this move as an attempt at "modest savings" undermined by backbench opposition.
An interim report from Disability Minister Sir Stephen Timms, who has been reviewing PIP, concluded that the benefit is "not fit for purpose" and requires fundamental changes. Recent modifications to UC have already halved the health element for new claimants with less severe conditions.
Jenrick also contrasted Reform UK's proposals with those of the Conservative Party, calling their plans "paper thin" and suggesting they would yield less than half of the £23 billion in savings proposed by the Conservatives. The Tory proposals include restricting benefits for non-UK citizens and ending sickness benefits for less severe mental health conditions, with a stated aim to deliver at least £1 billion in annual savings. The Conservatives also announced plans to reform the household benefit cap, removing the automatic exemption for PIP recipients.