Disability

What were the decisions and trade-offs made by Chancellor Reeves?

Today it was confirmed that the changes to welfare represent a £4.2bn net saving by 2029-30 (2025-26 prices). 

In response to deteriorating global economic conditions, Rachel Reeves chose to fine-tune her spending plans to continue to meet her fiscal rules. 

This £5bn saving is the largest cut to welfare in almost a decade, but is smaller in scale than cuts made during the 2010s.

The gap between the basic level of unemployment benefit and the highest level of incapacity benefit which had widened for decades is now set to shrink

The reforms announced today, to be implemented or consulted on, represent a fundamental change to the way that the state supports out-of-work people.

Is the working-age population less healthy since the pandemic? What role is changing health playing in rising health-related benefit claims?

Spending on special educational needs (SEND) is becoming unsustainable due to the rise in high needs. Reform to SEND funding and provision is needed.

Following a bulge in claims, recent figures suggest new disability benefits may not pose as big a cost to the Scottish Budget 2024 as first feared.

How do post-COVID claimants of health-related benefits compare with pre-COVID claimants? Where in the UK are they? How do other countries compare?