Proposed welfare reforms and benefits cuts: what do we know about how this will affect people with muscle wasting and weakening conditions?  

The Chancellor confirmed that the previous Conservative Government’s proposals to use vouchers will not go ahead. PIP will not be means-tested either. Although there was much media speculation that PIP payments would be frozen next year (not rising in line with inflation), we received confirmation that this won’t be happening.  

The main announcement is about restricting eligibility for PIP, based on scores for the daily living component. The mobility component isn’t affected here.  

• They will introduce “a new eligibility requirement to ensure that only those who score a minimum of four points in at least one daily living activity will be eligible for the daily living component of PIP. This requirement will need to be met in addition to the existing PIP eligibility criteria.” 

This will apply to new claimants. For existing claimants, the impact of this change will be assessed at their next award review.  

If people lose PIP because of this change, this could potentially affect entitlement to other benefits linked to this. The exact impact is currently unknown.  

The Government is intending to introduce this via new legislation. They want to implement this in 2026/27, possibly by November 2026. The exact date of when this change will take effect is unknown.  

Over the course of this Parliament, the Government wants to reform the rates of UC.

There will be an increase for people who receive the standard allowance:

• “The government will increase the Universal Credit standard allowance for new and existing claims above inflation from 2026-27. This means the standard allowance weekly rate for a single person aged 25 and over will increase from £92 in 2025-26 to £106 in 2029-30.”

There will be cuts for people who receive the health element of UC:

• “For people who already receive the UC health element the rate of the UC health element will be frozen at £97pw until 2029/2030…”
• “For new claims, the Universal Credit health element will be reduced to £50 a week in 2026-27 and then frozen until 2029-30.”

The Government is intending to introduce this via new legislation. They want to implement this in 2026/27, possibly starting in April 2026. The exact date of when these different changes will take effect is unknown.

There are a few safeguard measures in development for those who may lose out because of the proposed cuts above.

• The Government is considering giving out an additional payment to new claimants receiving the reduced UC health element after April 2026. This would apply to people “with the most severe, life-long health conditions, who have no prospect of improvement and will never be able to work”. The exact list of conditions covered is not currently known.

• For people assessed as being in the limited capability for work and work-related activity (LCWRA) group, the Government “will guarantee that no-one who has been found LCWRA prior to April 2026 and remains LCWRA following reassessment will see their UC health element entitlement changed”.

In 2028/29, the Government will scrap the WCA. Financial support under UC for those with health conditions will then be assessed using PIP.  

The Government is intending to introduce this via new legislation. More details about how this will work will be shared later this year in the upcoming white paper.  

In the meantime, the Government wants to build back up the number of WCA reassessments taking place. This will first focus on those most likely to have had a change in circumstance. As they build up capacity to do more reassessments, they will continue to prioritise those whose awards are likely to change. We don’t know which health conditions or who exactly these reassessments will focus on. But this change does risk exacerbating the difficulties faced by people with muscle wasting and weakening conditions who can face reassessments despite having a progressive long-term condition.

Welfare is partly a devolved policy area. This means these proposals won’t necessarily apply in the same way in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.  

The UK Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has responsibility for health and disability benefits in Wales. The proposals around UC and PIP apply to Wales.  

In Scotland, the implementation of the proposals will need to be carefully considered with Scottish Government, as responsibility for benefits is split between the UK and Scottish governments.  

• UC is reserved (governed by the UK Government) and PIP is devolved (governed by the Scottish Government).  

• The announced proposals by the UK Government only apply to reserved matters in Scotland (UC). PIP, notably, is being replaced by Adult Disability Payment. Any changes resulting from the UK Government’s proposals on PIP will need to first be considered further in Scotland.  

The Northern Ireland Executive is responsible for how the above proposals will be implemented in Northern Ireland. But oftentimes, policies in Northern Ireland tend to mirror those in England. The DWP will work closely with the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland to determine how these proposals will be taken forward locally.   

We’ll be formally responding to the green paper consultation to raise the concerns of the muscle wasting and weakening community. We’ll use this to highlight how the system should be reformed to better support people with muscle wasting and weakening conditions to live independently. As part of our membership in the Disability Benefits Consortium, we’ll collaborate with other organisations championing the needs of disabled people and raise our shared concerns about these plans.  

We’ve also joined the charity Scope and other organisations across the wider third sector to call directly on the Chancellor to reconsider the cuts ahead of her speech on Wednesday 26 March. Read our open letter here. 

Over the next few months, we’ll be advocating on behalf of the muscle wasting and weakening community to ensure politicians understand that these proposed cuts will leave us more financially insecure, affect our health and quality of life. It will damage our ability to work, not improve it.   

The third sector and disability organisations are coming together to call on the UK Government to reconsider these cuts. As part of this campaigning work, along with Scope and others, we sent an open letter to the Chancellor. There are also ways for you to personally get involved, for example by adding your name and contacting your member of Parliament. Read more about how you can get involved in this cross-sector campaign here.