Hundreds of thousands of severely ill and disabled people making new claims for Universal Credit will see their benefits cut if the government deems their condition might improve, charities have warned. From April, the health element of Universal Credit—an extra payment for those assessed as too unwell to work—will be halved to £50 a week and frozen for new claimants, unless their condition is terminal or deemed 'severe and lifelong' with no prospect of improvement.
Charities and disabled people’s organisations have told the Guardian that a wide range of debilitating conditions may not meet the strict 'severe and lifelong' criteria, despite often leaving someone unable to work. This includes multiple sclerosis, learning disabilities, bipolar disorder, Parkinson’s disease, ME, and long Covid. Samuel Thomas, a senior policy adviser at the anti-poverty charity Z2K, said: 'Cuts to universal credit’s health element threaten to push some of the most seriously ill and disabled people in the country to the brink.'
Ella Smith, welfare rights policy lead for the ME Association, added: 'The government says it’s protecting people with the most severe conditions, but in reality, this actively excludes swathes of severely ill and disabled people.' Government data estimates that by 2029-30, 730,000 future Universal Credit recipients will miss out on the higher rate, losing an average of £3,000 per year.
Existing claimants will continue to receive £97 a week regardless of whether their disability is judged lifelong. James Taylor, director of strategy at Scope, said: 'Essentially, we’ll have a two-tier universal credit system.' There are also concerns that new claimants must provide extensive NHS medical evidence to qualify for the higher rate, which can be harder for certain conditions due to long waiting lists. Hannah Nicholls-Harrison, policy manager at Mencap, warned that many people with learning disabilities may lack a formal diagnosis or the support to navigate the system, missing out on thousands of pounds a year.
