Reform UK has unveiled what it describes as the biggest welfare overhaul in a generation, proposing to abolish Personal Independence Payment (PIP) for working-age adults and save £50 billion a year. The plan, announced by Treasury spokesperson Robert Jenrick, would prioritise support only for severe and enduring disabilities.
The proposals come as the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) attributes rising PIP claims to mental health conditions. The DWP states: “Mental health conditions and behavioural disorders have been a primary driver of the increase in the working age PIP caseload.” More than one million people are reportedly claiming PIP for anxiety and even acne, with over 16 million people in Britain claiming disability status.
Community work requirement
A controversial element of the plan requires those able to work but out of work for over a year to perform 20 hours of community work weekly to receive benefits. Critics have labelled this slave labour, but supporters argue it is a modest requirement that allows time for job hunting or retraining while maintaining confidence and providing a positive interview narrative.
Jenrick described the current system as one of “suicidal empathy”, where misdirected sympathy harms more than it helps. The proposals have drawn criticism from campaigners calling them “cruel and dangerous”, while the Conservatives dismissed them as an “attempt to distract from” questions about Nigel Farage’s finances.
Immigration and welfare
Reform also proposes restricting out-of-work benefits to British citizens only, citing a record 1.3 million migrants claiming Universal Credit. The party argues that without such restrictions, the welfare system risks bankruptcy.
The author, Ameer Kotecha, CEO of the Centre for Government Reform and former head of the British consulate in Russia from 2023-25, argues that paying benefits to those with mild anxiety incentivises inactivity rather than purposeful work, which he says benefits mental health. He contrasts this with individuals with serious physical disabilities who work despite their conditions.
