Under-22s will not get incapacity benefits under welfare shake-up

Beneath-22s with long-term sicknesses or disabilities will now not be capable to declare a well being top-up on common credit score below authorities plans.

It was one of many measures introduced by Work Secretary Liz Kendall in a shake-up of the advantages system she stated would cut UK’s growing welfare bill.

Some 66,000 18 to 21-year-olds are at the moment claiming the profit and the cash saved by stopping it is going to be reinvested into coaching for younger individuals, the federal government has stated.

Kendall stated the reforms will imply “equity” for long-term sick and disabled individuals, however incapacity campaigners have referred to as them “harmful cuts”.

Beneath the present system, these over the age of 18 however below state pension age in England, Wales, and Scotland can get incapacity advantages on high of common credit score if the Division of Work and Pensions (DWP) assesses them as too sick to work.

Nonetheless, in a paper printed by DWP on Tuesday, it proposed elevating this age to 22.

The paper additionally proposed elevating the age at which individuals can declare the grownup incapacity profit, known as the personal independence payment (Pip), up from 18.

The federal government is searching for suggestions on the proposals alongside other suggested reforms in the white paper earlier than the tip of June.

Not one of the reforms would have an effect on Northern Eire, which has a distinct system the place most advantages are paid out via Jobs and Benefits offices managed by the Division for Communities.

The reforms come as part of a wider push by Labour to chop spending by decreasing the variety of individuals on incapacity advantages, which is forecast to achieve a report excessive by the tip of the last decade.

Experts say the increase is due to a combination of worse psychological well being for the reason that pandemic and a better retirement age that means some are as an alternative claiming incapacity advantages.

Starmer stated he’s “not ready to face again and do nothing whereas tens of millions of individuals – particularly younger individuals – who’ve potential to work and reside unbiased lives, as an alternative develop into trapped out of labor and deserted by the system”.

Nonetheless, Incapacity Rights UK stated that barring under-22s from claiming the well being component of common credit score alongside the proposal to extend assessments “mark harmful cuts for all disabled individuals”.

The charity added that the package deal of reforms was “not about supporting disabled individuals into work, however making brutal and reckless cuts”.