Matt Whittaker, CEO at Pro Bono Economics, said:
“Disability benefits provide crucial financial support for millions of people, helping to offset the extra living costs that many disabled people face in their daily lives. But they do so much more – analysis by Pro Bono Economics shows that they significantly boost the mental wellbeing and life satisfaction of recipients to a level that easily surpasses the cash cost of delivery.”
“It’s important therefore that those who need such support can access it in a straightforward and predictable way. On this front, the reforms announced today contain good and bad news.”
“Cutting the assessment burden for those with the most severe life-long health conditions and ensuring no one faces reassessment as a consequence of taking a job is good to see. And the commitment to protect benefit rates for those who gain employment is likewise welcome. But the tightening of eligibility for PIP and the cutting of entitlement for new Universal Credit claimants with health conditions will inevitably create very significant financial and wellbeing challenges for thousands.”
“The reforms are billed as rebalancing the focus of support from welfare to work. There is merit in the combined emphasis on improving incentives and delivering much-needed investment in personalised employment support for those who want to work. But the ‘stick’ of welfare cuts will almost certainly strike before the ‘carrot’ of employment support is in place, motivated by an apparent desire to cut near-term public expenditure and help balance the books. That is not the right approach to take to reforms of such scale and importance.”