Recommendations & Conclusions
8 items
4
Conclusion
3rd Report – Get Britain Working: Pathw…
Deferred
The accessibility of workplaces is highly relevant to the Government’s reforms, especially since it has predicated its criticisms of the Work Capability Assessment partly on there being a range of jobs and adaptations available in the labour market. We will return to this subject in a future Get Britain Working …
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The accessibility of workplaces is highly relevant to the Government’s reforms, especially since it has predicated its criticisms of the Work Capability Assessment partly on there being a range of jobs and adaptations available in the labour market. We will return to this subject in a future Get Britain Working inquiry. (Conclusion, Paragraph 49) Changes to PIP eligibility and UC rates
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Government response AI summary
The government explained its proposed reform, outlined in the Pathways to Work Green Paper, where the Universal Credit Health Element (UCHE) will be based on eligibility for a Daily Living Award in PIP and not linked to work capacity, without addressing workplace accessibility.
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Department for Work and Pensions
5
Conclusion
3rd Report – Get Britain Working: Pathw…
Deferred
We are sympathetic to the intention behind the changes to UC rates and we agree with the importance of increasing the standard allowance. As such, we warmly welcome the desperately needed increases in the standard allowance, although we hope the Government will give serious consideration to further increases before the …
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We are sympathetic to the intention behind the changes to UC rates and we agree with the importance of increasing the standard allowance. As such, we warmly welcome the desperately needed increases in the standard allowance, although we hope the Government will give serious consideration to further increases before the end of the Parliament. The Minister gave us reason to think he was keeping an open mind on this. We also welcome the decision not to freeze UC health for existing claimants. We remain concerned, however, that the significant reduction in UC health for new claimants after April 2026 will push many disabled people further into poverty and away from the labour market, even with the increase in the standard allowance. (Conclusion, Paragraph 98)
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Government response AI summary
The government stated it is considering responses to its Green Paper consultation on raising the age for Universal Credit Health Element access and will set out its policy direction in due course, rather than directly addressing concerns about the reduction in UC health for new …
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Department for Work and Pensions
6
Recommendation
3rd Report – Get Britain Working: Pathw…
Deferred
We recommend that the Government consider implementing further increases to the standard allowance over the life of the Parliament, in addition to those provided for in the Universal Credit Bill. We also call on the Government to delay the reduction in UC health until it has carried out an independent …
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We recommend that the Government consider implementing further increases to the standard allowance over the life of the Parliament, in addition to those provided for in the Universal Credit Bill. We also call on the Government to delay the reduction in UC health until it has carried out an independent and comprehensive assessment of the impact the change could have on disabled people. (Recommendation, Paragraph 99)
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Government response AI summary
The government stated it is carefully considering responses to its Green Paper consultation on conditionality and employment support for disabled people and will share further details in due course, without committing to further increases in the standard allowance or delaying the reduction in UC health.
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Department for Work and Pensions
18
Conclusion
3rd Report – Get Britain Working: Pathw…
Deferred
People’s experiences of the PIP assessment process are often dreadful, so we fully support the proposal to record all assessments, but we think still more needs to be done to hold assessment providers to account for their performance. This subject is slightly beyond the scope of our inquiry, but it …
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People’s experiences of the PIP assessment process are often dreadful, so we fully support the proposal to record all assessments, but we think still more needs to be done to hold assessment providers to account for their performance. This subject is slightly beyond the scope of our inquiry, but it is a crucial area in which much more work needs to be done. (Conclusion, Paragraph 132)
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Government response AI summary
The government states it removed a clause from a Bill concerning Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and will now take forward reforms to PIP through the new 'Timms Review,' which is being co-produced with disabled people and experts.
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Department for Work and Pensions
19
Conclusion
3rd Report – Get Britain Working: Pathw…
Deferred
We share the Minister’s concern about young people being trapped in economic inactivity before their working lives have even begun, but we do not see why this means they should lose entitlement to UC health. The Government’s changes to UC rates, along with many of the other changes in the …
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We share the Minister’s concern about young people being trapped in economic inactivity before their working lives have even begun, but we do not see why this means they should lose entitlement to UC health. The Government’s changes to UC rates, along with many of the other changes in the Green Paper, are designed precisely to support the economically inactive back to work, no matter their age. In other words, the Government believes that in the reformed system those on UC health will no longer be forgotten about. If this is so, the Minister’s concern about young people being trapped on benefits early in life will have been addressed and there will be no need to deny them access to UC health. (Conclusion, Paragraph 137)
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Government response AI summary
The government stated that it welcomed views on raising the age for Universal Credit Health Element access as part of a consultation and is currently considering responses, with the policy direction to be set out in due course.
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Department for Work and Pensions
20
Recommendation
3rd Report – Get Britain Working: Pathw…
Deferred
We urge the Government to review its decision to delay access to UC health until the age of 22. (Recommendation, Paragraph 138)
Government response AI summary
The government states it welcomed views on raising the age for Universal Credit Health Element access as part of a recent Green Paper consultation. It is currently considering the responses and will set out the policy direction in due course, deferring a decision on the …
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Department for Work and Pensions
22
Conclusion
3rd Report – Get Britain Working: Pathw…
Deferred
We are cautiously optimistic about the Government’s proposals for conditionality, although a great deal remains uncertain. The tone of the Green Paper suggests the Government is minded to focus more on positive engagement than coercive conditionality. We appreciate the concerns expressed by many about the principle of drawing more disabled …
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We are cautiously optimistic about the Government’s proposals for conditionality, although a great deal remains uncertain. The tone of the Green Paper suggests the Government is minded to focus more on positive engagement than coercive conditionality. We appreciate the concerns expressed by many about the principle of drawing more disabled people within the scope of conditionality, but if support conversations are to be the extent of conditionality for the majority of claimants, we would consider this regime to be so light as to barely count as conditionality at all. We are more concerned, however, about the arrangements for determining a person’s conditionality regime, about which there is too little information, and about the availability of an appeals process. (Conclusion, Paragraph 155) 68
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Government response AI summary
The government reiterated its Green Paper approach to conditionality focusing on personalised employment support and periodic conversations, acknowledging the need for further detail and clarity on regimes and operations, with proposals to be shared in due course.
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Department for Work and Pensions
23
Recommendation
3rd Report – Get Britain Working: Pathw…
Deferred
We recommend that the Government clarify its intentions for the conditionality regime for disabled people. In particular, it should spell out what requirements beyond support conversations a disabled person might have to meet. Furthermore, if the nature of a person’s conditionality regime is to be left to the discretion of …
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We recommend that the Government clarify its intentions for the conditionality regime for disabled people. In particular, it should spell out what requirements beyond support conversations a disabled person might have to meet. Furthermore, if the nature of a person’s conditionality regime is to be left to the discretion of work coaches, the Government needs to make clear on what basis they will be making their decisions and what right of appeal a claimant will have. Conditionality for disabled people must not become dependent on the whims of work coaches. (Recommendation, Paragraph 156) 69
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Government response AI summary
The government acknowledged the need for further clarity on the conditionality regime for disabled people, including requirements and work coach discretion, and stated they are considering consultation responses and will share detailed proposals in due course.
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Department for Work and Pensions