Announced a week ahead of the Spring Statement, the Government’s proposal, Pathways to Work: Reforming Benefits and Support to Get Britain Working, primarily concerns Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
The Government is proposing to reduce eligibility for PIP and replace Work Capability Assessments (WCA), which is currently used to determine additional Universal Credit entitlement, with the PIP assessment process.
Headway has long campaigned for the abolition of Work Capability Assessment, which has systematically failed brain injury survivors. While the planned WCA removal in 2028 is welcome, concerns remain about the use of the PIP assessment process for the health element of Universal Credit.
The lack of clarity on how this will work has left people in fear that the mistakes of the past will be repeated – or exacerbated. This is in addition to the concerns many are reporting regarding the financial impact of raising the barrier to qualify for PIP and the reduced rate of the UC health element for new claimants.
Luke Griggs, Chief Executive of Headway - the brain injury association, states:
“No one that has experienced the stress and anxiety of having to educate or persuade a Work Capability Assessor who has no specialist knowledge or professional understanding of their condition and how it affects them will mourn the loss of the WCA.
“Brain injury survivors repeatedly tell us that they are made to feel like frauds or cheats due to a deeply flawed process.
“And yet any relief that the WCA is to be abolished has been replaced by abject fear from people who worry they will be pushed into a labour market that they are ill-equipped to navigate.”
Survivors frequently tell us of the distressing and dehumanising experiences they endure during PIP assessments. Assessors routinely lack the necessary expertise in brain injury, leading to unfair and inaccurate outcomes. Hidden effects such as overwhelming fatigue, memory issues, executive dysfunction, and behavioural changes are misunderstood or dismissed, forcing individuals into an exhausting and demoralising cycle of appeals.
The assessment process is already a bureaucratic nightmare and for many it is an ordeal that exacerbates their condition. While we welcome the decision to exempt the most severely disabled from reassessments, questions remain as to how such critical judgements will be made.
We acknowledge that PIP will rise in line with inflation this year, given the earlier reports that the Government planned to freeze the rate, though this does little to counteract years of real-term cuts to disability benefits. We call on the Government to guarantee continued inflationary increases beyond this year.
Further guarantees are needed on the Government’s commitment to supporting more disabled people into work. Many brain injury survivors would like to return to employment but require specialist rehabilitation and long-term support to do so.
As Luke Griggs emphasises:
“With the right help, at the right time, there can be life after brain injury although many brain injury survivors will never be able to return to work due to the cognitive, physical and psychological impact it causes. These people need help, not judgement.
“For other brain injury survivors, returning to work is a crucial part of their journey towards regaining independence.
“But that can only happen if they have access to specialist community-based reablement services, such as those provided by Headway. Local Headway charities provide crucial services to survivors and carers in their communities, including vocational rehabilitation support.
“But many local charities providing these services are already in crisis due to a chronic lack of statutory funding.
“If the Government is genuine in its pledge to give brain injury survivors and other disabled people the tools they need to return to work or education, it must take immediate action to ensure charities such as Headway are still around to deliver these essential services.”
Moreover, the onus cannot be placed solely on disabled people. Employers must be equipped to offer meaningful opportunities to those with brain injuries. As Luke Griggs states:
“We urge the Government to engage with employers to educate and equip businesses with the knowledge and tools to understand the reasonable adjustments people with hidden, fluctuating conditions such as brain injury may need.
“The introduction of a so-called ‘right to try’ – allowing individuals to attempt a return to work without the fear of losing their welfare benefits – may sound promising, but without robust protections, it risks forcing vulnerable individuals into unsuitable work.
“The reality is that for many brain injury survivors, work is simply not an option, and no amount of policy rebranding will change that. The Government must ensure that those unable to work due to brain injury are not left without the support they need to not just survive, but live fulfilling and dignified lives.”
The Government is now consulting on its proposals, with submissions open until 30 June 2025. Headway will be responding to this consultation, ensuring that the voices of brain injury survivors are heard and pushing back against damaging cuts.
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