The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has launched a consultation on the approaches the UK Government should consider around modernising the welfare system for people with disabilities and health conditions.

DWP says it wants to ensure that it has a welfare system that is fit for the future, a system that supports work for people who can, provides a safety net for people who need it, and that is fair to the taxpayer.

The consultation seeks views on whether the government should make fundamental changes to how it supports disabled people and people with health conditions, and whether the current system delivers the right support to people most in need.

This consultation closes at 11.59pm on 22 July 2024. People can respond online here.

The consultation is centred around proposals detailed in a new government green paper, entitled ‘Modernising support for independent living: the health and disability green paper’.

The Ministerial Forward from The Rt Hon Mel Stride MP, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, says: “I am determined to find ways of making the system work better for those with the most severe disabilities and health conditions, including through improved models of assessment, treatment and support as this consultation sets out.”

Importantly, the green paper is centred around how much the health and disability landscape in the UK has changed since the Personal Independence Payment (PIP) was first introduced in 2013. In the last ten years, DWP states, more people are self-reporting disability and claiming disability benefits, resulting in the caseload and cost of the disability benefit rising significantly.

As the Executive Summary explains: “We believe it is the right time to look again at ensuring government support for people with ill health and disabilities is focused where it is most needed. We also believe there may be better ways of supporting people to live independent and fulfilling lives and this is the idea running through this Green Paper.

“This could mean financial support being better targeted at people who have specific extra costs, but it could also involve improved support of other kinds, such as physical or mental health treatment, leading to better outcomes.”

With this in mind, the green paper is guided by three priorities:

1. Providing the right support to the people who need it most.
2. Targeting government resources most effectively.
3. Supporting disabled people to reach their full potential and live independently.

The green paper also explores potential changes to the current PIP system, such as making changes to eligibility criteria for PIP; redesigning the PIP assessment to better target it towards the individual needs of disabled people and people with health conditions; and reforming the PIP assessment so that it is more linked to a person’s condition.

DWP says it wants to hear – through the consultation – how the welfare system could be improved by exploring new approaches to providing support.

This includes:

• Moving away from a fixed cash benefit system so people can receive more tailored support in line with their needs.
• Moving towards a better join up of local services and a simpler way for individuals to access all forms of support and care, whilst reducing duplication, to better meet the needs of people with health conditions and disabilities.
• Exploring alternative ways of supporting people to live independent and fulfilling lives. This could mean financial support being better targeted at people who have specific extra costs, but it could also involve improved support of other kinds, such as physical or mental health treatment, leading to better outcomes.

Recently, the UK Government published a policy paper that confirms the conditions and funding for the Better Care Fund for 2023 to 2025.