The approach, described as \u201cparticipation first,\u201d<\/strong> would redirect billions of pounds toward employment assistance and training while reducing or replacing certain disability payments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ministers, including Andy Burnham<\/strong>, have discussed applying the principle across the working-age population. Such an expansion could trigger renewed opposition within the Labour Party, which previously forced Prime Minister Keir Starmer<\/strong> to retreat from proposed welfare cuts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n No decision has been announced on extending the reforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A government source said: \u201cThe support offer and benefit changes Alan has set out were devised for young people and the specific circumstances they face. But the Timms review has set out that Pip is no longer fit for purpose, and the government will respond to that review when it reports.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The immediate proposals come from Alan Milburn<\/strong>, a former Labour cabinet minister tasked with reviewing employment opportunities and welfare support for young people. His recommendations would replace the Universal Credit health element<\/strong> for under-25s with access to training and employment assistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Young disabled people would also lose access to ongoing Personal Independence Payment (PIP)<\/strong> under the proposed system. Instead, they could apply to local funds covering specific short-term expenses, including equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n People with the most severe disabilities who cannot work would retain protected entitlements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Extending similar arrangements to adults over 25 could produce greater savings because older claimants represent a substantially larger population. Ministers acknowledge that any broader system would need to accommodate caring responsibilities, family commitments and more complex medical conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Milburn argues that the existing system fails to provide young people with adequate routes into employment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n His review projects 440,000 employment and education opportunities by 2036<\/strong>, alongside an increase of more than \u00a32 billion in young people’s net incomes<\/strong>. He said the main finding of the review was not a lack of ambition from young people but a lack of opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI have not met a single young person who wanted to be Neet [not in education, employment or training]. Not one. They want independence, they want to earn their own money and they want someone to give them a chance,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Some estimates place the potential cost of the proposed support package at approximately \u00a36 billion<\/strong>, although Milburn’s report is not expected to commit to spending that amount. Government departments, including those responsible for health and education, have raised concerns about financing the additional assistance from existing budgets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The proposals have alarmed organizations supporting disabled people. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation<\/strong> warns that removing additional payments could leave hundreds of thousands of young claimants relying on approximately \u00a380 a week<\/strong> in basic Universal Credit support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More than 40 leading UK charities<\/strong> have also warned that tougher sanctions or reduced benefits could push vulnerable young people further into poverty and undermine their employment prospects. The debate comes as annual welfare spending reaches \u00a3333 billion<\/strong>. Pensioners receive approximately 55% of that total, while young people, excluding children, account for around 2.5%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The government is preparing responses to both the Milburn review<\/strong> and the Stephen Timms review<\/strong> of disability benefits. A government spokesperson said ministers would maintain a safety net for vulnerable people and those unable to work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The UK government is weighing wider disability benefit reforms that could reshape financial support for working-age adults.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":113597,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-128809","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33","no-featured-image-padding"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128809","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=128809"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128809\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":128813,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/128809\/revisions\/128813"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/113597"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=128809"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=128809"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=128809"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Entrance](\"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/08\/Entrance-to-the-Portsmouth-Jobcentre-Plus-1200x727.jpg\")
What Could Change for Disability Benefit Claimants?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Milburn Promises 440,000 Employment and Education Opportunities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Disability Charities Warn of Greater Financial Hardship<\/h2>\n\n\n\n