Pathways to Work: Government Response
Date Published: Thursday 23 October 2025
This is a House of Commons committee special report, including a government response to an earlier committee report.
Overview
This briefing summarises the UK Government’s response to the Work and Pensions Committee’s report on the “Pathways to Work” Green Paper and the Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment Bill. The reforms aim to reduce economic inactivity and reshape welfare support for disabled people and those with health conditions.
Key Government Proposals
1. Universal Credit (UC) Reforms
- Standard Allowance: Increased above inflation.
- UC Health Element (UCHE):
- Frozen for existing claimants.
- Halved for new claimants from 6 April 2026.
- Additional premium introduced for those with severe, lifelong conditions.
2. Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Changes
- Initial proposal: Claimants must score 4+ points in one activity.
- Revised to exclude current recipients.
- Ultimately removed from the Bill following stakeholder feedback.
3. Work Capability Assessment (WCA)
- Planned abolition by 2028.
- UCHE entitlement to be based on receipt of PIP daily living component.
- Signals shift toward UCHE as a means-tested disability benefit.
Committee Concerns
- Insufficient consultation with disabled people.
- Lack of impact assessments on poverty, health, and employment.
- Risk of increased poverty and inequality.
- PIP changes could undermine support for disabled people in work.
- Unclear and potentially harmful conditionality regime.
Positive Developments
- Removal of PIP changes.
- UCHE freeze lifted for severely disabled claimants.
- Commitment to co-produce PIP assessment reforms with disabled people.
Recommendations from the Committee
- Delay UCHE cuts until full impact assessments are completed.
- Clarify conditionality rules:
- Nature of support conversations.
- Claimant obligations.
- Appeal rights.
- Ensure employment support remains voluntary.
- Improve transparency in work coach decision-making.
- Modernise PIP assessments with lived experience input.
Consultation Topics (March/June 2025)
- Design of a new Unemployment Insurance benefit.
- Structure of support conversations.
- Proposal to delay UCHE access until age 22.
Evidence Base
- 28 written submissions.
- 3 oral evidence sessions.
- Online roundtable with PIP recipients.
- Input from disability charities and think tanks.