The UK Government recently published the Health and Disability White Paper, which lays out proposed reforms to the benefits system.
As part of its shake-up, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced plans to end the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) to encourage people who need to claim benefits back into work.
It’s important to keep in mind that these planned changes in the White Paper are proposals and will be debated in Parliament before coming into force in 2026/27.
WCAs currently provide decisions on whether a person is fit for work for the purpose of their Employment Support Allowance (ESA) or Universal Credit allowance.