Government’s advisers warn DWP minister he may need to ‘shift entrenched concerns’ over work reforms

The government’s own social security advisers have warned a minister he may need to do more to “shift entrenched concerns” among disabled claimants that they could lose their disability benefits if they take steps towards paid work.

The social security advisory committee (SSAC) has written to Sir Stephen Timms about the government’s attempts to persuade more working-age disabled people to try work without the fear of “repercussions” with their benefits.

Ministers have promised parliament their plans will be implemented by April, but the committee said it had concerns about their proposals and will now need to examine them formally.

Labour pledged in its 2024 manifesto to “give disabled people the confidence to start working without the fear of an immediate benefit reassessment if it does not work out”.

But SSAC said that draft regulations*, which will enshrine existing rules into legislation, failed to provide the “clarity or assurance needed to achieve their intended purpose” and risked undermining the confidence of disabled claimants of universal credit, employment and support allowance (ESA) and personal independence payment (PIP).

Among those likely to be most affected by the regulations are disabled people with fluctuating conditions, and those who currently receive PIP but not universal credit or ESA. 

In the letter, the committee’s chair, Dr Stephen Brien, told Sir Stephen, the minister for social security and disability, that the regulations appeared to offer reassurance to claimants that they would not face a reassessment of their existing disability benefits if they started paid work.

But he said the regulations failed to offer the same reassurance to those considering carrying out work-related activity, which could include training or confidence-building sessions.

Without clarity on how such work-related activity will be treated, many claimants were likely to continue seeing a “potential risk” that their benefits could be reassessed, he told Sir Stephen.

Brien said: “It is not yet clear how claimants – especially those with fluctuating or complex conditions – are expected to interpret the amendments, nor how the Department has assessed the risk that claimants will still fear that undertaking work‑related activities might lead to reassessment.”

He said the committee would now seek further information about the draft regulations from DWP, and other individuals and organisations.

DWP said it had already consulted on the draft regulations but would take the committee’s views and recommendations on board.

A spokesperson said: “We welcome the further consultation from the Social Security Advisory Committee on our ‘Right to Try’ regulations to ensure that this policy is truly impactful in giving people with health conditions and disabled people the confidence to try work without fear of immediate benefits loss.

“We will respond to the full report when it is published.”

Meanwhile, Jenny Sealey, the Deaf artistic director of disability-led theatre group Graeae, said she had been left “broken” after being told her Access to Work (AtW) support had been slashed by half to just 18 hours a week.

It is just the latest evidence of cuts and delays to the disability employment scheme.

She said: “This feels punitive. I dared speak out about the 15-month delays to the system, the battles our community are facing with each and every application, and I feel like I’m being told to get back in my box.”

Sealey said the cuts would mean Graeae would be expected to fund her British Sign Language interpreters for more than 30 hours a week, which was “way beyond” a reasonable adjustment.

In response to a Graeae survey, 35 disabled artists have informed the theatre company that they also face AtW cuts and delays to funding of up to 15 months.

One said: “I already lost my premises with last year’s delays removing my ability to generate income for many months and as such was unable to afford overheads such as rent.

“I am now on the verge of losing my business entirely as I am yet again without my vital support workers.”

Sealey’s intervention came as Sir Stephen admitted to a Labour MP that the number of disabled people waiting for a decision on their Access to Work claim had continued to climb.

On 1 February 2026, there were 66,218 applications awaiting a decision, compared with 62,000 on 1 October 2025 and 48,270 when Labour came to power in July 2024.

Meanwhile, the Disability Poverty Campaign Group has released the results of a survey which found that more than half of disabled people who used Access to Work in the past two years said it failed to meet their needs, reporting cuts to support, long delays and difficulties accessing essential equipment.

*The Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment and Employment and Support Allowance (Amendment) Regulations 2026