150,000 People Face Cuts to Specific Health Benefits, DWP Reveals

Around 150,000 people receiving health benefits from the DWP could see their payments reduced or eliminated under proposed changes.

Labour has outlined plans to cut health benefits, including the daily living component of Personal Independence Payments (PIP). Carers who receive Carer’s Allowance could also be affected.

Baroness Ruth Lister questioned ministers about the impact on carers who support PIP recipients, asking how many would lose entitlement to Carer’s Allowance or the carer element of Universal Credit, as reported by Express.

Labour’s Baroness Maeve Sherlock provided estimates indicating that by 2029/2030, around 150,000 people receiving carer’s benefits would be affected by the changes. This includes 107,000 people set to lose Carer’s Allowance and 96,000 to lose the carer element of Universal Credit.

Among them, 55,000 would lose both Carer’s Allowance and the carer element, resulting in a reduction equivalent to the carer’s element.

Critics have condemned the proposed cuts as "cruel," raising concerns about the impact on vulnerable individuals and their carers.

To qualify for Carer’s Allowance, a person must provide at least 35 hours of care weekly to someone receiving a specific qualifying benefit, such as the daily living component of PIP. Carer’s Allowance currently pays £83.30 per week or £4,331.60 annually.

Similarly, to receive the carer element of Universal Credit, a claimant must provide care for at least 35 hours per week to someone eligible for certain health or disability-related benefits, such as PIP daily living. The carer element currently pays £201.68 per month or £2,420.16 annually.

If someone claims both Carer’s Allowance and Universal Credit, the Universal Credit payment is reduced by the amount received from Carer’s Allowance.