Work Capability Assessment
(asked on 28th February 2025) - View Source
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Tables in the document entitled Work Capability Assessment Reform: update to estimated number of claimants affected, dated 18 April 2024, what her Department's estimate is of the number of claimants moved into each of those categories in the 2029-30 financial year.
The figures requested can be found in the table below:
Note – This reform was planned and made by the previous Government, but the figures reflect the latest OBR forecasts and assumptions.
Number of claimants affected by Work Capability Assessment Reform, Great Britain
Moved from LCWRA to LCW | 2029-30 |
Totals | 448,000 |
Total moved due to removing the LCWRA ‘mobilising’ descriptor | 282,000 |
Total moved due to amending the LCWRA ‘risk’ descriptor | 136,000 |
Moved from LCW to IWS | 2029-30 |
Total moved | 34,000 |
Total moved due to amending the LCW ‘getting about’ descriptor | 34,000 |
Source: Internal Work Capability Assessment Reform Policy Costing model
Notes to tables:
- LCWRA, LCW and IWS are three groups within Universal Credit with different levels of labour market conditionality
- LCWRA refers to the ‘limited capability for work and work-related activity’ group. LCW refers to the ‘limited capability for work’ group. IWS refers to the ‘intensive work search’ group
- the number of claimants is rounded to the nearest 1,000. Figures may not sum due to rounding