Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to his Department's consultation entitled Work Capability Assessment: activities and descriptors, published on 5 September 2023, what estimate he has made of how many and what proportion of people who have a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease will no longer be deemed as having Limited Capacity for Work Related Activity under the planned reforms to the Work Capability Assessment.

On 22 November we published our response to the consultation on changes to the Work Capability Assessment (WCA) criteria, having carefully considered feedback from disabled people and people with health conditions, as well as the organisations that represent and support them.

The OBR have said that they expect the changes we outlined in this response will mean that 371,000 fewer people will be declared as having Limited Capability for Work Related Activity (LCWRA) by 2028/29 than otherwise would be the case. We will publish an Impact Assessment in due course. HMT have also published the impacts in their policy costing note that accompanies the Autumn Statement.

Estimates are not based on specific conditions because the WCA considers the impact that a person’s disability or health condition has on their ability to work, not the condition itself.

There have been significant changes to the world of work since 2011 when the WCA activities and descriptors were last comprehensively reviewed, particularly increased flexibility, and the availability of hybrid and home working jobs. As such, from 2025, we will be making changes to the criteria for Mobilising and Getting About in the WCA, as well as the Substantial Risk rules. In making these changes, we will continue to protect those with the most severe conditions, while ensuring those who can work are supported in doing so. To ensure those with the most significant mobilising limitations are still protected, we will retain the LCWRA Risk regulations for physical health – this means that where work preparation would lead to a deterioration in a claimant’s physical health they would still meet the eligibility for LCWRA.