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The Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) is facing calls to abandon plans to cut Universal Credit payments by over £10,400 for some claimants. The Government intends to raise the age at which you can receive the Universal Credit health element from 18 to 22. Currently, if you have a health condition or disability that affects your ability to work, you can start claiming the benefit from the age of 18. An early day motion has been initiated in Parliament to challenge this proposed change. The motion "expresses concern at proposals to restrict access to the health element of Universal Credit based solely on age" as it argues that "a disabled or severely ill person is not inherently more capable of work whether they are under 22 years of age or over". Furthermore, the motion urges ministers to ensure that claimants who are severely ill or disabled "are not discriminated against on the basis of age in future", reports the Mirror. So far, the motion has been signed by former Reform UK MP James McMurdock, now an independent, and DUP MP Jim Shannon. What changes are being proposed to the Universal Credit health element? Confirmed changes coming into effect from April 2026 will see the health element for new claimants halved from the current £432.27 a month to £217.26 a month. This amount will then be frozen until the 2029/2030 tax year. Consequently, a new claimant missing out on four years' worth of the health element from age 18 to 22 would lose out on £10,428.48 in payments. In a previous consultation on the proposals, the DWP outlined the reasoning behind extending access to the health element. The department said: "Delaying access to the Universal Credit health element would remove any potential disincentive to work during this time. "Proceeding with this change would be on the basis that resources could be better spent on improving the quality and range of opportunities available to young people through the guarantee, so they can sign up to work or training rather than long-term benefits. "Such a change could further support the objective for a distinct and active transition phase for young people, based on learning or earning for all." The DWP will be raising the Universal Credit standard allowance above inflation over the four financial years from 2026/2027. This means the standard allowance will be 4.8 per cent higher than it would have been had it risen in line with the CPI (Consumer Prices Index) measure for inflation, as most DWP benefits typically do. When unveiling the proposals in March 2025, former Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said: "We will deliver reform with real people and real voices at the heart of the changes - people who for too long have been 'signed off' rather than 'signed up' to programmes to support them with health or other barriers to getting a decent job. "That is why we will raise the Universal Credit standard allowance and provide an additional £1billion employment, health and skills support package to make the system pro-work and reduce perverse incentives. These reforms are vital to achieving our goal of spreading the benefits of good work to as many people as possible. "However, in making these crucial changes we must also be building a benefit system that is more affordable, so we have taken decisive action now."
