Leading UK disability charities have warned that sweeping changes to Universal Credit will severely impact thousands of people with serious health conditions—despite government assurances that the most vulnerable will be protected.
Organisations such as Scope, Z2K, the MS Society and Inclusion London say the proposed reforms—due for a key Commons vote on Wednesday—fail to safeguard claimants with progressive or fluctuating disabilities, such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, and bipolar disorder.
The controversial legislation introduces the Severe Conditions Criteria (SCC), which the government claims will shield the most seriously ill or disabled individuals from repeated benefit reassessments and reductions.
However, critics argue the criteria are too narrow, only applying to those whose conditions are constant and unchanging.
Ayla Ozmen, Director of Policy and Campaigns at anti-poverty charity Z2K, said: “Contrary to government claims, we are deeply concerned that thousands of disabled people with lifelong, limiting conditions will fall through the cracks.”
“The definition of ‘severe’ is far too restrictive and excludes many with fluctuating health issues, who still have considerable support needs. These cuts must be scrapped immediately.”
Scope’s Head of Strategy, James Taylor, echoed these concerns, saying the criteria fail to adequately cover those with deteriorating or variable conditions.
“It’s clear the SCC will only apply to a small minority of disabled people. The ambiguity around eligibility could also lead to inconsistent assessments, with even those who should qualify missing out entirely.”
Charities are also raising alarm over the requirement that conditions must be diagnosed by the NHS. With NHS waiting times at record highs, many individuals—particularly those with mental health conditions or neurodivergent diagnoses secured privately—could be automatically excluded.
“This plan effectively punishes those who can’t access overstretched NHS services,” said Taylor. “It appears designed to restrict support rather than ensure it reaches those in genuine need. Ultimately, it risks pushing more disabled people into poverty.”
Under the new rules, new Universal Credit claimants who apply for the “health element” would receive less than half of what current recipients get—equating to a loss of up to £3,000 annually.
Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall has insisted the SCC will offer “peace of mind” to the most severely disabled. However, the government’s own impact assessment reveals that just 200,000 people—less than 8% of health-related Universal Credit claimants—would be protected by the proposed clause.
Julia Modern, Senior Policy and Campaigns Manager at Inclusion London, criticised the plan as “deeply flawed and developed without proper consultation.”
“These measures appear aimed at reducing the number of people categorised as severely disabled. But everyone in the LCWRA group is already deemed unfit for work—they should not be targeted for cuts.”
