DoomsdaysCW<p>UK - Under-22s to be excluded from <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/incapacity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>incapacity</span></a> benefits</p><p>by Mitchell Labiak, March 18, 2025</p><p>Excerpt:</p><p>'Trapped out of work'</p><p>"The reforms come as part of a wider push by Labour to cut spending by reducing the number of people on incapacity benefits, which is forecast to reach a record high by the end of the decade.</p><p>"Experts say the increase is due to a combination of worse <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MentalHealth" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>MentalHealth</span></a> since the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/pandemic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>pandemic</span></a> and a higher retirement age meaning some are instead claiming incapacity benefits.</p><p>"<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Starmer" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>Starmer</span></a> said he is 'not prepared to stand back and do nothing while millions of people – especially young people – who have potential to work and live independent lives, instead become trapped out of work and abandoned by the system'.</p><p>"However, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/DisabilityRightsUK" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>DisabilityRightsUK</span></a> said that barring under-22s from claiming the health element of universal credit alongside the proposal to increase assessments 'mark dangerous cuts for all <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/disabled" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>disabled</span></a> people'.</p><p>"The charity added that the package of reforms was 'not about supporting disabled people into work, but making brutal and reckless cuts'."</p><p>Read more:<br><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckg8pz1g8q9o" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://www.</span><span class="ellipsis">bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckg8pz</span><span class="invisible">1g8q9o</span></a><br><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/DisabilityRights" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>DisabilityRights</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/UKPol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>UKPol</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/BudgetCuts" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>BudgetCuts</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/TaxTheRich" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>TaxTheRich</span></a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AbolishTheMonarchy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#<span>AbolishTheMonarchy</span></a></p>