PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
(28 February 2025)

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.

Asked by:
Sir Mel Stride (Conservative)

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

Answered by:
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