The government has unveiled a new plan aimed at making it easier for disabled people to try work without worrying that they will immediately lose their benefits.
Under legislation laid before parliament on Thursday, people who start work or begin volunteering will no longer automatically face a benefit reassessment. Ministers say the change is designed to remove a barrier that many disabled people have said has held them back from attempting to enter employment.
The policy has been described as a “right to try” approach, reflecting the idea that disabled people should be able to test whether work is possible for them without facing an immediate financial penalty if it does not work out.
Supporters of the change see it as a practical step towards encouraging more disabled people into jobs and volunteering roles. For some, the risk of losing benefits has made even short-term or exploratory work feel too dangerous to attempt.
But campaigners have warned that the legislation does not go far enough. They say the government’s plans do little to address the wider problem of hostile workplaces, which can still make work difficult or inaccessible for disabled people even when benefit rules are relaxed.
The concern is that removing one barrier is not the same as creating genuinely welcoming employment conditions. Campaigners argue that disabled people need more than reassurance about benefits; they also need workplaces that are accessible, supportive and willing to make adjustments.
The announcement comes amid continuing debate over how best to support disabled people into work while protecting their financial security. The threat of a benefit reassessment has been a particular source of anxiety, with some disabled people saying it discouraged them from taking even limited steps towards employment.
By changing the automatic reassessment rule, ministers hope more people will feel able to test what work they can manage. The government’s argument is that people should not be discouraged from trying employment or volunteering simply because doing so could trigger a review of their benefit status.
However, the criticism from campaigners suggests that the new approach may need to be part of a broader effort if it is to have a lasting impact. Without changes to workplace culture, recruitment practices and support systems, they say, the promise of a right to try may not translate into real opportunities for disabled people.
The legislation will now move through parliament, where it is likely to attract scrutiny over whether it provides enough protection and whether it addresses the underlying obstacles disabled people face when looking for work.
For now, the government has taken a first step towards separating the decision to try work from the fear of an immediate benefits review. Whether that step is enough to change the experiences of disabled jobseekers remains the subject of debate.
